Central College baseball season outlook
Central College
Central College baseball season outlook
Last year’s Central College baseball team set a new school season wins record, but coach Adam Stevens and the Dutch have their sights set even higher in 2011.
A 27-14 record, including a 15-8 Iowa Conference mark, yielded a third-place finish. The return of six starters and four of five starting pitchers could produce loftier results, although Stevens cautions that the Dutch are tackling a more challenging schedule this year as well. But he senses the intangibles needed for a winner are present.
“The thing I like even more than the experience these guys have is that they are all really good competitors,” Stevens said. “In close games—which we’ll have a lot of—you want guys who are not going to give in, who are going to give it their all. We have a group that will do that.”
Pitchers
Junior Joel Pulliam emerged as the staff earned run average leader last year at 3.91 while posting a 5-2 record in 10 games. He struck out 39 batters while walking 27.
“In the last half of the year, Joel was as good as anyone we’ve had here as far as consistently keeping us in games,” Stevens said. “He really improved from his freshman to sophomore year. He’s a real good worker with a good attitude. He’s the kind of guy you want out there throwing for you.”
The Dutch also have a pair of reliable seniors in D.J. Glasgow and lefty Caleb Rangel. Glasgow was 4-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 14 games while Rangel was 4-2 with a 7.41 ERA, striking out 21 batters and walking just 10 in 37.2 innings.
“D.J.’s thrown a lot of innings for us,” Stevens said. “He’s one of the best competitors we have. He just finds a way to win games and has done that his entire career.
“Caleb is a really good competitor as well. He just doesn’t give in. You want guys out there who are going to compete. D.J. and Caleb do that for us.”
Sophomores Ryan Goetzinger and Dirk Lindaman flashed promise as rookies. Goetzinger was 2-3 with a 6.55 ERA in 22 innings, striking out 20 batters and walking eight. Lindaman was 2-0 with a 6.27 ERA in 18.2 innings, fanning 15 hitters and walking eight.
“They both threw some last year and probably should have thrown more,” Stevens said. “They’re really poised on the mound and they really improved in the off-season. We’re looking for big sophomore seasons for both of them.”
Two transfers, sophomore Michael Jontz of West Des Moines and junior Mike Werkheiser of Stockton, Ill., could force their way into the rotation.
“Both of them really seem to fit in well,” Stevens said. “They’ve got good velocity and will get some opportunities, too.”
Junior Brett Bell and sophomore Darin Schultz are likely candidates for middle relief. Ryan Dusil of Cedar Rapids and Judson McKown of Maple Plain, Minn. are among the top freshman hurlers.
Stevens hasn’t identified a closer.
“I’d like to have defined roles in the bullpen but we have to figure out our top three or four starters first, then deal with that,” he said.
Infield
There’s a four-way battle for the open position at first base between junior Ben Chestnut, sophomore Jared Lammers, sophomore Seth Carson and sophomore transfer Billy Dittmer of Eldridge.
Chestnut, a two-time letterwinner, has the most experience. He appeared in 23 games last year, hitting .218 with a homer and 11 RBIs.
“They all have strengths and weaknesses,” Stevens said. “We feel all four are very adequate offensively. We’ll try to put our best defensive guy out there. Right now they’re very even.”
The Dutch are moving junior Ryan Allison from the outfield to possibly fill a hole at second base. Allison transferred to Central last year and debuted with a .300 season, hitting 10 doubles and five homers while knocking in 35 runs.
“Ryan has some experience at second base from summer league,” Stevens said. “He’s really athletic and did a nice job in the fall. He brings some athleticism to the infield.”
Also getting a look is senior David Lakin, a three-time letterwinner. He started nine games last year and appeared in 18, batting .250.
“David is one of the leaders on our team,” Stevens said. “He has an outstanding attitude. I really like how he swings from the left side and he’s a solid defensive player as well.”
There are no worries at shortstop, where junior Mike Furlong was last year’s team MVP. He was also a third-team all-Central Region pick and is a two-time all-conference selection. He had four four-hit games and batted a team-high .410 with 57 runs scored, eight doubles, four triples, six home runs and 36 RBIs. Furlong also led the team with 17 stolen bases in 18 tries while posting a .903 fielding percentage. His 67 hits last year were the second-most in school history.
Furlong gained some additional experience playing briefly in a summer wood-bat league in Wisconsin last year.
“We’re really excited to see Mike’s progress,” Stevens said. “He’s one of the top players in the league and the thing I like is that he keeps working to get better.”
Freshman Adam Ariola of Bloomington, Ill. is a promising backup.
“We’ve been really impressed with Adam,” Stevens said. “He’s a really good athlete who can play multiple positions. He can play in the outfield as well as second base or shortstop.”
Senior Anthony Miller is a three-time letterwinner and the returning starter at third base. He hit .320 last year with 35 RBIs.
“Anthony is a really solid third baseman,” Stevens said. “He makes all the routine plays and some that aren’t so routine. He’s also really solid at the plate. He’s got good bat control and is an unselfish guy who will do whatever it takes to help the team be successful.”
Jontz can also play at third when he’s not pitching.
“He’s a really good athlete who can also play shortstop or second base,” Stevens said.
Junior Josh Stanton is back at catcher. He started 34 games last year, batting .323 with 10 doubles, two triples, four homers and 35 RBIs.
“Josh continues to improve,” Stevens said. “He had a really nice offensive season and a good fall. He understands how to handle our pitching staff and he throws really well from behind the plate.”
Junior Max Seeman can also catch.
“Max is probably one of the most well-respected players on the team,” Stevens said. “He’s been improving offensively and can really throw it, too. He’s a great team-first guy.”
Freshmen Dan Kriho of Chicago and Jace Ahrendsen of Clarence could contribute as well.
Outfield
Central has veterans in the corners. Senior left fielder Caleb Rangel and senior right fielder Jarred Lackey have been mainstays.
Rangel hit .313 last year and boasts a career .353 batting mark. He is also a two-time all-conference pick and was the team’s 2009 MVP. Last year he missed some action due to injury but still started 34 games, with seven doubles, two triples and 23 RBIs while posting a .951 fielding percentage.
“Caleb’s a three-year starter and one of the top hitters in the league,” Stevens said. “He’s done an outstanding job hitting in the 3-hole the last couple of years.”
Lackey, last year’s team offensive player of the year, was a third-team all-Central Region honoree and is a two-time all-conference pick. He batted .399 last year, with 10 doubles and two triples while leading the team with eight homers and 52 RBIs. He posted a .639 slugging percentage.
“Jarred’s an outstanding leader and a great teammate,” Stevens said. “He’s always working to improve and is a great competitor.”
Allison’s move to the infield leaves an opening in center, but Stevens feels good about his options. Sophomore Allen Mann stepped into the lineup when Central was dealing with injury and responded by batting .305, recording a five-hit game at Cornell College. He drove in 11 runs in 26 games.
“Allen was a good contributor when he was forced into the lineup,” Stevens said. “He’s a really athletic center fielder who can provide us some offense and has a great attitude.”
Also fighting for a spot is sophomore Sam Stetzel, who appeared in 13 games last year.
“Sam has really impressed us,” Stevens said. “He worked hard as a freshman and has one of the best work ethics on the team. He’s a great defensive center fielder and is getting better offensively, too. He’s going to get some opportunities.”
Other outfielders likely to see action include junior Lance Hollandsworth and freshman Trent Smith of Ankeny.
Designated hitter
The designated hitter likely won’t be determined until Stevens gets the rest of the lineup figured out.
“We’ve got lots of options,” he said. “We have some first basemen who can swing it and some outfielders, too.”
The season
The Dutch were a bit of a surprise last year in picking off a third-place Iowa Conference finish and could contend this spring. But they’ll have company.
“The league the last three or four years has been super competitive,” Stevens said. “It’s a cliché but when you go against any team in the conference you have to be ready to play. Every three-game series is very challenging.
“We’ll try to improve every day and by the time conference rolls around, we’ll give our best shot.”
A wild card is a new rule that will make bats more closely emulate wood bats, which will likely mean less offense.
“It’s really going to change the game, but nobody knows how much,” Stevens said. “There will be a learning curve. Teams will probably play a little more small ball and that’s something we’ve tried to address. We have some guys who can run. We stole a lot of bases last year. We will probably run more and do more situational hitting.”
Central held a 75-36 advantage over opponents in stolen bases in 2010. The running game will likely get a boost this year with the addition of assistant coach Jordan Stauber. He has experience as a baserunning coach and in a year as an assistant at Lawrence the squad set school records for stolen bases in a game (13) and season (99).
But maybe the biggest edge Stevens is banking on this spring is Central’s senior class.
“I like our senior leadership a lot,” Stevens said. “I felt like we had great leaders last year and this year’s seniors are following in their footsteps. They understand what it takes to be successful.”
Central College
Central College Softball season outlook
A versatile roster gives coach George Wares plenty of options as he tries to maneuver the Central College softball team for another NCAA Division III tournament run.
He’s looking to use some key players at multiple positions as the Dutch try to extend their season. They’ve enjoyed back-to-back NCAA tourney appearances, yet for a tradition-drenched program with 22 NCAA trips and four national titles, the early exits of the past two years leave this year’s squad hungry for more.
Central was 30-14 last spring, its 21st 30-win season, but went 0-2 in regional tournament play, extending its NCAA tourney skid to six games.
“I feel like we’re a much better team than we’ve shown at the end of the last couple of seasons,” Wares said. “That’s a key motivator for our seniors. They want a better taste in their mouths about the postseason.”
With 15 letterwinners back, including eight position starters and the top two starting pitchers, there’s certainly reason for hope. The Dutch return three all-Iowa Conference players, including the league’s position player of the year, first baseman Katie Tenboer, who was also a third-team all-America honoree.
While Tenboer and senior all-region pitcher Kiley Lythberg are among those expected to see action at more than one position, Wares said versatility throughout the roster is needed.
“As we lock in the 20 we want to take on our spring trip, we’re going to look to kids who can do more than one thing,” he said. “So those 18th, 19th and 20th players will probably be versatile.”
Pitcher
It all starts in the circle in softball, and that’s cause for some heightened expectations as well, as senior Kiley Lythberg is a two-time all-region and all-conference hurler as well as last year’s team LeRoy Timmer Most Valuable Player Award winner.
Lythberg was 19-9 with a 2.47 earned run average, striking out 114 batters and walking 55.
“We’ve pretty confident in our pitching,” Wares said. “You look at Kiley being a senior and the progress she’s made each year, and her off-season commitment. She looks better than she ever has. She’s very confident and is showing great leadership.”
One key to a stronger season finish for the Dutch is keeping Lythberg rested and ready. Wares had hoped to lighten her workload last year, but circumstances resulted in her increasing her innings from 143 in 2009 to 155.2 in 2010.
“We have to be smart about how we use her,” Wares said. “And she’s going to have to be very mature at the same time so we can decide collectively if we need to rest her a couple of games. I want to get into the postseason but I also want her to be 100 percent when we get there.”
Wares is also going to take another hard look at Tenboer as a pitcher as well as a first baseman, taking advantage of her versatility. She’s a hard thrower but has pitched only sporadically the past three years, with mixed results. Tenboer made just six appearances last year, going 0-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 14.2 innings.
“We’ve seen progress with her,” Wares said. “She seems more committed. We can be so much better if we can get good innings out of her. We’re committed to making it happen.
“She’s so valuable at first base but she can be a real asset for us in the circle as well. That would give us two seniors who I know want something special to happen at the end of the year.”
Improvement should also come from sophomore Rhianna Fleetwood. She was 7-4 with a 2.97 ERA in her rookie season, striking out 37 batters while walking 29 in 73 innings.
“Rhianna’s numbers weren’t bad last year and she got some quality wins,” Wares said. “So she should have enough in the memory bank for her to know that she can do it. She just needs a little more confidence and belief in herself. She’s throwing it harder this year and she’s in better shape. I’m very optimistic she’ll be a valuable pitcher for us.”
The top freshman candidate is Brie Haycraft of Eldridge, a standout at North Scott High School.
“She’s completely different in style from our other pitchers,” Wares said. “She doesn’t throw it as hard but she has good movement. She keeps the ball down, moves it around well and has a good change of pace.”
Wares can also call on senior Ashley Nelson and junior Holly Von Fumetti. Nelson appeared in four games last year while Von Fumetti threw just once. But Wares would prefer she remain in center field.
Infield
Tenboer provides a defensive anchor at first base as well as a powerful bat. She batted .381 and smashed the school season runs batted in record with 40. She had nine doubles, a triple and a team-high eight home runs along with a .659 slugging percentage while compiling a .994 fielding percentage.
“Katie’s one of the best around,” Wares said. “She gives you what you want at first, a good, tall target. Her leadership on the infield will be very important.
“Obviously, offensively she had a tremendous year. She’s very confident going in and we’re expecting good things from her at the plate.”
But if Tenboer spends any time pitching, the Dutch will have to find another first baseman. Senior Bethany Koskamp has experience there but she’s starting the year in the outfield.
That has Wares pondering plugging in Lythberg at first base when needed. She was exclusively a pitcher her first two seasons before getting some at-bats as a designated player last year. Lythberg responded in a big way, batting .360 with six homers and 31 RBIs.
“Kiley’s a competitor,” Wares said. “She can field and she can obviously throw the ball hard. I think she’s enough of a gamer that she can play there for us.”
Other possibilities might be sophomores Ashley Phipps or Caitlyn Meyer, although Meyer will focus on catching duties.
“I feel like we have a lot of options,” Wares said.
Second base is in the steady hands of junior Angela Davis, a first-team all-conference pick last year. Davis shared the team batting lead with Tenboer at .381, hitting seven doubles, a school-record nine triples and one homer while knocking in 23 runs. Meanwhile Davis committed just one error, posting a .993 fielding percentage and helping turn 12 double plays.
Davis spent the fall semester in Europe through Central College Abroad, but is showing no signs of rust.
“Angela kept herself in pretty good shape,” Wares said. “She’s a tremendous leader and a very smart player.”
Junior Rachael Everingham and freshman Chelsea Greiner are potential backups.
“Rachael could play there,” Wares said. “And Chelsea is a pretty solid player. They give us the ability to rest Angela.”
The versatile Koskamp has significant experience at second base as well, and could play there if a long-term replacement were needed.
Wares is looking at filling shortstop with a freshman, yet is convinced it could be Central’s biggest area of improvement. Last year’s starter, sophomore Emily Nalan, is sliding over to third base, and freshman Annie Sarcone of Des Moines, a former Dowling Catholic High School all-stater, could be the answer Wares has been seeking at shortstop the past few years. She’s already got a season of varsity experience as a regular for the Dutch women’s basketball team.
“Annie brings a steadiness that some freshmen don’t have,” he said. “Going through basketball season is helping that. And it helps that Dowling is a very competitive high school program, so she’s had experience in big games. Every indication is that she will be very solid for us.”
But Greiner is a capable shortstop as well, along with freshman Jordan Overland of Boone.
“Both played shortstop in high school and cover the position pretty well,” Wares said.
Senior Rachel Whiteside is bidding for her first starting job at third base after three years in a valuable utility role. She’s competing with Nalan.
“We feel pretty good about both of them,” Wares said.
Whiteside was 5-of-5 in stolen bases last year as a pinch-runner.
“We feel very fortunate to have Rachel there,” Wares said. “We’re pretty confident that we know what we’re going to get from her. She doesn’t have quite as much range but has an above average arm.”
Nalan started 25 games at shortstop last year, hitting .200.
“Playing shortstop for a year should help her at third,” Wares said. “She’s got as strong an arm as we’ve had at third base since Donell Hotze (1997-2000). We just need to get her to slow down when she fields it and use her arm. She tends to rush a little.”
Wares can also call on senior Trysh Shimak or Everingham at third.
Talent isn’t the problem behind the plate, it’s deciding who will play. Wares is glad he has both junior Kyrie Hale and Meyer. Hale had an impressive rookie season in 2009, hitting .321 and picking off four baserunners, then battled injury part of last season. Meyer emerged in her absence and hit .333 with nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 22 RBIs. She also picked off five baserunners.
“We look at it like we have two starters,” Wares said. “It’s a nice luxury. Both had spurts offensively. Kyrie had a very good freshman year and Caitlyn caught fire last year. Both will get a lot of (repetitions) and both will get plenty of chances unless somebody goes nuts offensively. The pitchers are pretty comfortable with both of them.”
It’s also possible that Meyer could spend time at first base or Hale could go to the outfield, but Wares said the best spot for both is at catcher.
Junior Jess Edler will continue serving as a backup.
Outfield
Koskamp moved to left field for the first time last year and is looking to make it her defensive home after extended time as an infielder, pinch-runner and pinch-hitter. She was an offensive surprise, hitting .371 and swiping 11 bases.
“Bethany just always seems to get the job done,” Wares said. “She’s an intelligent fielder with a quick release and knows where to go with the ball. She’s also an outstanding baserunner.”
Von Fumetti won the starting job in center field, hitting .260 with 17 RBIs.
“We’re really high on her as a center fielder,” Wares said. “I thought she was very solid last year. We need to get her to improve some offensively. We need her to trust just shortening up, putting it in play and letting her speed do some work for her.”
Sophomore Emily Te Brink is the initial leader in right field. She had a promising start to her freshman season before enduring some struggles and was the early starter in left field. She hit .319 with 11 RBIs. She battled injury in the fall but her progress on the field has Wares enthused.
“She came back in the fall a different person,” Wares said. “She was much more confident. She’s got a very good arm. We can play her a little deeper because she comes to the all well. And I’m optimistic she’s going have a pretty good year offensively. She just needs to continue working on her confidence. She’s got so much speed, combined with her ability to swing away. She could be a pretty tough out.”
Senior Beth Grove is also getting a look. She was primarily a pinch-runner last year, scoring 16 runs in 27 games.
“Beth gets things done,” Wares said. “”She’s one of our top pinch-runners and has good knowledge of the game. She just needs to be more consistent defensively. We’re not afraid to put her out there.”
Fleet-footed sophomore Heidi Reburn merits consideration as well. She swiped 13 bases and scored 11 runs in 32 pinch-running appearances last year.
“Heidi’s improved in the outfield,” Wares said. “She’ll probably be one of our top pinch-runners again, too.”
Freshman Lexi Cessna of Bloomington, Ill. comes well prepared.
“Lexi is really good defensively,” Wares said. “You have to give credit to her high school coaches because fundamentally she is very sound.”
Designated player/pinch-hitter/pinch-runner
The Dutch have a couple of proven designated players in Lythberg and Everingham. Lythberg hit .360 last year and was the DP when she wasn’t pitching. Meanwhile Everingham had a banner freshman campaign, hitting .364 with 25 RBIs, earning second-team all-America honors before dipping to .255 last spring.
“Rachael had a phenomenal freshman year but was so-so last year,” Wares said. “She just needs to play more relaxed and be confident so she can get back closer to where she was as a freshman.”
Lythberg will be in the lineup somewhere.
“Kiley’s extremely aggressive at the plate,” Wares said. “And she runs the bases well. She’s so valuable at so many things.”
Shimak hit .276 primarily as a pinch-hitter last year and will also compete for the DP spot.
“She has some history of success,” Wares said.
He’s also intrigued by freshman Taylor Williams of Blue Springs, Mo., although she missed the entire fall season and part of her final high school year due to injury.
“Defensively she’s not there yet,” Wares said. “She hasn’t done as much as she needs to because of the injury. But I’m high on her ability to swing the bat.”
Pinch-runners continue to play a big role as the Dutch look to ratchet up the running game even more than last year, when they stole 89 bases. While they limited opponents to just 20, Central’s stolen base total matched its lowest since 1996. The Dutch have racked up more than 100 steals in 15 of the past 21 seasons.
The season
The Division III field continues to get more crowded as powerhouse teams begin to emerge from Texas, Louisiana and the West Coast, Wares said.
“Our region is never going to be easy,” he said. “It’s extremely competitive. But I think there’s a lot of fun that comes with that.”
Yet the Iowa Conference remains one of Division III’s best.
“Whoever represents the Iowa Conference will be a tough out in the tournament,” Wares said, citing Luther, Coe, Simpson and Wartburg among the top contenders. But he’s increasingly impressed with the rest of the league as well.
“You really can’t have an off day,” he said. “We’ve learned that the hard way. I think that’s what makes the Iowa Conferenced so tough. From top to bottom, the balance we have in the league makes every game extremely difficult.”
Wares enters the 27th year of his hall of fame career just 30 wins shy of 900, opening with a mark of 870-280-3. Yet he not only savors every challenge, he seeks them out.
“To me, every year is something different,” he said. “There are different pieces to the puzzle. Yet the objectives are the same. First and foremost, you want to get everybody to feel like they’re getting something positive out of being a part of Central softball, whether they’re a starter or the bottom player on the JV. But the other thing is to figure out a way to win a national championship. We realize most years we won’t do that, but we owe it to our players to try.”
