School: Notre Dame College
Location: South Euclid, Ohio
Head Coach: Nick Weisheipl
2009 Record: 10-39, 4-28 AMC
Returning Starters: 2B Eric Johnson, CF Ryan Weaver, SP Andrew Hyde, SP Chris Willoughby
Head Coach Nick Weisheipl is going to get some grey hair this year. With only two returning position players and a couple returning underclassmen pitchers, Notre Dame will be trotting out a lot of new faces in 2010. As a result, Coach Weisheipl will be getting a feel for his players as they are getting a feel for the game at the college level. Not exactly the most calming situation to be in. The good news for Weisheipl is that he brought in several transfers that will steady things thanks to their experience.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have a huge advantage writing this preview over all the rest. Notre Dame has already played four games as of today so I had a chance to see who started on the mound, who batted where, etc. Obviously this takes some of the prognostication out of the equation, but it was also a godsend for a team that returned so few players from their 2009 lineup.
The rotation returns a couple of sophomores who were key contributors in 2009. Righty Andrew Hyde went 1-5 with a 6.38 ERA last season. In his nine starts (10 appearances) he tossed a couple complete games. The Toronto, Ontario native was second on the team with 48 innings pitched.
Also back is Chris Willoughby. The southpaw fanned 31 in 32.1 innings last year. The Massillon Washington product made 12 appearances including five starts. When the dust settled Willoughby was 1-3 with a 6.40 ERA.
One thing I would have been confident in predicting would have been the impact of Justin Miller. The junior transfer from Ohio Northern is going to be a key cog in the Falcons’ rotation. The All-OAC selection is not only a talented pitcher, but he is also an upperclassmen with starting experience at the college level. On a team as young as NDC, that’s crucial.
Based on the opening series at Pikeville (KY), sophomore Brent Edmonds and freshman Tyler DeCrapio look to factor into the rotation as well. Edmonds transferred from Findlay where he made eight appearances as a freshman. He started the third game of the 2010 season while DeCrapio got the ball in the fourth contest. Both pitched very well in their first go round.
The lineup underwent almost a complete overhaul for 2010. The current edition features three freshmen and five other players who saw little to no action in 2009. Only center fielder Ryan Weaver returns from the 2009 starting lineup. The junior hit .254 with three home runs and 16 RBI in 2009. He also stole nine bases and scored 26 times.
Leading off is freshman Pat Ross. The Gahanna Lincoln graduate earned the starting nod in right field. He has been penciled into the lead off spot in each of the four games thus far.
A couple of fresh faces form the heart of the Falcon lineup. Second baseman Tony Younis has settled into the three hole early in the season. The junior is protected in the lineup by fellow junior Travis Brown. The YSU transfer is not only hitting clean up, but also playing shortstop.
A duo of upperclassmen first basemen are also featured in the heart of the order. Junior Benji Jarabeck has been used primarily as a designated hitter to date, while senior Brett Zientarski has spent his time at first. Both have started off hot and, even better, demonstrated that they can be run producers early on.
The youth movement continues with catcher B.J. Camden and third baseman Mike Szabo. The freshmen are not only starting, but starting at tough positions defensively. It looks like fellow freshman Jesse Carriere is going to spell Camden behind the dish. Although not used in the capacity yet, Szabo is also expected to add depth to the bullpen.
Splitting time in the final outfield spot are a couple more youngsters. Freshman Jesse Bartle and sophomore Brad Morrison have split the starting duties in the first four games. Not surprisingly, regardless of eventually wins the position (if anyone), it will be another underclassmen.
NDC is off to a quick start at 3-1. That is obviously good news in South Euclid, but it does little to help us predict where 2010 is heading for the Falcons. For all intents and purposes this is a brand new baseball team. Literally almost every key contributor is new to the program, new to their role or just new to college. As I mentioned, this may lead to some grey hairs for Coach Weisheipl. But it could also lead to a lot more wins. Will it? We’ve started to find out already.
Filed under: NAIA
FYI The pitchers have received a big boost in their education.
ND College has just hired former Indians pitcher Len Barker as an assistant BB Coach. Obviously, this will impact their
program and better prepare the pitchers for future assignments. Look for immediate improvements.