Season Preview: Senior-laden Polar Bears hope to make run at OAC Baseball title in 2021
By Tim Glon
ADA — The 2021 Ohio Northern baseball team features a senior-dominated squad with a great deal of experience at every position.
Tenth-year head coach Gene Stechschulte is hopeful that this formula of depth and experience could translate into an Ohio Athletic Conference title this spring.
Stechschulte welcomes back eight position starters, five pitchers and 20 lettermen from last year's squad that went 5-5 before the season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All-Conference seniors Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) and Michael Rocco (Davenport, Fla./Zionsville (Ind.)) lead the list of returners.
"We have good experience and depth across the board," Stechschulte said. "We have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the league and have returners all over the field. Our guys have played a lot of games and have been in the program awhile. Hopefully this translates into success this spring."
Here is a preview of the 2021 Ohio Northern baseball team, by position:
Pitching
Bye is a fifth-year senior that leads a strong and deep group of hurlers after being named First Team All-Conference as a junior in 2019.
He expects to be the opening-day starter for the second consecutive year.
Bye is 10-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 28 career appearances and ranks 24th on ONU's all-time career strikeout list with 107.
Seniors Alex Dodson (West Chester/Lakota West), James Fisher (Castalia/Margaretta) and Devin Johnson (Wooster) also return on the hill.
Dodson allowed only two earned runs in 6.0 innings last season, Fisher was 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA and Johnson has three career saves and 40 career Ks to his credit.
Junior Tom Pitko (Youngstown/Austintown-Fitch) and sophomore Tim Knapschaefer (Maria Stein/Marion Local) also return as lettermen after promising starts a year ago.
"We have six guys returning that we feel very confident about," Stechschulte said. "We have four seniors who will be our leaders. We also have a nice mix of younger guys with experience and a few that will get their first action this year."
Catcher
Juniors Sam Zeleznik (Hinckley/Highland) and Mason Troyer (Goshen, Ind./Northridge) and sophomore Nate Webb (Liberty, Ind./Union County) all started games behind the plate in the 10-game 2020 season and return to give Stechschulte plenty of options here.
Sophomore Vinny Sclafani (Oak Brook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) got action as a designated hitter as a freshman last season and is also solid behind the plate.
"We have great depth at catcher," Stechschulte said. "We have trust in all of these guys and they give us different options based on the game situation. They each have different skill-sets, which gives us flexibility."
Infield
Four starters return in the infield, led by the All-Conference Rocco.
A career .363 batter, Rocco was All-OAC as a shortstop in 2019 and has also logged time at third base and second base.
Senior Matthew Burkett (Maumee), senior Will Davis (Upper Arlington/Bishop Watterson), junior Chayten Overholt (Van Wert/Lincolnview) and sophomore Jacob Wenning (Coldwater) all return after combining for 38 starts in 10 games a year ago.
Sophomore Nick Rothmann (Westerville/Columbus Academy) also returns as a letterman in the infield.
"Five starters are back in the infield," Stechschulte said. "Most of these guys can play multiple positions so this is another position group with a great deal of flexibility and experience.
Outfield
All three starters return in the outfield.
Seniors Andy Mills (Cincinnati/St. Xavier) and Krue Thwaits (Greenville/Milton-Union) and junior Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian) each started all 10 games a year ago and give the Polar Bears talent and experience at every position.
Senior Jake Gherardi (Austintown/Austintown-Fitch) is also back and Troyer can move into the outfield when he is not behind the plate.
"All three of our starters can run and hit," Stechschulte said. "This is a very talented group both on offense and defense. We also have other guys that can go out there and be solid if needed. Outfield is certainly a strength of this team."
Schedule
The OAC will not allow non-conference competition in any of the 2020-21 seasons, so the teams are playing 4-game sets with each of the other nine league opponents with doubleheaders each Saturday and Sunday for a 36-game league schedule beginning March 20.
ONU will also face Heidelberg in a four-game set March 13-14 in games that will not count toward the OAC Regular Season standings to fill out the 40-game schedule.