2004 Season Preview

Despite a 24-14-1 record overall, the Wilmington College Quakers missed the OAC tournament for the second straight season in 2003 following a 9-9 finish in conference play. Ready to take the program to the next level, the Quakers have been working hard to prepare themselves for a strong start to the upcoming season.

"The biggest key (to playing well early on) is strong and consistent preseason training to prepare yourself as an athlete. As a team, the same factor is key to getting a team prepared for opening day," said assistant coach Scott Reule.

Led by 1st Team All-OAC first baseman Aaron Lawson and All-OAC right-hander Derek Wellington, the Quakers are looking to make their first tournament appearance since joining the league in 2001.

This spring, the Quakers return seven starters in a lineup that finished first in the conference in hitting a season ago with a .333 batting average.

"As the guys around here know, I expect to win every time I step out on the field," said Tony Haley who entering his fifth season as head coach of the Quakers. "Although we lost a pair of all-conference caliber players from last season, I expect this year¹s group of seniors to take over the leadership role and help carry this team to the next level. We¹re experienced and deep. There is no excuse for losing."

Leading the way for the Quakers, will be Lawson who finished second in the conference in batting average (.453) while posting a team-high 40 RBI¹s, and a .647 slugging percentage in his junior campaign.

Joining Lawson in the middle of the order, will be fellow senior captain and All-OAC catcher Chad Abbott. In 2003, Abbott batted .358 with 30 runs and a team-high 14 doubles while throwing out 54% (21-39) of attempted base stealers. Also returning from last year¹s squad are sophomore infielders Jimmy Wolverton and Ben Buehner. Last season, the first year second baseman Wolverton finished fourth on the team in hits (44) and third in batting average (.364) while Buehner, a third baseman, led the Quakers with eight home runs.

In the outfield, Wilmington returns all three starters from a year ago. Right fielder Brent Bird finished the 2003 campaign with a .333 batting average and 19 RBI¹s in his sophomore season while freshman Tom Harter played his way into the starting role in center field with a .290 average and a team-high nine stolen bases. In left field, the Quakers will look to senior captain Jerod Theobald to provide some offense at the bottom of the order. Despite struggling offensively (.250 BA) last season, Theobald played well on defense, recording two assists in 35 games primarily as a defensive replacement.

At shortstop, the Quakers will look to a pair of freshman to fill the void left by graduating senior Justin Evans. In 2003, Evans batted .397 to go along with 12 doubles, four homeruns, and 41 runs scored en route to winning 1st Team All-OAC honors for the second consecutive season. This season, the Quakers will rely on freshmen Tyler Kelch and Jamison George to shore up the middle of the Wilmington defense and produce on offense.

"Anytime you lose an all-around player and proven leader like Evans, it¹s tough," commented Haley. "I think we have a couple of freshman (Tyler Kelch and Jamison George) who will fill in well and contribute immediately. Both have great hands, a strong arm, and make solid contact at the plate."

A handful of Quakers will provide depth in the infield led by sophomore 1B/DH Mike Kroeger. Last season, Kroeger had 12 hits in 49 at bats to go along with six RBI¹s in 20 games. Freshmen Brad Middendorf, Greg Kreiger, and Mark Caudill will look to see time at third, shortstop and second base, respectively while junior Ben Butler, sophomore Matt Morris and freshman Tyler Yingst will serve as back-ups behind starting catcher Chad Abbott.

Sophomores Drew Kesse and Troy Brege along with freshman Chad Knittel will look to fill in at anytime in each of the outfield positions and will see plenty of at-bats throughout the course of the season. In 2003, Kesse finished fourth on the team in on-base percentage (.441) while Brege and Morris ended the season with batting averages of .286 and .143, respectively.

The pitching staff, which finished second in the conference in ERA (4.10) last season, will be led by All-OAC starter Derek Wellington and senior closer Burt Cox. In 2003, Wellington finished first on the team in wins (7), strikeouts (40) and complete games (7) while posting an ERA of 3.52. Cox, a captain this season, led the Quaker bullpen in saves (4), strikeouts (10) and appearances (15) while recording an ERA of 2.00.

Junior John Elsen and sophomore Clayton Reynolds will give Wilmington a strong one-two punch in the rotation behind Wellington. Elsen finished the 2003 campaign with a 3-4 record while Reynolds posted a 3.66 ERA and a 2-2 record in eight appearances. Junior Dusty Mack and freshmen Jamison George and Ronnie Campbell will battle each other for starts throughout the season. Last season, Mack posted a record of 4-2 in eight appearances.

Juniors Mike Burkholder and Jason Berger along with freshman Scott Custis will look to give the Quakers quality innings as middle-relievers and will serve as the primary set-up men for closer Cox. In 2003, Burkholder finished with a 3.38 ERA in five appearances while Berger recorded a 1.42 ERA and three strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched.

Despite the huge turnaround last year, pitching coach Paul Krause expects more from his staff this year. "Last year we set our goals high and everyone on the staff worked to achieve these goals," said Krause. "Having a catcher that can call a good game was also a key component to our success. Chad Abbott did that and more. This year, we didn¹t change a thing and gained a few, young, lively arms. I definitely expect improvement this season."

Wilmington begins the 2004 season on the road in Fort Myers, Florida on March 7. From the 7th through the 13th, the Quakers will play eight games in six days beginning with a 7:00 contest with WPI (MA) on March 7th as part of the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. The Quakers return home to Tewksbury-Delaney Field on March 16th as they play host to Hanover College at 3:15 p.m.