Quakers look to take it
to the next level

WC season starts March 13 in Florida

February 28, 2006

"No question, last season was special. This year it won't be enough just to make it to the OAC tournament."

Coming off a disappointing 18-17 finish in 2004, a season marred by injuries, the Quakers bounced back in 2005 by winning 22 games and making their first appearance in the OAC Tournament.

Led by 2005 OAC Coach-of-the-Year Tony Haley, the Quakers led the league with a .348 team batting average and posted 11 conference wins — the most in school history.

"In years past, we've had a number of individual players step up and make big plays for us. Last year, it was a total team effort," Haley said. "From top to bottom, our lineup produced and, as a whole, we were pretty solid defensively. From the coaches to the players, it was a group effort."

Jamison George

Despite a 2-6 record in Florida to begin the season, the Quakers went on to win 13 of 18 at home and 20 of their final 29 games to earn a berth in the OAC Tournament. This season, with eight returning starters, Haley expects similar success.

"Losing an experienced, all-conference player like Brent Bird is always tough," Haley said. "Fortunately, we have a number of guys who are ready and willing to step in there and get the job done for us. Right now, the battle for spots, particularly in the rotation and the outfield, is definitely pretty intense. It will be interesting to see which guys will elevate their games. A little competition is always good for your ball club."

Around the infield, the Quakers possess strength and depth. Up the middle, WC returns senior captain Jimmy Wolverton (London/Madison Plains) and All-OAC shortstop Greg Krieger (Bellefontaine). Last season, Wolverton hit .333 with five doubles and 22 RBI while his 15 walks ranked second on the team. Kreiger responded well in his first season as a starter, finishing second on the team with a .393 batting average, 20 RBI and six stolen bases. Providing depth up the middle will be junior Brad Middendorf (Fort Loramie).

"I think it would be hard to find two other middle infielders who work as well together as Jimmy and Greg," Haley said. "They are smooth up the middle and both can make the tough plays in either hole. They're not exceptionally big, but both guys can also sting it at the plate. It's definitely a plus to have two guys of their caliber playing up the middle."

At third base, the Quakers will rely heavily on captain Ben Buehner (Germantown/Valley View) to produce at a variety of spots in the order. Last season, the All-OAC third baseman hit .333 and tied for the team lead in home runs with four. His 21 doubles ranked first in the OAC and fourth nationally. Buehner also was a force on the base paths, stealing 10 bases in 10 attempts.

"Ben is an exceptional athlete who seems to get stronger each season," Haley said. "He understands his role on the team and has really taken his job as captain serious this off-season. He's the type of guy that can make the tough play look easy and change the momentum of the game with one swing of the bat. The consistency of his play will be a huge factor in

Ben Buehner

determining how far the team goes this season."

Across the diamond, the Quakers will look to two veterans to produce at first base. After a year hiatus, junior Mike Kroeger (Cincinnati/Elder) returns to the Quakers for the 2006 season. In 2004, Kroeger played well in his first season as a starter hitting over .300 with six home runs. After a strong fall, sophomore Wade Rethmal (Defiance/Tinora) also will get plenty of at-bats this spring. As a freshman, Rethmal had five hits in eight at-bats for the Quakers to go along with three RBI.

"Wade really stepped up this fall and earned himself some at-bats this spring," Haley said. "He's a big, strong kid who works hard and comes to play every day. Having Mike back is definitely a plus and gives us a great combination at first base. He's a big target and has great mobility for a guy his size. He has power the other way and can dig balls in the dirt exceptionally well. I'm looking for him to put up solid numbers this season."

Behind the plate, the Quakers are an exceptionally talented group. Led by All-OAC junior Ben Butler (Beavercreek/Carroll), the team's catchers each bring a bit of everything to the table. Last season, Butler hit .373 with five doubles and four home runs. His 28 RBI are tops among all returning starters and his 44 hits ranked second on last year's team. In addition to his offense, Butler played very well defensively, throwing out 20 of 28 base stealers while committing just four errors in 188 chances. Behind Butler on the depth chart are sophomore Joe Schmetzer (Cincinnati/LaSalle) and freshman Zach Stakely (Pataskala/Licking Heights). Schmetzer made 11 appearances for the Quakers in 2005, recording four hits in 22 at-bats. Stakely, despite being just a freshman, got significant playing time this fall as Butler recovered from off-season knee surgery.

"Last season was definitely a coming out party for Ben," Haley said. "He hit for both power and average and was a wall behind the plate. He has a tremendous arm and has a great feel for the game. He handled the staff very well and did a great job calling his own game. Joe is a very polished player defensively and isn't afraid to be a leader when he's in there. He has a great attitude and really takes charge of the pitching staff. Zach was a pleasant surprise this fall. He doesn't have a lot of size but he is as tough as they come. He is a hard worker and a team player. He will only get better with experience."

Mike Cafarella

In the outfield, the Quakers have a number of options. Senior Tom Harter (Westlake), a three-year starter, is the most experienced of the group and can play any of the three positions. His defensive versatility gives the team options. He also fared well at the plate last season, hitting .326 in 37 games and drawing a team-high 16 walks. His 22 RBI and 25 runs also ranked among the team leaders. Another senior, Troy Brege (Hanover, Pa./Gettysburg), also hopes to end his career on a high note. A solid defensive player, Brege saw limited playing time last spring but really opened some eyes in the fall. Junior Taylor Clark also is in the mix. The speedy Clark, who also plays football for the Quakers, hit .373 last season with 23 runs scored and a team-high 13 stolen bases. Another option in the outfield is sophomore Brandon Bernhardt (Cincinnati/Anderson). Bernhardt, a goalkeeper on the Wilmington College soccer team, missed the entire fall season due to soccer but is expected to compete for playing time this season.

"At the beginning of the fall we felt that the outfield was our biggest question mark heading into this season," Haley said. "Each of the guys played well and now we feel it is one of our deepest areas. Tom and Troy are both seniors and will be expected to help the younger and less experienced guys get better. Taylor is a quick and aggressive player. He's not afraid to stick his nose in there. You know you'll get everything Taylor has on every play. Brandon has been a pleasant surprise so far. He makes good contact in the cage and is very competitive. Hopefully, we'll get a better feel for what he can do over the next few weeks."

At the DH spot, the Quakers will use a number of players throughout the season. At the top of the list are upperclassmen Mike Cafarella (Beavercreek) and Matt Morris (Hamilton). In Cafarella's first season with the Quakers, the junior led the team with a .423 batting average in 33 games. His 41 hits and seven doubles also ranked among the team leaders. Morris, a senior, also hit well last season, finishing the 2005 campaign with a .302 average and 8 RBI in 21 games. In addition to Cafarella and Morris, Rethmal, Kroeger or Brege may also see some at-bats at the DH spot this season.

"Mike and Matt are two terrific options," Haley said. "Mike is a guy who finds holes and hits the ball hard. After a slow start last season, he got hot and stayed that way through the rest of the season. Matt is a great situational hitter and makes good contact. He has some power and he's one of those guys that will do the little things to help us win ballgames. We definitely feel like the DH spot will be a productive part of our lineup regardless of who gets the start."

Despite a team ERA over 5.00, the Wilmington rotation pitched well enough down the stretch to help lead the team to its first post-season appearance in school history. Anchoring the rotation will be junior right-hander Jamison George (Mount Sterling/Miami Trace). George, a second team All-OAC selection and two-time OAC Pitcher-of-the-Week, finished the 2005 campaign with four wins and a 4.52 ERA while posting team-highs in strikeouts (51), saves (5) and complete games (4).

Kenny Branscom

"Jamison is a hard-nosed guy that is willing to take the ball at any time," Haley said. "Whether he starts or comes in to close the door, Jamison has the bulldog mentality coaches love. He loves to compete and throws as hard as any pitcher in the conference."

After George, the rotation is up in the air. Senior Clayton Reynolds (Blanchester) has plenty of experience and is coming off a solid junior season in which he posted a 5-2 record. Fellow senior Matt Meyer (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East), one of only two left-handers on the staff, also is likely to get a lot of innings. Last season, Meyer recorded a win and a save in 11 appearances for Wilmington. This season, both seniors will be asked to make major contributions.

"We lost a few key guys from last year so it's as important as ever for these two guys to pitch well and eat up a ton of innings," Haley said. "Both threw well this fall and we're hoping it will carry over into the spring. They are two of the hardest working guys on the staff and both are hoping that it pays off."

Following George and the senior staff members are junior Ronnie Campbell (Lynchburg/Lynchburg-Clay) and sophomore Kenny Branscom (Chillicothe). In 2005, Campbell posted a 3-1 record in eight appearances while Branscom, a conference starter as a freshman, finished tops among WC starters with a 3.76 ERA and a team-high six wins and 10 starts. To complete the staff, the Quakers will turn to two freshmen and two sophomores. Right-handers Scott Ensell (Steubenville) and Nick Borgmann (Milford) will add depth to the bullpen in their first full seasons with the Quakers. In 2005, Ensell made two appearances. Borgmann, following a solid high school career, was forced to sit out all of last season following arm surgery. Newcomers Chris Lewis (Ostrander/Buckeye Valley) and Brody Bursen (Lynchburg/Lynchburg-Clay) will hold the final spots on the staff. Lewis, a transfer from Ohio University, is the only other left-hander, aside from Meyer. Having enrolled this winter, Lewis missed the fall season but is expected to see a lot of action this spring. Bursen, who also joined the squad following winter break, also is expected to get plenty of work this season.

Tony Haley

"With a shortage of lefties on the staff, Chris' decision to transfer to Wilmington couldn't have come at a better time," Haley said. "We've heard some good things about him and we are excited to see what he can do. Nick has thrown well this winter. Coming off arm surgery he was unable to throw much this fall but he has come back in good shape and is working on regaining some arm strength. Scott and Brody will definitely give us some quality depth. With such a small staff, each of these guys will get some innings."

The Quakers will throw out the first pitch in Florida March 13 as they travel to Fort Myers for the annual Gene Cusic Classic. The home opener for the Quakers is scheduled for March 22 when the team hosts Malone College at 1 p.m. Conference action begins April 1, when the Quakers travel to Marietta College to take on the Pioneers in an OAC doubleheader with a 1 p.m. start.