GVSU Picked First in 2011 GLIAC Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Poll

Written by Sandy Gholston, special writer for the GLIAC

2011 GLIAC Baseball Preview

BAY CITY, Mich. – The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) appears ready for yet another competitive season of baseball on the diamond from start to finish this spring.  The league expands to 10 teams for the 2011 season with the addition of Lake Erie College and Ohio Dominican University.

Built on the strength of teams that have experienced success regionally and nationally, the GLIAC race should be competitive again this year.

The latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) 2011 Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll has Grand Valley State University ranked No. 4. The Lakers finished 37-16 last season and are hopeful they can build on that record this spring.

Beyond just the national rankings, however, the GLIAC looks even better in the NCBWA regional rankings with three teams in the top six. GVSU is ranked first in the Midwest Region, Ashland University is No. 4 and Wayne State University is No. 6. Northwood University also received votes in the rankings.

Wayne State is the defending GLIAC regular-season champion and emerged as the winner of the 2010 GLIAC Baseball Tournament. The Warriors’ success snapped a string of six consecutive league titles won by Grand Valley State. Wayne State, GVSU and Ashland all advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament. Grand Valley State advanced to the regional championship game before its season ended with an 11-4 loss to Southern Indiana. 

This season, the GLIAC Baseball Tournament will be played at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio on May 12-14.

In the 2011 GLIAC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll, Grand Valley State was picked first with 79 points and seven of 10 first-place votes. Wayne State was second with 70 points and one first-place vote. Ashland was third with 69 points with two first-place votes. Saginaw Valley State University was fourth with 51 points, Northwood was fifth with 44 points, Tiffin University was sixth with 42 points, Ohio Dominican was seventh with 39, the University of Findlay and Hillsdale College were tied for eighth with 20 points, and Lake Erie was 10^th with 16 points.

Previews are listed below in projected order of finish in the 2011 GLIAC Baseball Coaches Poll released by the league office:

1. Grand Valley State University

Coaching: Steve Lyon is in his 13th season as the head coach of Grand Valley State University.

2010 Record: 37-16, 23-9

GVSU Noteworthy:  The Lakers have won seven of the last eight GLIAC Championships and six of the last seven GLIAC Tournament titles.

2. Wayne State University

Overview: Wayne State is entering this spring coming off a banner season filled with big-time accomplishments as the Warriors emerged as GLIAC regular-season champions and won its first-ever conference tournament title in 2010. Wayne State compiled a record of 32-20 overall and welcomes back seven position players and two starting pitchers. The Warriors have 10 newcomers on the roster this season for head coach Ryan Kelley. Wayne State lost some talent from last season, including Justin Mazur, who was the 2010 GLIAC “Pitcher of the Year”. In all, the Warriors had a veteran team that included four seniors on the first-team All-GLIAC listing last spring. Returning, however, is a solid group led by catcher Michael Wiseman, who was a first-team All-GLIAC choice last season as a junior. Tyler Loehr, a senior, is back after earning second-team All-GLIAC honors as a junior during the historic 2010 campaign for Wayne State. As a sophomore, second baseman Andrew Ciennik earned honorable mention all-conference recognition for the Warriors. 

2011 Record: 32-20 overall, 23-8 GLIAC

Coaching: Ryan Kelley is in his third second season as head coach of the Warriors. 

Noteworthy: Wayne State has won seven GLIAC regular-season titles during program history (1980-82, 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2010).

3. Ashland University

Overview: Ashland is coming in off a solid 2010 campaign during which the Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament. Ashland is back with 10 letterwinners returning, but 11 lost from last spring. Of the 10 returning letterwinners, the Eagles welcome back three starters. Outfielder Ryan Avery is back after batting .373 with six home runs and 45 runs batted in. Evan Melendez, a senior outfielder, batted .372 with four home runs and 39 RBI. On the mound, pitcher Ajay Meyer, a senior right-handed pitcher, is back in the mix after missing the 2010 season with an injury.  Meyer had a great 2009 season during which he compiled a record of 10-2 with a 3.52 earned run average.

2010 Record: 35-22 overall, 21-12 GLIAC

Coaching: Ashland is coached by John Schaly, who is in his 14^th season and owns a record of 517-230 record with the Eagles.

Noteworthy: Ashland returns 10 letterwinners and lost 11 from the 2010 season.

4. Saginaw Valley State University

Overview: Coming off a season during which the Cardinals finished one game below .500 overall (22-23), but one game above .500 in the conference (16-15), the Cardinals hope for a higher level of success in 2011. SVSU returns a trio of solid hitters in junior outfielder Ryan Ermers, who batted .371 with 49 hits, 26 runs scored and 24 runs driven in; Matt Hunt, a junior infielder, who batted .347 with 42 hits, 34 runs scored, 27 RBI and a home run; and sophomore outfielder Kyle O’Boyle, who batted .331 with 44 hits, 29 runs scored, 35 RBI and seven homers. On the mound, Saginaw Valley will look for some players to step in and deliver as Colin Coulter, who was 4-1 last season, and Carson Beauchaine, who was 2-4 a year ago, are among the featured returning starters. The top relief pitcher back is expected to be Craig Engerer, who had a 3.96 earned run average.

2010 Record: 22-23 overall, 16-15 GLIAC 

Coaching: Walt Head has a career record of 794-555-6 as he approaches nearly three decades as head coach of the Cardinals.

Noteworthy: Saginaw Valley earned a fourth-place finish in GLIAC competition last season.

5. Northwood University

Overview: Northwood will seek to climb the ladder in the GLIAC this season after finishing 23-26 last season, overall, and 13-20 in the league. Last spring was a challenging one for the Timberwolves, but Northwood is hopeful it will have a bounce-back effort this season. Looking at last season’s all-conference listing could offer some hope for this season as Midland native Michael Goodwin earned second-team All-GLIAC honors as a junior at second base. Among the honorable mention all-league performers, Northwood had Brett Lechner, who earned a spot on the listing as a junior in 2010.  

2010 Record: 23-26 overall, 13-20 GLIAC

Coaching: Joe Di Benedetto is in his 12^th season as head coach of the Northwood baseball program.

Noteworthy: Prior to taking over at Northwood, Di Benedetto coached eight seasons at Northwood’s Florida campus. During that time, the Seahawks earned trips to the NAIA district playoffs six times and won 30 or more games in six consecutive seasons from 1994-99.

6. Tiffin University

Overview: Tiffin finished with a record just an eyelash below .500 in the conference, but with some talented returners in the lineup better days could be ahead on the diamond for the Dragons.  Tiffin must replace a pair of talented outfielders in 2010 GLIAC “Player of the Year” Devin Rudolph and second-team All-GLIAC selection Ty Blake.  Rudolph batted a GLIAC-record .529 with 55 RBI and nine home runs, while Blake batted .394 with a team-leading 76 hits and 61 runs scored.  The Dragons do return senior Cory Hornyak, an infielder converted to outfielder, who batted .350 last season while earning All-GLIAC second-team accolades.  Senior southpaw Donnie Smith is the team’s top returning pitcher.  Smith was an All-GLIAC second-team selection in 2010 after posting team bests in wins (5) and ERA (6.72).  

2010 Record: 21-33 overall, 17-18 GLIAC

Coaching: Lonny Allen is beginning his 20^th season as the head coach of the Tiffin University baseball program. The Dragons believe they will have some depth and competition at a number of positions this season. First baseman Pat Curtin, as a sophomore last season, earned second-team All-GLIAC honors for the Dragons while Donnie Smith, a junior starting pitcher, joined him on the all-league second-team listing.

Noteworthy: The Dragons’ 2011 schedule is highlighted by trips to Tennessee, Georgia and Florida before conference play, followed by 16 home conference games and 20 away games, highlight a 52-game regular season slate.

7. Ohio Dominican University

Overview: Ohio Dominican is entering its first season of competition in the GLIAC and looking to compete against the best of the best in the league. The Panthers are coming into this season off a record of 22-29 overall. ODU has six starters returning with two lost and six pitchers returning with five lost. The Panther roster has its share of talent returning, led by senior shortstop Felix Brown and junior outfielder John Bowron. Brown had a superb junior season as he batted .406 with 35 RBI and 31 runs scored. Bowron batted .376 with four home runs, 29 RBI and 35 runs scored.

2010 Record: 22-29 overall

Coaching: Paul Page is in his 24^th season as the head coach at Ohio Dominican University.

Noteworthy: Page has a record of 864-394 during his career as a head coach (all at ODU).

(Tie) 8. University of Findlay

Overview: The University of Findlay is looking to build off of its injury-plagued 2010 season on the diamond. The hope for the Oilers is that some of the young talent that has been developing in the program will be ready to step forward and assume even bigger roles this season. Even with the injuries, the Oilers narrowly missed an opportunity to participate in the GLIAC Tournament as the program finished fifth in the league during the regular season. Hoping to put the tough times of last season behind them, however, is a group of talented players who gained valuable experience. As just a sophomore, Dustin Zielaskiewicz, who batted .366 with 48 hits, earned All-GLIAC honors, as an outfielder, and Jason Reitenbach, as a junior who batted .299 with 47 hits, earned all-league honorable mention accolades in 2010. Those two players could be cornerstones of Findlay’s success in 2011.

2010 Record: 15-34 overall, 7-27 GLIAC

Coaching: Troy Berry is set to begin his eighth season on the bench as the head coach at the University of Findlay. 

Noteworthy: In 2008, Berry and the Oilers set a new school record with 28 wins as they went 28-21 en route to their second ever appearance in the GLIAC Tournament.

(Tie) 8. Hillsdale College

Overview: During the spring 2010 season, Hillsdale featured the top young player in the GLIAC in “Freshman of the Year” Mike Vanchieri, a rookie outfielder, who earned second-team all-conference honors. The Chargers also featured a couple of juniors, now seniors, who earned all-league honorable mention honors in shortstop Adam Connell and catcher Jamie McNeill. Hillsdale finished the season on a high note with a three-game sweep of Tiffin that lifted head coach Paul Noce to his 300^th career coaching win. Hillsdale hopes to get off to a good start to the season as it battles against what will be a challenging early schedule in southern states before it returns to Michigan to get ready for league play.

2010 Record: 14-30 overall, 11-22 GLIAC

Coaching: Paul Noce is in his 18^th season as the head coach of Hillsdale College.

Noteworthy: Noce spent time with several Major League Baseball clubs, including the Chicago Cubs (1987) where he was a teammate of 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Andre Dawson. He also played infield for the San Diego Padres, and was on the roster of the Cincinnati Reds during that team's World Series championship season of 1990.

10. Lake Erie College

Overview: Lake Erie College is beginning its initial season in the GLIAC and understands the challenge that is ahead. The Storm will be led by Ryan Rua, a junior shortstop, who is back after a strong 2010 season during which he batted .400 with 60 hits, 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 40 RBI. Rua was named “MVP” of the 2010 Great Lakes Summer League All-Star Game and first-team All-Great Lakes League while helping lead the Hamilton Joe's to the league title. Senior outfielder Brandon James, an outfielder, is coming off of a banner junior campaign during which he batted .411 with 60 hits, eight home runs and 44 runs scored. James is a two-sport student-athlete who also competes in football and is a starting receiver on the Storm football team. Senior catcher Nick Lovick is expected to be a key component of the Lake Erie College ranked third on the team in hitting last season as he batted .396, in home runs with six and in RBI with 36. He led the team with 13 doubles.

2010 Record: 18-29 overall

Coaching: Brian McGee is in his fourth season as the head coach at Lake Erie College.

Noteworthy: Junior shortstop Ryan Rua was named the fourth best Division II prospect for the 2011 MLB Draft by Baseball America in its annual Small College Preview. An all-region pick last year, Rua was the first position player listed.