2023 Baseball Season Preview

2023 Baseball Season Preview

2022 record: 25-21 (14-18 Heart, fifth)
Starters returning/lost: 5/4
Letterwinners returning/lost: 23/13

Notable returners
:
Nick George, Jr., UT, Sarnia, Ontario
(Letterwinner, .357 batting average, .391 OBP, .571 SLG)
Tim Jean
, Sr., IF, Libertyville, Ill.
(Honorable-mention all-Heart, .348 batting average, .444 OBP, 26 RBI)
Trevor Dooley, Jr., IF, Prole, Iowa
(Letterwinner, .318 batting average, .389 OBP, 15 RBI)
Franklin Aparicio, Sr., IF, Panama City, Panama
(Letterwinner, .264 batting average, .354 OBP, 9 R)

Notable newcomers
:

Blair Speas, So., UT, O'Fallon, Mo.
Camdon Anderson, Fr., P, Galesburg, Ill.
Leland Riley II, Fr., C, Victorville, Calif.
Abraham Arroyo, So., Camuy, P.R.

After finishing fifth in the conference a season ago, the William Penn baseball team, led by long-time head coach Mike Laird, is looking to continue taking steps in the right direction to capture a Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship.

First Base

Tim Jean (Sr., Libertyville, Ill., Public Accounting), a Heart Gold Glove recipient a year ago, will get the bulk of the time over at first base. A big part of the top of the lineup last year, Jean, who hit .348, was second on the team with 26 RBI and led WPU with six stolen bases.

Second Base

Franklin Aparicio (Sr., Panama City, Panama) will be the main second basemen this season as well as being a key component to the top of the Statesmen lineup.  The senior hit .264 with nine runs scored.

Shortstop

Nathan Jessel (Jr., Napa, Calif., Sociology) is slated at shortstop this season. He appeared in 46 games for the navy and gold last season, scoring 27 times.  Jessel also made a couple appearances on the mound.

Third Base

Returner Justin Martinez (Jr., Bronx, N.Y. Sports Management) will be the primary option at the hot corner for the Statesmen. Martinez provides a strong bat in the middle of the order with three home runs and 10 RBI in 27 appearances a season ago.

Left Field

A new face will man left field with transfer Blair Speas (So., O'Fallon, Mo., Undecided) looking to be the main option for the navy and gold.

Center Field

Ready for his first season in the navy and gold, Abraham Arroyo (So., Camuy, P.R., Undecided) will be the one roaming center field in 2023.  

Right Field

A couple faces should see action in right field this season as Trevor Dooley (Jr., Prole, Iowa, Computer Science) and Joel Holguin (So., San Bernardino, Calif., Sociology) will be splitting time. Dooley was another strong piece to the Statesmen lineup in 2022, posting a .318 batting average along with 15 RBIs.

Catcher

There will be a battle for catching duties in the new season with Dillan Schrook (Sr., Shingle Springs, Calif., Sociology) and Leland Riley II (Fr., Victorville, Calif., Kinesiology). Holguin will also be in the mix for behind-the-dish duties when not in right field.

Pitching Staff

Ty Harter (Jr., Galesburg, Ill.) will likely slot the top of the rotation for William Penn. WPU's ERA leader from last season at 3.19, Harter struck out 34 batters in 53 2/3 innings of work. Brian Thomas (Jr., Shingle Springs, Calif.) will also see time on the bump. Thomas led the navy and gold with 77 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings of work.

Nick George (Jr., Sarnia, Ontario) will spend time on the mound, as well as in the designated hitting role. George had 42 strikeouts in 60 innings, while also producing a .357 batting average and 13 RBIs.

Stetson Denning (Sr., Queen Creek, Ariz., Sports Management) will be one of the go-to arms out of the bullpen after sporting a 4.53 ERA and whiffing 22 batters in 51 2/3 innings of work last spring. Camdon Anderson (So., Galesburg, Ill., Sports Management) will also have an increased role this year, while newcomers E.J. Roncone (Jr., Gurnee Ill., Sports Management) and Matt Shover (Grad., Barry, Ill., Master's of Sports Management) will also gobble up some innings.

Schedule/Conference

The Statesmen open up their season on Friday, February 10 against Southwestern in Winfield, Kansas. Their first conference tilt comes on March 11 in a doubleheader with Park, while their first home series will be on March 25 against Grand View.