2024 Baseball Season Preview

 






2023 record: 29-22 (15-17 Heart)
Starters returning/lost: 7/2 fielders; 4/5 pitchers
Letterwinners returning/lost: 17/12

Notable returners:
Nick George, Sr., Sarnia, Ontario
(Second-team all-Heart, .438 BA, 43 RBI, 39 R
Brian Thomas, Sr., Shingle Springs, Calif.
(Honorable-mention all-Heart, 10-3 record, 4.38 ERA, 98 K)
Abraham Arroyo, Jr., Camuy, P.R.
(First-team all-Heart, .375 BA, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 46 R)
Nathan Jessell, Jr., Napa, Calif.
(Letterwinner, .335 BA, 32 RBI, 45 R)

Notable losses:
Tim Jean
(All-Heart)
Franklin Aparicio
(Letterwinner)
Stetson Denning
(Letterwinner)
Dillan Schrock
(Letterwinner)

Notable newcomers:
Abel Madueno, Jr., San Bernardino, Calif.
Marco Ayala, So., San Francisco, Calif.
Andres Pineda, So., Colombia
Zach Otten, Jr., Mapleton, Ill.

The Statesmen baseball team will lean on returning talent as well a strong recruiting class to move it up in the league as it enters the 2024 season.

Head Coach Mike Laird, in his 42nd season, is guiding a William Penn squad that owned a 29-22 record (15-17 Heart) last spring.  The navy and gold picked up a pair of wins at the 2023 Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship.

Three players return with all-Heart recognition, including Nick George (Sr., Sarina, Ontario, Sociology), Abraham Arroyo (Jr., Camuy, P.R., Wellness and Recreation), and Brian Thomas (Sr., Shingle Springs, Calif., Sports Management).

Pitcher

Thomas headlined the pitching staff last spring with a 10-3 record and a 4.38 Earned Run Average in 76 innings of work.  The senior struck out 98 batters and only allowed opposing hitters to post a .232 average.

George, who was 3-6 with a 4.53 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings, and Ty Harter (Jr., Galesburg, Ill., Business Management), with a 3-2 record and a 7.45 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings, are back on the bump as well after carrying a big load in 2023.

Bret Whiffen (Sr., Green Bay, Wis., Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management) has the lowest ERA (2.00) of any returner, doing so in 18 innings, while Joel Holguin (Jr., San Bernardino, Calif., Sociology) also saw a bit of action with four innings.

A quartet of newcomers are expected to make a big impact.  They include Ryne Chamberlin (Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sports Management), Abel Madueno (Jr., San Bernardino, Calif., Business Management), Keke Romero (So., Mesa, Ariz., Business Management), and Santi Guerrero (So., Las Cruces, N.M., Fine Arts).  Guerrero is WPU's lone left-handed pitcher.

Catcher

Leland Riley II (Jr., Victorville, Calif., Sports Management) accumulated a large amount of work behind the plate a year ago and is slated as this season's starter.  He hit .323 with 11 runs and four RBIs in 2023.

Justin Knudson (Jr., San Jose, Calif., Sports Management) adds experience as a returner, while Aiden North (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Industrial Technology) could also see time on the receiving end of the battery, as could fellow newcomer Holvin Catala (Jr., New London, Iowa, Wellness and Recreation).

First Base

Newcomers Steven Paulino (So., Passiac, N.J., Sports Management) and Hector Dominguez (So., Fontana, Calif., Exercise Science) will battle for playing time at first base, while George and Justin Martinez (Sr., Bronx, N.Y., Sports Management) may also collect innings at the position.

Martinez hit .274 in 2023, collecting 20 RBIs and 19 runs to his credit.

Second Base

Andres Pineda (So., Colombia, Business Management) enters his first campaign in the navy and gold as the projected starter at second base.  He may also hurl from the mound as well.

Versatile newcomer Marco Ayala (So., San Francisco, Calif., New Media) will see his name in the lineup most days, either at second base or possibly also at shortstop or third base.

Shortstop

Nathan Jessell (Jr., Napa, Calif., Sociology) will again be the starting shortstop, a season after hitting .335 with 45 runs and 32 RBIs.

Third Base

Froymer Ortega (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla., Wellness and Recreation) is set for the start at the hot corner, while fellow newcomer Catala, who may also pitch, is in consideration as well.

Outfield

Arroyo and Blair Speas (Jr., O'Fallon, Mo., New Media) are the two players most likely to serve in center field, while Holguin, Martinez, and Zach Otten (Jr., Mapleton, Ill.) are slated for spots in the grass as well.

Arroyo recorded a .375 hitting clip last year with squad bests in home runs (6) and RBIs (58) in addition to 46 runs (tops for returners), while Speas hit .336 with 42 RBIs and 29 runs scored.

Designated Hitter

George was by far William Penn's best batter last spring, so the coaching staff will get him in the lineup in any way possible, frequently at designated hitter.  The senior posted a .438 mark and knocked in 43 runs, while scoring 39 runs as well.

Schedule

William Penn begins the season Friday and Saturday with games in Leavenworth, Kan. against Saint Mary (Kan.) and Dordt.  It is part of the squad's 16 non-conference games which will prepare the navy and gold for a grueling Heart slate that will include 32 more contests.  The Statesmen are home for 20 battles this year.

The Statesmen will be battling for a spot in the Heart Championship that will be held May 2-7 in Ozark, Mo.