2003 Baseball Preview: Eagles Look to Continue National Prominence
February 24, 2003

By Joe Monaco, AU Sports Information

It would be easy for head coach John Schaly to look back at all the success and become satisfied – two GLIAC championships, two regional crowns, two trips to the NCAA Division II World Series and three seasons of 40 or more victories during his five years.

The only problem is that his teams have not yet accomplished the ultimate prize of winning a national championship.

That is what drives him every practice and every game to make his team better.

That is what drives him not to relive past glory and only focus on the season ahead.

In the polls, AU is ranked in the top 10 according to Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Magazine and the College Baseball Writers’ of America.

Unfortunately, the Eagles won’t be satisfied until they reach the pinnacle and earn that number one ranking in 2003.

“We feel that we have the talent here to win a national championship and the potential is here to face the challenges that the season brings,” said Schaly.

When the 2002 season concluded, the Eagles said goodbye to four seniors – Mark Smithberger, Nathan Moore, J.R. Jacoby and Corey Christopher – who helped AU advance to two World Series, four consecutive regional tournaments and capture the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship on two occasions.

“We are losing a good group of seniors,” added Schaly. “They were all guys who were here for four years and they were all great leaders. However, we have enough returners that we feel we are going to have a very solid club and some of those guys are going to have to fill in that role of being leaders.”

With their departure, Schaly wasn’t left with many bare cabinets as he has nine starters returning for the squad, including three of his top four pitchers from a year ago.

“We have a veteran team,” explained Schaly. “These are guys that have postseason experience. Our goals are the same with winning the GLIAC first then the regional championship and ultimately winning a national championship.”

Here is a position-by-position preview of the 2003 Ashland University baseball team.

Pitching
Dominant one-two combinations have become synonymous with the AU pitching staff. In the era of the Jamie Detillion’s, Drew Niederst’s and Mark Smithberger’s, AU had remarkable duos that were among the best in the GLIAC.

In 2003, the Eagles will have another one-two punch that will strike fear into opposing hitters in seniors Ryan Hartzell and Jon Krugman.

Hartzell comes off a season that saw him capture first team All-America honors after finishing with 14 victories, which led the nation. He was awarded with North Central Regional and GLIAC Pitcher of the Year honors. Hartzell brings a repertoire that includes devastating movement on his high-80s fastball, a knee-breaking curveball and changeup.

The right-hander was named a preseason first team All-America selection by Baseball America and is only seven wins shy of breaking Smithberger’s record for most career victories (37).

“Hartzell was definitely the most dominant pitcher in the conference last season, but now he has to meet new challenges because guys are going to be waiting to get their hands on him. We are looking for another big year from him, and to his credit, he is a hard, hard worker,” explained Schaly.

Krugman will be the other half of the one-two duo and approaches the mound with a similar style as Hartzell. He is another tough, right-handed power pitcher who has a fastball in the high-80s and carries a curve, slider and nasty changeup in his collection.

“Krugman will be our number two pitcher behind Hartzell. He has a strong arm and we expect another big season from him,” Schaly commented.

The final tail of the rotation remains a coin toss with seniors Nathan Wright, Chris Skibinski and Larame Woodruff along with sophomore Matt Pignato battling for the third and fourth spots.

Wright, a crafty right-hander, has given the Eagles ample production as a starter and reliever. He was 6-2 with a 5.64 ERA in 2002, but saw action in 16 games while starting eight.

Woodruff fit the closer role perfectly for AU. The right-handed power pitcher has an explosive fastball and was the nail in the coffin for opposing teams. He finished with a 3-1 record and notched a GLIAC-high nine saves.

“Wright has given us a lot of production as a starter and out of the bullpen during his three years. Woodruff was our closer last season, and I thought that he did a remarkable job in that role and it fits him well,” Schaly said.

Pignato had an impressive rookie campaign as he finished with a 5-1 record with a 4.47 ERA in eight starts. He is the frontrunner for the number three spot in the rotation.

Skibinski has seen minor action on the mound in his three years. He only hurled 6.3 innings last season, but did a remarkable job in recording outs in his limited opportunities. Coaches see him getting more action on the mound in 2003.

“The question is who will step up to be the number three and four starters because it could be any number of guys who all have experience pitching in the conference. We will have to wait to see who will be able to secure the final two spots in the rotation,” replied Schaly.

The bullpen will once again be another of the Eagles’ strength as the 2003 staff is equally as talented as previous years.

Sophomore Ryan Douglas was used in a situational basis for the majority of last season out of the bullpen. He finished with a 1-0 record and collected one save and this season his mound time will increase.

Chad Moore and Bryce Bednarczyk, two transfers from Columbus State C.C., will both see significant action out of the pen. Bednarczyk was an All-America at CSCC where he compiled a 10-1 record with a 1.83 ERA.

Sophomore Justin Halpin and freshmen Jim Barry and Matt Patton round out the staff and will have an opportunity to prove themselves on the mound.

“Those guys are really going to add some depth to our squad,” Schaly offered.

Infield
The Eagles won’t have to worry about lack of experience in the infield as they return four of the five starters from a season ago. AU will miss the leadership of J.R. Jacoby at shortstop, but senior Tim Hinchliffe will return to his natural position after playing the second half of the season at second base.

At the plate, he was a consistent hitter for the Eagles’ in 2002 where he hit .337 with four home runs and 46 runs batted in.

“We have confidence in Hinchliffe as our starting shortstop, which is where he played the first part of last season,” said Schaly.

With Hinchliffe’s move to shortstop, the Eagles will have an open competition for the second base slot between Adam Wilson, Jason Fleming and transfer Mark Kahlenberg.

Wilson saw limited action in 2002 appearing in nine games where he hit .333 in six plate appearances. The sophomore had a strong fall and will be pushing for more playing time this season.

Fleming is one of the Eagles’ most versatile infielders playing second, third and shortstop last season. The sophomore appeared in 19 games for AU and hit .276 with eight hits in 29 at-bats.

Kahlenberg comes to AU from Owens Community College where he has two years of playing experience behind him. He has the experience advantage, but each player will have an opportunity to earn the starting nod.

“They will all get their shots and it is a matter of how well they play in the first part of the season that will determine who gets the starting job. We are confident that somebody out of that group will step forward and win the job,” explained Schaly.

While the middle of the infield continues to be solidified, the Eagles will have experience returning at both corner positions.

Senior Butch Kaufman and Skibinski will each see their share of action at first base depending on the pitcher. Kaufman, a left-handed hitter, and Skibinski, a right-handed hitter, gives a strong bat in the lineup at all times.

Kaufman was second on the team in hitting last season with a .400 average, and connected on three home runs and 39 runs batted in. The 6-7 first baseman is a large target for infielders and had a .980 fielding percentage. He earned honorable mention All-GLIAC honors in 2002 and coaches expect even bigger things from him in 2003.

Skibinski split time between first and third base last season and had a breakthrough year at the plate and earned first team All-GLIAC honors. In his first two seasons, he only had 12 plate appearances in 14 games. Through hard work and dedication, the 6-6 Skibinski earned a shot at more playing time and took advantage of every opportunity as he batted .333 with five home runs and 44 runs batted in.

“We can do a couple of different things with Kaufman and Skibinski, especially in righty-lefty situations. We have two solid players at first base,” added Schaly.

When Skibinski is not playing first base, he will also see some action at third where he spent the majority of last season. Joining him on the hot corner will be junior transfer Eric McDaniel from Owens Community College and freshman John Hosgood.

Behind the dish will be the heart and soul of the Eagles’ infield in junior Josh Gaub and senior Brock Wiskochil.

Gaub had an explosive year at the plate hitting .388 with eight home runs and 33 runs batted in. He was also a human target for opposing pitchers getting hit 18 times during the year. Behind the plate, Gaub’s hard-nosed attitude and knowledge for calling a game makes him a dangerous threat in the conference. He was a second team All-GLIAC selection in 2002.

Wiskochil saw more action as a designated hitter rather than a catcher, but brings added experience to the dish. He was a first team All-GLIAC selection after hitting .371 with nine home runs and a team-high 63 runs batted in.

“We are lucky to have are our top two catchers back. They will split time which is important come conference play and when one is not catching then he will most likely be our DH,” Schaly explained.

Freshmen Andrew Payne and Ray Frisbee will also give the Eagles depth behind the plate.

Outfield
The outfield will be anchored by junior Brandon Cornell in center. An honorable mention All-GLIAC selection in 2002, Cornell possesses a strong arm, speed, and power at the plate and returns as one of the Eagles’ most complete players.

He hit .376 with seven home runs and 45 runs batted in and is the squad’s most dangerous base stealer who collected 17 stolen bases a year ago.

“Cornell will be in centerfield, and he is a player who really finished the season strong,” said Schaly.

Allen Ayers will be Cornell’s back up in center, and the speedy sophomore will look to compete for more playing time. He saw action in 12 games and hit .333 with a double.

With the loss of All-American Nathan Moore in right and Corey Christopher in left, the corner outfield positions will be open for competition.

Senior Adam Whetstone and newcomer Richie Jones will battle for the left field opening. Whetstone hit .290 last season with one home run and is the lone senior in the AU outfield. Jones, a newcomer from Northern Kentucky, gives the Eagles another strong bat in the outfield.

In right field, Bryce Bednarcyzk is another newcomer who will help the team with his versatility in the outfield and on the mound. Coaches believe that he will be most beneficial to the team playing everyday in the outfield.

Freshman David Waters will have the opportunity to help out the Eagles in both right and left field and as a switch-hitter, he has the ability to play everyday against a variety of pitchers.

“We have six quality outfielders so there is a lot of versatility and depth. We can try to put the best combination out there and see who produces the best for us,” Schaly added.

Ashland will have an opportunity to take another step towards national prominence in the upcoming season, but Schaly can only take the team so far – ultimately, it will be up to his team to decide whether they take a step forward or stay the same.

Fortunately, the Eagles carry the same attitude as their leader, which can only spell great things in 2003.