Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College baseball team has put the disappointment of 2018 in the rearview and enters this spring with a renewed focus on doing things the right way.

The Yeomen went just 12-28 last year, which included a 4-14 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference. However, Oberlin hopes to keep an interesting trend going in 2019 as the Yeomen have had success in odd-numbered years – making the NCAC Tournament in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

"Last year things kind of snowballed on us early and we were just never able to break out of it," ninth-year Head Coach Adrian Abrahamowicz said. "We are going to do some things differently and look for some guys to step up and be difference makers."

Pitching
The Yeomen carry a plethora of capable hurlers with 20 total pitchers on the roster. Senior southpaw Zachary Steer headlines the group as he is coming off a year in which he went 4-3 in 12 appearances and nine starts. Steer struck out 33 in 47.2 innings of work.

Classmate and tri-captain Noah Gear boasts a career-record of 10-5 and also owns three saves. The 6-foot-5 right-hander brings versatility to the Yeomen as a potential starter or backend bullpen option. Last season he finished second on the team with 17 appearances, including seven starts. The Hampton, Virginia, native held opponents to a .289 batting average, posting a 3-3 record while matching Steer with 33 punchouts.

Senior left-hander David Gaetano will look for a bounce-back season, while classmate Musa Matiwane may also see an expanded role on the bump this spring. Yeomen faithful should not be surprised to see senior tri-captain Ian Dinsmore also earning some innings on the mound.

Senior Stephen Kellner morphed in one of the top aids out of the bullpen last year, making a team-high 20 appearances a season ago. The question will be if he remains in that role or earns a spot in the starting rotation.

Newcomers Ian Ashby and Jacob Thompson have impressed throughout the fall and early preseason and will have the opportunity to earn more innings throughout the season.

Veterans Jack Reiss, Bradley Jamison, Alexander Amorello, and Tyler Hartman are steady relief options as they combined for 48 appearances in 2018, while sophomores Nick Dawkins, Kotaro Kajita, and Cole Liston strive for continued progression.

Other freshmen pitchers who provide added depth to the unit include Ben Bernstein, Chase Fulkerson, Dominic O'Connor, Zachary Bayfield, and Alexander Norris.

Catching
Former All-NCAC First-Team and ABCA All-Region catcher Brendan Mapes has aspirations of ending his Yeomen career on a high note. After getting off to a slow start in 2018, the Mount Vernon, Ohio, native still led the team with 45 hits to finish with a .326 batting average. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound product belted a team-high five home runs and tied for a team-best with 27 RBIs. The tri-captain raised his level play in conference action, hitting a team-high .439 (29-of-66), which ranked seventh in the NCAC.

Mapes will be backed up by senior Andrew Sugarman, who played in 16 games last year, and hit .333 (4-of-12) with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.

First-years Michael Anastasio and John Schooner will have the opportunity learn the collegiate game from the two veterans while they continue to build a rapport with the pitching staff.

Infield
Lots of questions linger on who will be around the diamond for the Yeomen this spring as all four positions remain up for debate heading into the year.

Dinsmore is the incumbent at third base but is coming off a subpar year both offensively and defensively, which could create some opportunities for freshman James Sullivan and junior Parker Goldstein.

The double-play combination up the middle could feature freshman David Fineman along with either sophomore Ben Reed or junior Jack Derwin. Reed saw time in 23 games (2 starts) last year, while Derwin played in 30 games with four starts. Rookie Drew Packs also provides depth to the group.

First base may be a platoon between Thompson, Ashby, Matiwane, and sophomore Alexis Castillo, who continues to work his way back from injury. Castillo had 26 at-bats as a rookie before he went down, while Matiwane had just 16 as he did the bulk of his work on the mound. Any one of the trio could also be used as a viable designated hitter option along with Goldstein.

Outfield
The Yeomen outfield is pretty much solidified in center and right with senior Jack McGowan and sophomore Lawrence Hamilton returning.

McGowan made 26 starts and 37 total appearances last year. He was third on the team in hitting with a .298 average (28-of-94) with nine doubles, 13 RBIs, and 14 runs scored. The left-handed hitting speedster also went 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts.

Hamilton aims to build off a strong rookie campaign that saw him hit .267 (32-of-120) with three doubles, three triples, and 14 runs scored. The Largo, Florida, native batted .290 (18-of-62) in conference play and was second on the team with 18 RBIs.

The question is who will emerge as the everyday left fielder for the Yeomen. Junior Jack Marsjanik is the most experienced of the contenders as he played in 23 games and made nine starts in 2018. The Oracle, Arizona, native hit .275 (11-of-40) with three doubles, six RBIs, and five runs scored while going error free in 15 total chances.

Senior Connor MacDowell has had limited reps in the outfield, making the conversion from catcher, while sophomore James Kibitel also saw time in 10 games as a rookie.

It could be freshman Nick Nelson who ultimately wins the job if he is able to prove to the coaches he is capable throughout the rest of camp and the early portion of the season.

Schedule
The Yeomen open the year on Saturday, March 9 at Capital University with the home opener set for a week later as they will host Defiance (10 AM) and Alma (1:15 PM) in a split doubleheader.

After embarking on a spring break trip to Tucson, Arizona, where they will play eight games over four days (March 23-26), the Yeomen will return to open North Coast Athletic Conference play on Saturday, March 30 at Ohio Wesleyan University. Oberlin's first conference set at home is not until Saturday, April 6 when DePauw University comes to Dill Field.

Fans who cannot attend the games in person can watch all of the home games live online at goyeo.com/stream. Home games can also be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College athletics app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.