Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
GRINNELL, Iowa — In the 2020 Midwest Conference (MWC) Baseball Preseason Poll conducted among the league’s ten head coaches, the
University of Chicago Maroons and the
Cornell College Rams were selected to win their respective divisions and meet in the championship title game this Spring.
After receiving eight first-place votes and 44 points, the University of Chicago was picked to repeat last year’s top finish in the MWC North Division and have a second run at the league title. The Maroons will be seeking redemption for last season’s Conference championship elimination, endured at the hands of the defending champion Rams.
A narrow one-point margin separates the second and third seed in the North Division poll. The Green Knights of
St. Norbert College received one first-place vote and 33 points for second place, just ahead of the Red Hawks of
Ripon College who received a first-place vote and 32 points for third-place.
Coming in fourth are the Buccaneers of
Beloit College with 22 points and the Vikings of
Lawrence University took fifth place with 13 points.
Cornell College enters this season coming off of its first MWC Championship and first post-season berth in program history. The Rams received six first-place votes and 38 points to take a first-place finish in the South Division poll. Last season, the Rams overcame three elimination games to win their first league title.
Receiving one first-place vote and 27 points, the
Monmouth College Scots and
Illinois College Blueboys tie for second place in the South Division. The Scots finished last season as the top seed in the South Division before a day one exit in the Conference championship tournament.
The Blueboys enter this season looking for their first Conference postseason appearance since the 2010 season, where they finished as the second seed in the division.
Also picking up a first-place vote, the Pioneers of
Grinnell College picked up 26 points for fourth place. The Pioneers will look to make their first tournament appearance since the 2018 season.
Knox College rounds out the South Division with 13 points for fifth place.
League teams will begin their seasons competing in non-conference action throughout the remainder of the month before heading to warmer temperatures in the month of March. Conference action kicks off Saturday, March 28.
The 2020 Midwest Conference Championship Tournament will be held May 8-9 with the host being the top seed in the North Division.
Full preseason poll results can be found below followed by quick facts for all ten MWC teams.
Team (First-Place Votes), Points
2020 MWC Baseball Preseason Poll
North Division South Division
1. University of Chicago (8), 44 1. Cornell College (6), 38
2. St. Norbert College (1), 33 T2. Monmouth College (1), 27
3. Ripon College (1), 32 T2. Illinois College (1), 27
4. Beloit College, 22 4. Grinnell (1), 26
5. Lawrence University, 13 5. Knox College, 13
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Dave DeGeorge (30
th Season)
2019 Season: 16-18 Overall; 7-9 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 4
th North Division
Key Returnees:
Danny Belling (Sr), RHP, All-Conference, MWC North Pitcher of the Year, 5-1, 7 BB, 38 SO, 61.0 IP, 3.25 ERA;
Garrison Ferone (So), SS, .368 Avg., 18 walks, .474 OB%, 42 hits, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 14 runs batted in, 32 runs scored, 7 SB
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Seth Wing (7
th Season)
2019 Season: 26-19 Overall; 9-7 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 1
st South Division
Starters Returning: 5 position, 2 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Alex Schwartz (Sr), C, .259 Avg., 12 RBI, .344 OB%, 143 putouts;
Cale Jamesson (Sr), 3B, .365 Avg., 7 HR, 50 RBI, 34 runs, .611 slug %;
John-Michael Osley (Sr), SS, .317 Avg., 20 RBI, 44 runs, 134 assists, 75 career hits;
Keenan Bryant (Sr), LF, .388 Avg., 7 HR, 39 RBI, 49 runs, .635 slug %, 89 career hits;
Zach Stone (Jr), RF, .288 Avg., 2 HR, 14 RBI, 29 runs, .395 OB%, 78 career hits;
Tyler Lederhos (JR), P, 3-2, 41.0 IP, 4.83 ERA;
Cameron Anfang (Jr), P, 3-0, 25.2 IP, 2.45 ERA
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Tim Hollibaugh (27
th Season)
2019 Season: 14-20 Overall; 8-8 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 4
th South Division
Starters Returning: 6 position, 3 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Riley Guieb (Jr), SS/OF, .318 Avg., 23 runs, 8 RBI, .364 slug %;
Jack Hager (Sr), OF, .308 Avg., 22 runs, 21 RBI, .645 slug%, 4HR, .373 OB%;
Quinton McNitt (Jr), 2B, .298 Avg., 22 runs, 11 RBI, .333 slug%, .429 OB%;
Brock Weirather (Jr), All-Conference, P, 2.98 ERA, 2-1, 48.1 IP, 44 SO;
Sam LaMotte (Sr), P, 6.75 ERA, 4-4, 41.4 IP;
Jacob Morsch (Sr), P, 10.08 ERA, 25.0 IP, 21 SO
Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Jacob Waddle (2
nd Season)
2019 Season: 18-18 Overall; 7-9 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: T2
nd South Division
Starters Returning: 6 position, 3 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Colin Dearing (Sr), 3B, All-Conference;
Scott Kasting (Sr), SS, All-Conference;
Joe Paparelli (Sr), OF, All-Conference
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Jami Isaacson (21
st Season)
2019 Season: 9-31 Overall; 6-10 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 5
th South Division
Starters Returning: 7 position, 3 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Andrew Ponce, LHP, All-Conference, 2-5, 2.01 ERA;
EJ Roncone, RHP, Newcomer of the Year, 4-3, 1.92 ERA;
Juston Woodard, OF, .334 Avg., 2 HR;
Kobe Shutter, 3B/P, All-Conference, .290 Avg., 3HR
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Chris Krepline (2
nd Season)
2019 Season: 5-23 Overall; 2-14 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 5
th North Division
Starters Returning: 6 position, 1 pitcher
Key Returnees:
Patrick McDonnell (Sr), C, All-Conference, 17 runs, 28 hits, 5HR, 24 RBI, .318 Avg., .408 OB%, .625 slug%;
Nick Guzzo (Jr), RHP, 32.2 IP, 8.27 ERA, 1 SV;
Tony Caputa (SR), RHP, 16.0 IP, 12.38 ERA, 1 SV;
Colin Wieska (So), OF;
Jacob Charon (So), OF, 6 RBI, 7 runs, 9 hits, .176 Avg., .283 OB%, .235 slug%
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Alan Betourne (5
th Season)
2019 Season: 22-15 Overall; 10-6 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: T2
nd South Division
Starters Returning: 5 position, 3 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Cam Kellar (Jr), C, .174 Avg., 5 RBI;
Mike Dato (Sr), 1B, All-Conference, .300 Avg., 6 HR, 39 RBI, 3 SB;
Matt Temaner (Jr), 2B, .329 Avg., 1 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB;
Sean Davis (Jr), SS, .314 Avg., 17 RBI, 2 SB;
Tyler Ulfig (Sr), 3B, .241 Avg., 19 RBI, 1 SB;
Conner Sharp (Sr), RHP, 4-3, 3.69 ERA, 53.2 IP, 42 SO, 13 BB;
AJ Hatlestad (So), RHP, 1-1, 5.29 ERA, 17.0 IP, 13 SO, 7 BB;
Matt Datlof (So), RHP, 2-0, 6.17 ERA, 11.2 IP, 9 SO, 5 BB
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Eric Cruise (7
th Season)
2019 Season: 24-18 Overall; 10-6 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 3
rd North Division
Key Returnees:
Brice Swick (SR), P, All-Conference, 73 SO, 1.84 ERA;
Brian Brown (SR), P, All-Conference, 5-2, 2.65 ERA, 56 SO
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Head Coach: Mike Wallerich (2
nd Season)
2019 Season: 19-17 Overall; 10-6 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 2
nd North Division
Starters Returning: 6 position, 5 pitchers
Key Returnees:
Jack Maastricht (Sr), OF, All-Conference, .345 Avg., 35 runs, 16 doubles, 50 hits, 4HR;
Brett Reinhart (Sr), IF, All-Conference, .345 Avg., 4 triples, 5 doubles, 1 HR, 20 runs
University of Chicago Maroons
Head Coach: John Fitzgerald (6
th Season)
2019 Season: 24-12 Overall, 11-5 MWC
2020 Projected MWC Finish: 1
st North Division
Starters Returning: 5 position, 1 pitcher
Key Returnees:
Payton Jancsy (Sr), OF, All-Conference, .361 Avg., 26 RBI, 8 doubles, 6 triples, 38 runs, 14 walks, 13 SB;
Brian Lyle (Jr), SS, All-Conference, .378 Avg., 24 RBI, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 30 runs, 19 SB, 10 walks;
Carson Weekley (So), 3B, All-Conference, .355 Avg., 3HR, 24 RBI, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 29 runs, 19 walks;
Benjamin Rosengard (So), INF, .303 Avg., 17 RBI, 18 runs, 10 walks;
Sam Bennett (So), SP, 3-2, 4.50 ERA, 58 SO (40 innings), Ranked 7
th nationally for SO per nine innings (13.05);
David Clarke (Jr), RP, 2-0, 1.29 ERA, 13 SO (14 innings); 5 SV (Ranked 1
st in school history – 12 career SV)