Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Associate Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Beloit College Buccaneers garnered six first-place votes and 62 points to finish first in the 2024 Midwest Conference (MWC) baseball preseason coaches’ poll, announced Wednesday.
 
Last season, Beloit went 20-4 in league play (31-14 overall) to win its program’s third regular-season championship and second tournament title. The Buccaneers also made their third appearance in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
 
The Red Hawks of Ripon College picked up 50 points and one first-place vote to claim second place in the poll.
 
In third place, the University of Chicago received 44 points, ahead of Lawrence University in fourth with 43 points and Grinnell College in fifth with 42 points. The Vikings and Pioneers each earned a first-place vote.
 
The poll rounds out with Cornell College in sixth place (29), followed by Illinois College (27), Monmouth College (19), and Knox College (8).
 
The season officially gets underway on Friday, February 16, as the University of Chicago opens with a non-conference slate. MWC play will begin Saturday, March 23, with eight of the nine teams in action.
 
The 2024 MWC Baseball Tournament is scheduled for Friday, May 10, through Saturday, May 11. The top four teams in the final standings will qualify and compete in a double-elimination format to determine the tournament champion and recipient of the league’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Full preseason poll results and quick facts for all nine teams can be found below:
 
2024 Midwest Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Beloit College (6) – 62 points
2. Ripon College (1) – 50 points
3. University of Chicago – 44 points
4. Lawrence University (1) – 43 points
5. Grinnell College (1) – 42 points
6. Cornell College – 29 points
7. Illinois College – 27 points
8. Monmouth College – 19 points
9. Knox College – 8 points
 
() – indicates first-place votes
*Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Dave DeGeorge (34^th Season)
2023 Season: 31-14 Overall; 20-4 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Brett Kiger (5^th Year), Matt O’Leary (5^th Year – 2023 Position Player of the Year), Harvey Pena (Jr), Aiden Phipps (Jr), Miles Souza (Jr), Connor Vogel (Jr), Evan Zenger (5^th Year)
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Robbie Dombrowski (2^nd Season)
2023 Season: 21-19 Overall; 11-13 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Darren Mancke (Sr), Kale Rose (Jr)
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Tim Hollibaugh (31^st Season)
2023 Season: 18-21 Overall; 14-10 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Mac McCain (Jr)

Illinois College Blueboys
Head Coach: Jacob Waddle (6^th Season)
2023 Season: 15-25 Overall; 11-13 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Jami Isaacson (25^th Season)
2023 Season: 7-32 Overall; 1-23 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Chris Krepline (6^th Season)
2023 Season: 15-22 Overall; 10-14 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Monmouth College Fighting Scots
Head Coach: Alan Betourne (9^th Season)
2023 Season: 16-23 Overall; 11-13 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Daniel Lummus (Jr)
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Eric Cruise (11^th Season)
2023 Season: 25-18 Overall; 15-9 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Kyler Hickman (Sr – 2023 Newcomer of the Year), Mitchell Lukasik (Jr), Nick Tenny (Sr), Brock Turkington (Sr), Brock Warren (Jr)
  
University of Chicago Maroons
Head Coach: Kevin Tyrrell (3^rd Season)
2023 Season: 25-18 Overall, 15-9 MWC
All-Conference Returnees: Jack Goldstein (Jr), Erik Rindner (So)