GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College baseball team is ready to step up to the plate this season after back-to-back campaigns with 20-plus wins. The squad, which returns nearly all of last year's key contributors and has continued continuity in the coaching staff, is looking to maintain its momentum and break into the postseason after barely missing out on a playoff berth last season.
2023 Review:
- 21-14 overall record, including 7-4 at home and 5-5 on the road
- 8-8 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), tying for fourthÂ
Preseason Polls:
The Owls narrowly missed out on a postseason appearance last season after finishing tied for fourth in the NCAC standings as Wabash earned the nod by claiming the tiebreaker. Heading into 2024, Kenyon received 49 votes in the NCAC preseason coaches' poll, ranking fifth in the nine-team standings projection. Denison, the NCAC regular-season and tournament Championship winners, took the top spot with 80 points and eight of nine first-place votes. Wittenberg, the NCAC Tournament runner-up, snagged the other first-place vote and finished second with 73 points. The Owls weren't far behind the Nos. 3 and 4 teams in the preseason poll, with Wooster (57 points) and Wabash (55) slotting in above Kenyon. Rounding out the projected rankings were DePauw (33), Ohio Wesleyan (29), Oberlin (18), and Hiram (11).
Key Returners:
- Edwin Groff - D3baseball.com All-America Second Team and All-Region First Team, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Second Team, and All-NCAC First Team in 2023. Paced Kenyon in batting average (.443), slugging percentage (.721), OPS (1.198), at-bats (140), total bases (101), hits (62), and doubles (16) while tying for the team lead with four triples and ranking second in runs (38), RBIs (38), home runs (5), and on-base percentage (.477).
- Tripper Capps - Second-team All-NCAC third baseman who tallied a team-best 20-game hitting streak last season. He led the team with a .486 on-base percentage and ranked top three in batting average (.402), slugging percentage (.564), OPS (1.050), total bases (66), hits (47), doubles (11), hit by pitches (11), and home runs (2).
- Malcolm Gaynor - All-NCAC Second Team second baseman who led the team with 41 runs, 39 RBIs, 13 hit by pitches, six home runs, and six sacrifice flies while starting and playing a team-best 34 games. He was top three in slugging percentage (.585), on-base percentage (.448), OPS (1.033), at-bats (130), total bases (76), hits (46), walks (14), doubles (12), and stolen bases (4).
- Drew Robinson - Third-team All-NCAC outfielder who recorded four outfield assists and posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 93 chances, the only qualified NCAC player with a flawless mark. He led the team with 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts, tied for the team lead with four triples, and ranked top three in at-bats (124), runs (37), RBIs (25), walks (16), and home runs (2).Â
- Stephen Carr - Started and played 32 games as Kenyon's catcher, adding 32 hits, 22 runs, and 22 RBIs.
- Dustin Lee, Niko Price - Platooned at first base last season, combining for 37 hits, 28 runs, 27 RBIs, 10 doubles, and three homers in 129 at-bats.
- Luke Meister - Returns after missing all of last season. In 2022, his five homers and two triples tied for team highs and he scored 29 runs with 27 RBIs while hitting .325/.388/.517.
- Nate Rosen - Played and started 33 games, led the team with 21 walks, and posted a .305/.408/.415 slash line.
- Theo Canning - A starting pitcher who earned All-NCAC Second Team honors as a first-year. He started a team-high nine games, pitched a team-high 50.1 innings, and tied for the second-most wins with a 3-2 record while notching the second-most strikeouts (45). Over 11 appearances, he pitched to a 4.11 ERA, allowing 23 earned runs and 27 overall on 48 hits and 19 walks.
- Lewis Cropper - Started eight games, posting a 3-3 record. His 46 strikeouts paced the Owls, and he was the only pitcher to notch a complete game, recording two, and a solo shutout. He registered a 4.40 ERA over 47 innings in 11 appearances.
- Frank Lynch - Led the team's starters with a 3.26 ERA and posted a team-best five wins over six starts and eight appearances. Rung up a whopping 42 strikeouts in 30.1 innings, good for a team-best 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- Andrew Catron, Jackson Niedel - Combined for 24 appearances and six starts as first-year pitchers. Niedel went 2-1 in 25 innings, holding opponents to a .204 batting average, while Catron was 1-3 over 22.1 innings.
- Noah Rosenberg - Third on the team with 12 appearances, compiling 14 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched.
Key Departures:
- Kyle Dwyer - Regular right fielder who played 32 games with 30 starts and posted a .352/.425/.486 slash line. Top-five on the team in batting average (.352), total bases (51), hits (37), doubles (4), and triples (2).
- Sam Richards - Team-high 14 appearances on the mound, including one start. Led the team with two saves and registered 20 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched.
Schedule Overview:
- Season Opener: Sunday, March 3 vs. Elizabethtown (11 a.m.)
- Spring Break Games: 14 games from March 3-14 in Fort Pierce, FL
- Home Opener: Tuesday, March 26, vs. Capital University (noon)
- NCAC Opener: Saturday, March 30, at Ohio Wesleyan University (noon)
How to Follow:Â
Fans can follow Kenyon baseball throughout the season via the following links:
