GAMBIER, Ohio -- Coming off the program's first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament berth since 2018, the 2025 Kenyon College baseball team is looking to add to a stretch that has seen the program post 20-plus wins and finish with records of over .560 in each of the last four full seasons. The Owls will be without a significant senior class, but the team is still stocked with veterans and young talent for Head Coach Matt Burdette to work with heading into his 30th season at the helm. Between a deep, talented pitching staff, and a group of position players that includes plenty of offensive and defensive ability, the Owls are ready to make another run to and through the postseason.

2024 Review:

• 22-17 overall record, that included a 2-7 mark at home, a 9-5 away record, and an 11-5 mark at neutral sites
• Clinched the program's first NCAC Tournament appearance since 2018 after finishing 8-8 in NCAC play to secure the fourth seed in the four-team postseason playoff
• Dropped their first game in the double-elimination tournament to the No. 1 seed before staying alive with a big win, Kenyon's first NCAC Tournament victory since 2009, to knock out the No. 3 seed. Bowed out after falling to the No. 2 seed, who was also ranked No. 2 in the country.

NCAC Preseason Poll:
Following their NCAC Tournament berth, the Owls were tied for third in the projected preseason standings, as voted on by the league's coaches. Kenyon tallied 55 points, tying Wabash College for third place in the nine-team field. Denison University, who claimed a fifth straight NCAC Tournament Championship last season after tying for the regular-season NCAC Championship, paced the projections with 80 points and eight of the nine first-place votes. Wittenberg University, who claimed a share of the regular-season crown and earned the Tournament's top seed, finished second in the voting with 72 points and the remaining first-place vote. DePauw University (50 points), who Kenyon knocked out of the NCAC Tournament, slotted into fifth. The College of Wooster (35), Ohio Wesleyan University (27), Oberlin College (21), and Hiram College (10) rounded out the preseason poll.

Key Returners:

• Gio Giuliani - Led the team with a .350 batting average and a .447 on-base percentage as a first-year, playing 32 games with 22 starts. Ranked third among qualified hitters with a .475 slugging percentage, tied for third with a triple, and ranked fourth with six steals, going 6-for-6.
• Edwin Groff - Two seasons removed from winning All-America, All-Region, and First Team All-NCAC honors in 2023, Groff hit .323 as a junior and finished second with 10 doubles. He also ranked fourth on the team in slugging (.458) and on-base percentage (.391).
• Dustin Lee - Tied for the team lead with three home runs, ranked second in slugging (.481), and ranked third in RBIs (25), batting average (.333), on-base percentage (.408) over a breakout junior campaign. Lee was also just one of six qualifying NCAC players to post a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, holding down first base for the Owls.
• Luke Meister - Making a big impact and starting 32 games after coming off an injury, Meister led the team with two triples and tied for the lead with three homers and 26 RBIs. He also worked the second-most walks (13) and ranked third in steals at a stellar 7-for-7 mark. His .989 fielding percentage also ranked third among qualifying players.
• Nate Rosen - Earned his first All-NCAC award after being a driving force for the Owls as a junior. Rosen started a team-high 38 games, pacing Kenyon with a .500 slugging percentage, 67 total bases, 46 hits, 25 walks, and 13 doubles. His .341 batting average, .445 on-base percentage, 134 at-bats, and 31 runs were all second on the team. Defensively, the shortstop led the team with 85 assists.
• Theo Canning - Claimed a second straight All-NCAC award, ascending to the First Team as a sophomore. Canning ranked fourth in the NCAC in ERA (3.40) and opponent batting average (.250) and led the Owls with 11 starts, a 5-1 record, 55.2 innings pitched, 46 strikeouts, and one complete game while tying for the team lead with a 1.22 WHIP.
• Peyton Hodges - Ranked sixth in the NCAC with a 4.04 ERA as a first-year, posting a 4-3 record over 16 appearances and five starts. His 42.1 innings and 36 strikeouts each ranked second on the Owls.
• Lewis Cropper, Frank Lynch, and Jackson Niedel - A trio of starters who add to a deep pitching staff. Cropper and Lynch, a pair of seniors, battled injury last season but have been top of the rotation guys at times over their careers. As a sophomore last year, Niedel ranked second with seven starts, third in innings pitched (37.1), and tied for third with three wins, going 3-3 over 13 appearances.
• Jack Enger and Christian Harris - Two top relievers, the duo combined for seven saves last season. Enger had four as a first-year, while Harris had three in a breakout junior season. Enger tied for the team lead with a 1.22 WHIP and ranked second in both appearances (17) and opponent batting average (.221. Harris ranked third on the team in both opponent batting average (.242) and 26 strikeouts, the only Owl to average over one punch out per inning.

Key Departures:

• Tripper Capps - Capps commanded the short corner for the Owls and was an all-conference performer in 2023. As a senior, he led the team with 12 hit-by-pitches, graduating as Kenyon's all-time leader in the category. Capps also had top-three marks in games played (36), at-bats (129), total bases (53), triples (1), and assists (53).
• Stephen Carr - Carr controlled the game from the catcher spot, playing 34 games as a senior. His six runners caught stealing ranked fourth in the NCAC, and he helped guide an Owls pitching staff that had the league's third-best ERA (5.42).
• Malcolm Gaynor - An All-NCAC honoree in 2023, Gaynor graduated with the second-most hit-by-pitches (34) and ninth-most runs scored (105) in Kenyon history despite playing just three seasons. The 2024 captain led the Owls in at-bats (142) and tied for the team lead with 38 games played and 26 RBIs. He ranked second in total bases (55), hits (42), runs (31), and assists (59) while helping turn a team-high 21 double plays from second base.
• Drew Robinson - An All-NCAC performer in each of the last two seasons, Robinson led the Owls with 33 runs and 22 stolen bases in 23 tries. A stellar center fielder, he was one of six 2024 NCAC players with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, and he finished his three-year career without an error, tallying 250 putouts and nine outfield assists over three seasons. The senior also ranked second in hits (40) and doubles (9) last season.
• Noah Rosenberg - Made a team-high 20 relief appearances as a senior, tied for the third-most in a single Kenyon season all-time. Finished with a 2-1 record and 20 strikeouts over 22.1 innings.
• Jackson Yelland - Took a huge leap as a senior, making multiple impressive starts en route to a career year. Though he narrowly missed out on qualifying, his 3.27 ERA led Kenyon, and his five starts tied for second. Yelland ranked third in WHIP (1.24) and tied for the third-most wins at 3-2 while ranking fourth in both innings pitched (33.0) and strikeouts (24). 

Schedule Overview:

• Season Opener: Saturday, February 22, DH vs. Asbury University (Ky.) (noon/3:30 p.m.)
• Spring Break Games: 13 games from March 2-14 in Fort Pierce, FL
• Home Opener: Saturday, March 22, DH vs. Albion College (1:00/4:00 p.m.)
• NCAC Opener: Saturday, March 29, DH at Denison University (noon/3:00 p.m.)

How to Follow:
Fans can follow Kenyon baseball throughout the season via the following links:

• Live coverage (stats and video) - https://athletics.kenyon.edu/live 
• Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) - @KenyonSports
• Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube - @KenyonAthletics