TUCSON, Ariz. — Marietta College is ranked No. 13 in the
Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III Preseason Top-40 released over the Holiday break. California Lutheran is the No. 1 team in the preseason poll.
"We are excited to get back on the field and play baseball," Marietta head coach
Brian Brewer said. "We have the potential to be a really good team this spring. This group is really enjoyable to be around and, if our arms can hold up, it could be a very good year. Even with our high standards."
The Etta Express finished the COVID shortened 2020 season with a 9-3 overall record and was ranked 18th in the final D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top-25.
The top ten schools in the poll were California Lutheran, Chapman (Calif.), Webster (Mo.), Kean (N.J.), Southern Maine, Washington (Mo.), Heidelberg (Ohio), Birmingham-Southern (Ala.), Salisbury (Md.) and North Central (Ill.).
Adrian (Mich.) was No. 11, followed by Texas Lutheran, Marietta, Johns Hopkins (Md.) and St. Thomas (Minn.).
Other Mideast Regional schools in the poll include Denison (Ohio) at No. 16, Wooster (Ohio) No. 17, Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) No. 32 and Baldwin Wallace (Ohio) at No. 40. Ohio Athletic Conference member Otterbein received votes in the poll.
Brewer, in his 18th year at the helm of the Pioneer program and 22nd season as a head coach, enters 2021 having recorded his 600th career victory in Marietta's final win of last year. After four seasons at John Carroll and 17 at MC, Brewer's career record stands at 600-321-1 (.651 winning percentage).
Marietta returns virtually its entire lineup from a year ago, including 2020 seniors
Seamus Kenneally (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) and
Brady Cottom (Matthews, N.C./Butler). Kenneally, an outfielder, finished third on the team last spring with a .340 batting average and led the Pioneers with six doubles. Cottom will be MC's starting catcher for the fourth straight season.
Third baseman
Damian Yenzi (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), a 2021 senior, returns after leading the Pioneers in most offensive categories last year. He was tops in batting average (.429), runs scored (14), hits (21), home runs (2) and runs batted in (12).
On the mound, the Etta Express welcomes back starting pitchers
Nicklaus Brown (Kenton, Ohio/Benjamin Logan),
John Stover (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson),
Dalton Wiggins (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) and
Gino Sabatine (Alliance, Ohio/West Branch), as well as reliever
Sam Mathews (Fairfield, Ohio/Badin). Brown, Stover and Wiggins are seniors, while Sabatine and Mathews are juniors.
A year ago, Brown was 2-0 with a 2.95 earned run average in three starts. Stover went 0-1 in three starts, while Wiggins was 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in two starts and five overall appearances. Sabatine was 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in his three trips to the mound, while Mathews was 2-0 with three saves and a 2.45 ERA in seven relief appearances.
Fans can follow all the Etta Express all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
