BISMARCK, N.D. – After practicing under fluorescent lights for six weeks, the University of Mary baseball team experiences sunlight for the first time in 2015 when the Marauders open the regular season on February 20-21 at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.
The biggest change for Marauders might not be adjusting to the lighting but the number of new players taking the field every day. U-Mary graduated nine seniors from last spring and return just three players who received consistent at-bats.
Mason Schiff is the Marauders most experienced returning player. After seeing limited action as a freshman, the native of Dickinson, N.D., played primarily third base last season. He started 37 games, hitting .192 with 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Schiff is taking over shortstop for U-Mary this season.
A pair of sophomores will man two of the outfield spots.
Andrew Beyer is the Marauders top returning hitter, posting a .270 batting average with a .377 on base percentage. He scored 21 runs, knocked in 20 and stole 11 bases in 47 starts. Trent Hove hit .266 in 34 games, recording a .344 on base percentage and scoring 11 runs.
The other position players are in their first season competing on the field for the Marauders.
The primary catcher for the Marauders is
Sean Hennen, a junior who comes to U-Mary from Ellsworth Community College. Hennen may also see time at designated hitter, opening some time behind the dish for freshman
Tom Imholte.
Two redshirt freshmen, twins Ethan and Seth Meade, will rotate through second. The Wahpeton, N.D., natives did not see any game action at U-Mary last season.
Three freshmen and a sophomore handle the infield corners for the Marauders.
Drew Feuerbach and Will Pettner will platoon at third. Feurbach is a sophomore transfer from Southwestern Community College. Pettner is a lefty-swinging freshman from Hamilton, Ontario. At first are freshmen
Brett Doepker of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and
Austin Ell of Delta, British Columbia. Doepker swings righty and Ell from the port side.
Redshirt freshman
Clay Bassingthwaite is one of several players expected to see time at designated hitter.
One more newcomer, junior
Cory Dixon, will take over the Marauders third outfielder. He transferred to U-Mary from Ridgewater Community College.
The pitching staff is much more recognizable. Senior lefthander
Michael Vollrath anchors the starting staff in his fourth season in the rotation. He started a team-high 10 times and threw 61 innings, second most on the team.
After missing last season due to injury, junior lefty
McKeon Meyhoff returns to the rotation. As a sophomore in 2013, he posted a 4.21 ERA and had two complete games in eight starts.
Sophomore
Nicholas Stobbe tied Vollrath for starting assignments in 2014. He threw 53 innings and struck out 32.
The lone newcomer to the rotation is freshman
Jake Johnson of Cambridge, Minn.
Two key members of the bullpen are also familiar.
Travis Famias has five career saves and the senior lefty led the squad with 23 appearances in 2014. After splitting time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, junior
Zach Steckler moves into a relief role. He paced the Marauders in strikeouts last year.
The Marauders do not have an easy schedule to start the season. Just like last year, U-Mary opens at St. Mary's University. The Rattlers finished 35-20 in 2014, including an 18-12 mark in league play to finish 4
th in the Heartland. St. Mary's has made the NCAA tournament as recently as 2013.
Currently the Rattlers are 4-4 this season and are ranked in regional polls. They are 1-1 against nationally ranked teams and own an 11-3 win over Winona State University, a member of the Northern Sun.
The opening doubleheader between the Marauders and the Rattlers is set for 2 p.m. on Friday, February 20, at Dickson Field. A second twin bill is scheduled for Saturday, February 21, at 1 p.m.
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