2012 Olivet College Baseball Preview

The Olivet College baseball team is ready to get the 2012 season started. As a matter of fact, the players turned their focus on this season as soon as the 2011 season was over. The Comets finished last season with a disappointing 11-28 overall record, including an 8-20 record against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) opponents.

CATCHERS: Senior captain Austin Clark (Ossineke/Alpena) is back for his final season in a Comet uniform. He has seen action in 86 career games, posting a .247 batting average. Clark has also done a solid job defensively with only six errors in 333 chances for a .982 fielding percentage. Look for freshman Peter Panos (Davison) to also get some playing time behind the plate.

INFIELD: Two starters, senior captain Tyler Olinske (Negaunee) at third base and junior Randy Young (Wixom/Walled Lake Western), at shortstop, return to the left side of the infield. Olinske has played in 90 career games at Olivet. Last year, he started 32 games at third. Young has started 68-of-72 games during his career at short.

The right side of the infield will feature newcomers. Freshman Tom Kort (New Hudson/South Lyon) is expected to get the start at second but is being challenged by fellow first-year players Conner Magro (Bridgman) and Drew Thompson (Canton/Plymouth). Freshman Joey Myers (Holt) is penciled in to start at first base and junior Andrew Brawley (Niles), a transfer from Lake Michigan College, is also going to get an opportunity to play there.

OUTFIELD: Sophomores Andrew Engle (Greenville) and Jonny Zawacki (Alpena) are battling for the starting job in leftfield. Zawacki made 16 starts last year. Sophomore Joel Peters (Auburn Hills/Avondale) is the opening day starter in centerfield, but also look for freshman Aaron Krieger (South Haven) to make starts or come in as a replacement. Right field is a similar scenario, with a returning player, junior Justin Pitt (Imlay City) the favorite to start and a new player to the program, Brawley, to also get some chances to also play.

PITCHERS: During preseason camp, Olivet was able to settle on a four-man pitching rotation. Junior captain Jay Magro (Bridgman) gets the nod at the No. 1 spot. He has thrown exactly 100 innings over his first two seasons, with 18 starts in 20 appearances. After a rough freshman season, Magro had three wins last year with a 3.88 ERA. Senior Sean Alexander (Fenton) enters his final season with nine wins to go along with a 4.13 ERA in 150 and one-third innings. He has also struck out 114 batters and opponents are hitting .274 against him.

Junior Kyle Fisher (Vermontville/Maple Valley) is the No. 3 pitcher. He comes to Olivet after playing two seasons of baseball at nearby Kellogg Community College. The fourth starter is sophomore Jake Ball (Cadillac). He came out of the bullpen for his first seven appearances before starting his final three games in 2010. Ball won his final start against Trine (Ind.) University.

There is a mix of new players and returning players who are going to get a chance to pitch in relief or close games. Returning pitchers include Peters, Pitt and senior Nick McCleary (Battle Creek/Harper Creek). Brawley and freshman David Hernandez (Lansing/Everett) are also going to be in the mix to see time on the mound.

HEAD COACH TED MAHAN: "I am really looking forward to seeing how we play this season. We have nine freshmen and they are probably the most talented group in my six years at Olivet."

SCHEDULE: The Comets open their season March 11-19 in Fort Myers, Fla., at the Gene Cusic Classic. While there, Olivet will play eight games against eight different schools. Once the Comets return, they will immediately turn their focus to MIAA play with a four-game series March 24-25 against Alma College. Overall, Olivet will play four games against each MIAA school. For the first time in league history, the top four teams in the regular season will participate in an MIAA Tournament.