• About
  • Advertising
  • History
  • Staff
  • Contact

The Andersonian

The Anderson University Student Newspaper

Anderson University’s Student Newspaper

  • Campus News
  • Audio
  • Features
  • Arts & Culture
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
  • COVID-19
You are here: Home / Sports / Ravens set to begin HCAC play on high note

Ravens set to begin HCAC play on high note

March 28, 2018 by Alec Brown

Sitting at 11-10 and with conference play set to begin, the baseball team has a great deal of potential to rack up accomplishments this season.

“We have played the competition that will prepare us for conference games,” explained Coach Matt Bair. “The Florida trip gave us a sense of understanding that we can compete at the highest level. We are definitely trending in the right direction.”

A difficult non-conference schedule and a 10-game stand in the RussMatt Central Florida Central Invitational coupled with a heavy focus on fundamentals has the team sitting with high                aspirations.

The focus on fundamentals has paid off.

Anderson has three players hitting over .400: Branton Sanders, Nick Butcher and Brooks Bireley.

Butcher currently leads all of Division III in doubles with 13 and has already been named HCAC Hitter of the Week for his performance in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.

Sanders has been limited to 13 games due to injury but has still managed to drive in 19 runs.

Adam Paschal sits just behind those three with a .390 batting average, but carries a team high .513 on-base percentage.

“Instead of trying to take a nine-inning game as a whole,” said Coach Bair, “we want to win every pitch and every inning. That will create a focus that eventually at the end of a game will bring us out on top.”

Of the 41 players on the roster, 31 are freshmen and sophomores. The youth hasn’t affected the team negatively in any way. Bair explained that each player, regardless of class, is going out and playing the role they are being asked to play.

Upperclassmen like Butcher and Sanders anchor the lineup, but many of the younger players have been huge in both the bullpen and rotation.

In addition to 15 appearances in the field, Nick Jones has thrown six times for Anderson, posting a 4-0 record and a 0.00 earned run average in 13.2 innings of work.

All throughout the lineup, some freshmen and sophomores that have been key contributors. Paschal has hit in the three-hole while playing multiple defensive positions.

Jonathan Willoughby holds a .333 batting average and has driven in 14 from the cleanup spot while playing virtually error-free baseball at third base.

Joe Moran and Andrew Rolfsen are both sophomores posting sub-three earned run averages and have also contributed defensively and at the plate.

With such solid performances being posted from both experienced and inexperienced Ravens alike, there are high hopes for this conference season.

The Ravens wil travel to Indianapolis tonight for a date with NCAA Division I Butler in a game that was pushed back a day due to weather. They will kick off HCAC play this weekend with two games at Don Brandon Field against Defiance.

“We have two pieces of the puzzle to be a conference champion,” said Coach Bair. “We have skilled players and we have a great culture. Now the third piece is to go out and execute.”

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Sports

Watch

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Gillian Lintz interviews Dr. Sarah Neal about the current status of COVID-19 on campus and discusses the Boze Lyric Theatre’s upcoming play, “The Drowning Girls.” Mason Fridley provides updates on men’s baseball and men’s tennis standings.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Video

Listen

Sky Cramer

In this audio story, Zac Tallent speaks with junior cinema and media arts major Sky Cramer about his passion for film and photography and making the most of his time at AU.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

“Anything Goes” Encore this Saturday, April 23

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Fall Into Dance

Claire Mountcastle speaks with dancers Hannah Frick and Leah Pitman about the upcoming student-choreographed performance, Fall Into Dance.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

The Conspiracy

Claire Mountcastle speaks with senior Melanie Marchena and director of orientation and first-year experience Nii Abrahams about The Conspiracy, a newly-formed community of students created to support AU athletics.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

More Audio

Follow

andersonian Andersonian @andersonian ·
5 Apr

Check out the latest episode:
https://andersonian.com/2022/04/05/andersonian-2022-04-04/

Reply on Twitter 1511404967436988434 Retweet on Twitter 1511404967436988434 1 Like on Twitter 1511404967436988434 1 Twitter 1511404967436988434
andersonian Andersonian @andersonian ·
27 Mar

Student-created Instagram accounts cause controversy on campus.

Read more:

https://andersonian.com/2022/03/27/instagram-accounts-polarize-students%EF%BF%BC/

Reply on Twitter 1508168748573806602 Retweet on Twitter 1508168748573806602 Like on Twitter 1508168748573806602 1 Twitter 1508168748573806602
andersonian Andersonian @andersonian ·
23 Mar

Check out the latest episode!

https://andersonian.com/2022/03/23/andersonian-2022-03-21/

Reply on Twitter 1506671676725022726 Retweet on Twitter 1506671676725022726 1 Like on Twitter 1506671676725022726 1 Twitter 1506671676725022726
Load More

The Andersonian, the student newspaper of Anderson University, Anderson, Ind., publishes a print edition and maintains this website. As a matter of institutional policy, the University administration does not review or edit Andersonian content prior to publication. The student editors are responsible for both print and online content. While the administration recognizes the role of the student press on a college campus and in journalism education, the views expressed in the Andersonian are not necessarily those of Anderson University.

© Andersonian 2017, All rights reserved · Site by Mere