2016 Season Preview

The Carthage College baseball team (0-0, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), ranked No. 29 in the March 8 "D3baseball.com" poll, was scheduled to travel to Terre Haute, Ind., this weekend to play in the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Invitational.  Due to threat of rain in Southern Indiana, Carthage will stay home and entertain Benedictine University (Ill., 0-0) in a pair of games on Friday-Saturday, March 11-12 at Augie Schmidt Field in Kenosha, Wis.  The Red Men and the Eagles will play a single game on Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m., followed by another single game on Saturday, March 12 at Noon.

Benedictine (Ill.) is coached by former Carthage player and part-time assistant coach Adam Smith, who begins his first year with the Eagles after compiling a 180-52 record in five season at Concordia University (Chicago).
 
Carthage opens an 11-game spring trip to the Tucson Invitational at the Kino Sports Park in Tucson, Ariz., on March 18 with a doubleheader against Hamline University.
 
A Look Back at the 2015 Season
The completely unexpected season came to an end on May 17.  After three frustrating seasons without even qualifying for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Baseball Tournament, the Carthage College baseball team (30-15) made it all the way to the last day of the NCAA Central Region Championship before being knocked out by No. 24 Webster University (34-13), 5-1, at Waterloo Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa.  Carthage advanced to the championship round by eliminating No. 16 Wartburg College (33-14), 4-1, on May 16.
 
Carthage lost its first-round game on May 13, dropping a 4-3 heartbreaker to Webster (31-13).  In the other two first-round games, top-seeded and No. 8 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (32-12) defeated sixth-seeded Greenville College (22-20), 7-4, with third-seeded and No. 16 Wartburg (32-13) falling to fourth-seeded and No. 38 Anderson University (32-11) by a 4-3 margin. 
 
The second day of the regional on May 14 was rained out.  When play resumed on Friday, May 15, Carthage eliminated Greenville College (22-21), 10-2.  In Friday's second game, Wartburg (33-13) defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point (32-13), 4-2, with Webster (32-13) edging Anderson (32-12), 4-3, in the late game.  On Saturday, May 15, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (33-13) eliminated Anderson (32-13), 7-4, before Webster (34-13) eliminated the Pointers (33-14), 4-2.  

Carthage won the CCIW Baseball Tournament on May 10 with a 12-2 decision over Illinois Wesleyan University (27-16) at Zimmerman Stadium/Alumni Field in Naperville, Ill.  With the win, Carthage received the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.  The conference-tournament title was the 12th for the Red Men and the first since winning the 2011 tournament in Bloomington, Ill. 
 
First baseman/pitcher Jared Helmich (Sr., Lake Villa, Ill./Fox Lake-Grant Community, .354, 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 33 RBI, 4-1 pitching record, 2.21 earned run average) was named "D3baseball.com" third-team All-America.  He was also named first-team All-Central Region by both the American Baseball Coaches Association and "D3baseball.com."  Additionally, pitcher Tim Sulik (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI, 6-2, 2.76 earned run average) earned ABCA third-team all-region honors.
 
Four Carthage players were named to the 2015 All-CCIW Baseball Team.  First baseman/pitcher Jared Helmich (Sr., Lake Villa, Ill./Fox Lake-Grant Community, .354, 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 33 RBI, 4-1 pitching record, 2.21 earned run average) was named CCIW "Baseball Player of the Year" and first-team all-conference.  Helmich is Carthage's 12th "player of the year" and the first since Will Hodges in 2011.  Shortstop Drew Bailey (graduated-senior, Schaumburg, Ill., .309, 14 doubles, 4 home runs, 39 RBI), outfielder Graham Wick (Sr., injured and will miss the entire 2016 season, Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest Academy, .337, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 22 RBI) and pitcher Tim Sulik (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI, 6-2, 2.76 earned run average) were named second-team All-CCIW.
 
2016 Season Preview
Carthage head coach Augie Schmidt IV (848-378-5, 28 years, a .691 career winning percentage) returns six starting players, three of his top-four starting pitchers and 23-of-32 letterwinners from last year's regional-finalist team. 
 
Jared Helmich and Reed Hero (Jr., Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North, 335, 10 doubles, 4 home runs, 30 RBI) will share time at first base.  Matt Rave (Jr., Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic, .321, 12 doubles, 3 home runs, 27 RBI) returns at second base and Zach Wade (Jr., Kenosha, Wis./Tremper, .359, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, 17 RBI) at third base, with transfer Jordan Wiegold (Sr., Mundelein, Ill., injured in 2015) taking over shortstop duties from graduated-senior Drew Bailey.  Nick Pierce (So., Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Wisconsin-Parkside transfer A.J. Kaprelian (Jr., Racine, Wis./St. Catherine's) will share catching duties.
 
In the outfield, Jared Knoespel (Jr., Rockton, Ill./Hononegah, .345, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 16 RBI, 4 stolen bases) is penciled in for left and Oakton Community College transfer Drew Korosic (Jr., Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) in center.  Second-team All-CCIW pick Graham Wick was slated for rightfield duties but will miss the entire season with a knee injury.  Instead, College of Lake County transfer Alex Letto (Jr., Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) will battle returnees Luke DiMaso (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Elk Grove, .283 in 46 at bats) and Anthony Fortunato (Jr., Palatine, Ill., .254, 4 doubles, 4 stolen bases) and for playing time in rightfield.
 
Two-way player and "D3Baseball.com" pre-season All-American Jared Helmich anchors the starting pitching rotation, followed by third-team all-region pick Tim Sulik (Jr., Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI), Luke Mentkowski (Sr., Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall, 3-0, 4 saves, 0.00 ERA over 16.0 innings), transfer Chris DeRue (Jr., Lake Villa, Ill./Lakes Community) and Brandon Hrdlicka (Sr., Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township, 4-3, 3.57 ERA)
 
Top bullpen candidates include Kyle Cibrario (Sr., Libertyville, Ill., 2-1, 1 save), C.J. Casey (So., Hickory Hills, Ill./Palos Hills-Stagg, 2-0. 1 save, 4.20 ERA), Joe Nelson (So., La Grange, Ill./Nazareth Academy, 0-1, 4.32 ERA), Chris Pedrak (So., Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove-South, 1-2, 4 saves, 3.90 ERA) and Dalton Sjong (Sr., Paddock Lake, Wis./Salem-Westosha Central, 2-2, 4.30 ERA).