Grace Baseball Preview: Lancers Ready To Hit The Diamond
February 6, 2023 at 11:11 p.m.
Grace Baseball Preview: Lancers Ready To Hit The Diamond
By Grace College Sports Information-
Starting his fifth season leading the Lancers baseball program, Grace head coach Ryan Roth is excited about the makeup of this year’s team.
"This is the most athletic team in my tenure,” Roth said. “Our roster features speed, power bats, quality defenders and impactful arms.”
The Lancers will see a key group of returners back this season; the team will rely on their veteran leadership to guide a large incoming class of freshman and transfer students.
“Each phase of our game will need to be productive in order for us to reach our potential as a team,” added Roth. “That productivity begins on the mound with throwing a lot of strikes and challenging hitters. Our offense will need to be dynamic in our pursuit of run production, and our defense will need to be consistent.”
Evan Etchison returns to headline the starting rotation as the No. 1 starter on the mound after receiving second-team all-league honors in 2022. He showed his dominance, striking out 91 hitters over 60.2 innings; he set a single-game record with 16 strikeouts against Bethel last season.
Hunter Schumacher will hold down the closer role again this season after earning second-team all-league honors a season ago. He compiled 35 strikeouts over 23 innings pitched. He converted three save opportunities to go along with a 3-0 record.
Patrick Danforth, coming off a record-setting season, brings offensive firepower to the lineup. His 63 hits in 2022 set a program record for most hits in a season. He led the team in five offensive categories while producing a .333/.395/.460 slash line to go along with 17 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs.
Sam Newkirk returns for a fifth season, serving as a reliable backstop for Grace during his career while also spending time in the outfield last season. With over 500 career plate appearances, he brings experience to the lineup. He belted out 35 hits, driving in 25 runs in 2022.
Jeff Pawlik had a breakout year last season, improving his batting average over 100 points to land at .308 for the year. He led the team in two categories with 14 doubles and 39 runs scored.
Austin Carr brings versatility to the Lancer lineup, serving time at multiple infield positions. He also brings production at the plate, leading the team with 40 RBIs while reaching base safely 71 times last season.
“We have added talent and depth to every position around the diamond with our incoming players ,” said Roth. “Transfers Maximo de Leon and Grant Hartley will look to make an immediate impact in the lineup, having proven to be great fits for our program.”
“This team is fun to coach,” added Roth. “We have a tight-knit group that has gelled together over the course of the year.”
The Lancers start the season on the road with ten games before their home opener in late February. Grace will kick off the year on Friday Feb. 10, as they play Trinity International in Alabama at 1 pm.
Starting his fifth season leading the Lancers baseball program, Grace head coach Ryan Roth is excited about the makeup of this year’s team.
"This is the most athletic team in my tenure,” Roth said. “Our roster features speed, power bats, quality defenders and impactful arms.”
The Lancers will see a key group of returners back this season; the team will rely on their veteran leadership to guide a large incoming class of freshman and transfer students.
“Each phase of our game will need to be productive in order for us to reach our potential as a team,” added Roth. “That productivity begins on the mound with throwing a lot of strikes and challenging hitters. Our offense will need to be dynamic in our pursuit of run production, and our defense will need to be consistent.”
Evan Etchison returns to headline the starting rotation as the No. 1 starter on the mound after receiving second-team all-league honors in 2022. He showed his dominance, striking out 91 hitters over 60.2 innings; he set a single-game record with 16 strikeouts against Bethel last season.
Hunter Schumacher will hold down the closer role again this season after earning second-team all-league honors a season ago. He compiled 35 strikeouts over 23 innings pitched. He converted three save opportunities to go along with a 3-0 record.
Patrick Danforth, coming off a record-setting season, brings offensive firepower to the lineup. His 63 hits in 2022 set a program record for most hits in a season. He led the team in five offensive categories while producing a .333/.395/.460 slash line to go along with 17 extra-base hits and 22 RBIs.
Sam Newkirk returns for a fifth season, serving as a reliable backstop for Grace during his career while also spending time in the outfield last season. With over 500 career plate appearances, he brings experience to the lineup. He belted out 35 hits, driving in 25 runs in 2022.
Jeff Pawlik had a breakout year last season, improving his batting average over 100 points to land at .308 for the year. He led the team in two categories with 14 doubles and 39 runs scored.
Austin Carr brings versatility to the Lancer lineup, serving time at multiple infield positions. He also brings production at the plate, leading the team with 40 RBIs while reaching base safely 71 times last season.
“We have added talent and depth to every position around the diamond with our incoming players ,” said Roth. “Transfers Maximo de Leon and Grant Hartley will look to make an immediate impact in the lineup, having proven to be great fits for our program.”
“This team is fun to coach,” added Roth. “We have a tight-knit group that has gelled together over the course of the year.”
The Lancers start the season on the road with ten games before their home opener in late February. Grace will kick off the year on Friday Feb. 10, as they play Trinity International in Alabama at 1 pm.
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