The MVC has two very good teams this year in Dallas Baptist and Missouri State that could both earn at-large bids. If neither of them wins the MVC Tournament this is a chance this conference could get three teams into the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Bradley (2017 Record: 20-31, 6-14)
Other than a win over Iowa last year, there wasn’t much to get excited about. And then they went 0-2 in the MVC Tournament to end their season.
Lineup:
Luke Mangieri should be back at first base after hitting .300 last year with 13 doubles, 2 home runs and 35 RBI. DH Derek Bangert hit .278 a year ago with 6 doubles, 14 home runs and 42 RBI. Outfielder Jean-Francois Garon should also be back in the lineup after hitting .246 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI last year. Infielder Brendan Dougherty led the team with a .305 average last year in 167 at-bats with 33 runs scored. Shortstop Luke Shadid hit .286 a year ago with 36 runs scored, 4 home runs and 27 RBI. This lineup should be very solid with almost everyone coming back.
Pitching:
Cole Cook should return in the rotation after posting a 4.77 ERA last year in 77.1 innings pitched with 38 strikeouts and 8 wins. Ben Olson had a 6.57 ERA in 37 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts last year.
2018 Outlook:
The offense should be very good for Bradley in 2017, but they lost some significant innings from the pitching staff. They’ll need some inexperienced arms to step up if they are going to compete in the MVC.
Dallas Baptist (42-21, 15-6)
It was a good year for DBU as they won over 40 games and breezed through the MVC Tournament on their way to another championship. In the Fort Worth Regional they advanced to the finals, but lost to TCU.
Lineup:
Outfielder Jameson Hannah should lead the lineup in 2018 after hitting .328 last year with 69 runs scored, 19 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs, 38 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Catcher Garrett Wolforth hit .289 a year ago with 38 runs scored, 13 doubles, 7 home runs and 27 RBI. Matt Duce will also see time at catcher after hitting .333 last year with 44 runs scored, 18 doubles, 9 home runs and 55 RBI. Outfielder Devin Granberg hit .359 in 2017 in 181 at-bats with 46 runs scored, 12 doubles, 7 home runs, and 47 RBI. First baseman Kody Funderburk is a transfer that could have an immediate impact on the lineup.
Pitching:
Jordan Martinson should be back to lead the weekend rotation after posting a 4.78 ERA last year in 81 innings pitched with 76 strikeouts. Ray Gaither started 14 games last year and had a 5.11 ERA in 75.2 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts. M.D. Johnson had a 4.43 EA in 69 innings pitched last year with 57 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
With the majority of their starters coming back in the lineup and in the weekend rotation, this team has a chance to be special in 2018.
Evansville (2017 Record: 18-39, 8-12)
Evansville had a bad start to the season winning just one of their first eight games, and things didn’t get much better. They did win a game in the MVC Tournament, but that was all.
Lineup:
Outfielder Kenton Crews is back after hitting .256 last year with 29 runs scored, 13 doubles, 5 home runs, 23 RBI and 15 stolen bases. Travis Tokarek should be back at catcher after hitting .266 a year ago with 31 runs scored, 13 doubles, 8 home runs and 36 RBI. First baseman Andrew Tanous led the team with a .303 average last year to go along with 32 runs scored, 18 doubles, 4 home runs and 31 RBI.
Pitching:
Despite only pitching 4.2 innings last year, Adam Lukas is expected to have a big impact on the pitching staff in 2018. There is not much else coming back in the pitching staff for 2018, so some newcomers will have to step in and fill that void.
Newcomers that Head Coach Wes Carroll said could have an immediate impact include: Evan Aders, Jace Burke, Cooper Trinkle, Tanner Craig and Sam Troyer.
2018 Outlook:
Coach Carroll said he hopes to see his team improve in the bullpen this year, as well as in their overall team fielding percentage.
Illinois State (2017 Record: 16-40, 2-18)
It was a highly disappointing regular season for Illinois State as they won just two conference games. But they got on a roll in the MVC Tournament and worked their way all the way to the championship game where they lost to Dallas Baptist, ending their magical run.
Lineup:
Shortstop Owen Miller returns after leading the team in average (.325), runs scored (36), home runs (6) and RBI (48). Outfielder Noah Sadler was second on the team with a .281 average to go along with 30 runs scored, 5 home runs and 31 RBI. Collin Braithwaite also hit 6 home runs last year, while hitting .239 with 32 runs scored and 36 RBI.
Pitching:
Brady Huffman should return to the weekend rotation after posting a 4.20 ERA last year in 64.1 innings pitched with 52 strikeouts. Brent Headrick should also be in the starting rotation after finishing second on the team last year with a 3.79 ERA in 38 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts. Head Coach Bo Durkac said transfer Kyle Pauly should have an immediate impact on the pitching staff.
2018 Outlook:
For most of the 2017 season Illinois State struggling in the hitting and pitching departments. They have some solid pieces coming back on both sides, but just need to continue to improve.
Indiana State (2017 Record: 29-26, 12-9)
It was a decent 2017 season for Indiana State with wins over Washington, Indiana and Purdue. They went 12-9 in conference play and then went 2-2 in the MVC Tournament, but that’s where their season ended.
Lineup:
Shortstop Clay Dungan is back after hitting .275 last year with 34 runs scored, 14 doubles, 9 home runs and 42 RBI. First baseman and DH Dane Giesler should also return to the middle of the order after hitting .291 last year with 41 runs scored, 7 doubles, 17 home runs and 49 RBI. Even though those two huge bats will be back in the lineup, they lose a lot of key hitters from last year’s team. Jarrod Watkins is an infielder that could hit at the top of the lineup. Junior college transfer Roberto Enriquez is an outfielder that has a big bat. Jake Means is another newcomer that could get some playing time at third base.
Pitching:
Tyler Ward should be a weekend starter after posting a 4.16 ERA last year in 84.1 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts. Ethan Larrison was great out of the bullpen last year with a 3.13 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts. Assistant Coach Jordan Tiegs said he should be the team’s closer this year. Sophomore Tristan Weaver is a left-handed pitcher that should have a chance to start on the weekend this year.
2018 Outlook:
There will be a lot missing from this lineup from last year, but there are some pieces to build around. Those pieces will need to fill in quick for this team to get back to the top of the conference.
Missouri State (2017 Record: 43-20, 18-1)
The Bears had another outstanding season losing just one conference game and finishing with over 40 wins. They lost in the semi-finals of the MVC Tournament, but were still invited to the Fayetteville Regional where they won 3-of-4 games (two over Arkansas and one against Oklahoma State) to advance to the Fort Worth Super Regionals. Their season ended there to the Horned Frogs as they lost two in a row.
Lineup:
Shortstop Jeremy Eierman is back after hitting .313 last year with 67 runs scored, 15 doubles, 23 home runs, 68 RBI and 17 stolen bases. There is a good chance Eierman could be taken in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft as he’s one of the top college bats in the country. Outfielder Hunter Steinmetz should also be back in the middle of the lineup after hitting .300 a year ago with 60 runs scored, 11 doubles, 7 home runs, 42 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Other returning players that expected to have an impact on the lineup include: Jack Duffy (RF), Drew Millas (C), John Privitera (2B) and Logan Geha (C/UTIL). Junior college outfielder Brooks Zimmerman should have an immediate impact on the lineup, as well as freshman Jordan Fitzpatrick and Sam Faith.
Pitching:
Jake Fromson was spectacular in a long relief role last year throwing 76 innings all out of the bullpen with a team-high 2.25 ERA and 88 strikeouts. Dylan Coleman should return to the weekend rotation after posting a 4.80 ERA in 99.1 innings pitched with a team-high 106 strikeouts. Other returning players who are expected to have an impact on the pitching staff include: Austin Knight, Alex Moore, Tyler McAllister, and Nate Witherspoon. Knight had a 3.97 ERA in 59 innings pitched last year with 41 strikeouts, while Witherspoon had a 4.29 ERA in 42 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts. Logan Wiley is a transfer that should help in the rotation immediately, while junior college transfer Davis Schwab should help in the bullpen. Freshman pitchers Ty Buckner, Matt Russell and Connor Sechler should have a chance to contribute immediately.
2018 Outlook:
This should be another big year for Missouri State. And while they lost a lot of key contributors from the lineup and in the starting rotation, there are enough pieces coming back to earn another at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Southern Illinois (2017 Record: 27-30, 10-10)
The Sallukis had a pretty decent 2017 season, but didn’t have much luck in the MVC Tournament as they went two-and-out to end their season abruptly.
Lineup:
First baseman Logan Blackfan holds the school record for career doubles with 54 and should be a big part of the lineup in 2018. Middle infielder Connor Kopach returns to the lineup after hitting .272 last year with 44 runs scored, 14 doubles, 4 home runs, 34 RBI and 33 stolen bases. Three junior college transfers are expected to have an immediate impact on the lineup – Kenton Crawford (OF), Alex Lyon (OF/INF) and Nikola Vasic (INF). Vasic hit .430 at McHenry Country College last year.
Pitching:
Michael Baird is expected to be the Friday night starter after posting a 4.56 ERA in 79 innings pitched last year with 51 strikeouts. Ryan Netemeyer was the team’s closer last year and didn’t give up a run in March or April. He finished the year with a 3.48 ERA in 31 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts. Junior college transfer Mason Hiser is expected to be a weekend starter.
2018 Outlook:
Head Coach Ken Henderson said he would like to see the team throw more strikes, and improve their on-base-percentage so they can exploit their speed after stealing 100 bases in 2017.
Valparaiso (2017 Record: 24-29, 13-15)
It was a subpar season for Valpo in 2017 managing to stay around .500, but they went one-and-out in the Horizon League Tournament. Now they move into the MVC this season.
Lineup:
Third baseman Sam Shaikin led the team with a .317 average last year to go along with 36 runs scored, 13 doubles, 4 home runs and 29 RBI. Outfielder Giovanni Garbella is also back after hitting .302 a year ago with 25 runs scored, 5 home runs and 32 RBI. Scott Kapers and Chad Jacob are both back in the lineup with plenty of experience.
Pitching:
Easton Rhodehouse and Jon Tieman were both solid mostly out of the bullpen last year. Rhodehouse had a 2.43 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts and 3 saves. Tieman had a 2.93 ERA in 46 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts and 7 saves. He made four starts last season so it’s possible he moves into the weekend rotation.
2018 Outlook:
This team will be making a big jump into the OVC from the Horizon League in 2018. While they have some very good players coming back, they’ll also have to replace some key contributors from last year. This should be an interesting year to see how Valpo transitions into the MVC.
2018 All-Missouri Valley Preseason Team:
C: Matt Duce (Dallas Baptist)
1B: Dane Giesler (Indiana State)
2B: Connor Kopach (Southern Illinois)
SS: Jeremy Eierman (Missouri State)
3B: Sam Shaikin (Valpo)
OF: Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist)
OF: Devin Granberg (Dallas Baptist)
OF: Hunter Steinmetz (Missouri State)
DH: Derek Bangert (Bradley)
SP: Jordan Martinson (Dallas Baptist)
SP: Tyler Ward (Indiana State)
SP: Dylan Coleman (Missouri State)
RP: Ryan Netemeyer (Southern Illinois)
RP: Jake Fromson (Missouri State)
RP: Easton Rhodehouse (Valpo)
Honorable Mention:
C: Travis Tokarek (Evansville)
1B: Andrew Tanous (Evansville)
SS: Owen Miller (Illinois State)
SS: Clay Dungan (Indiana State)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- Dallas Baptist
- Missouri State
- Indiana St.
- Southern Illinois
- Bradley
- Illinois State
- Evansville
- Valpo
