Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Results of the American Rivers Conference's Baseball Preseason Poll (as voted on by the league's head coaches):
| 2021 American Rivers Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2020 Record (season-shortened due to Covid-19, no conference play) |
| 1. |
Coe College (6) |
62 |
3-3 |
| 2. |
Buena Vista University (3) |
57 |
5-2 |
| t-3. |
Luther College |
46 |
5-4 |
| t-3. |
Wartburg College |
46 |
9-1 |
| 5. |
University of Dubuque |
33 |
4-5 |
| 6. |
Central College |
28 |
3-3 |
| 7. |
Simpson College |
24 |
3-4 |
| 8. |
Loras College |
20 |
3-7 |
| 9. |
Nebraska Wesleyan University |
8 |
6-7-1 |
After a 2020 season that was cut short abruptly by the Covid-19 global pandemic, the American Rivers Conferences coaches have picked the 2019 regular season champion, Coe College Kohawks, to win the conference in 2021. The Kohawks earned 62 points in the poll, recording six of nine first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team). Buena Vista University, who claimed the 2019 A-R-C tournament title and finished tied for second in regular season play, collected 57 points and three first-place votes to take the number-two spot in this year's preseason poll. Capsules on all nine teams can be found below.
National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)/D3baseball.com Rankings: A whole new season after a very shortened season in 2020, the Kohawks of Coe College find themselves receiving votes in the Week 1 poll from D3baseball.com heading into the 2021 season. The Kohawk's season ended with a record of 3-3 before the pandemic shut down spring sports. At this time, no rankings have been published for the 2021 season by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
New Coaches: None
.
The Schedule: The 2021 season officially kicks off in the American Rivers Conference this weekend as four A-R-C teams begin their campaigns. On Saturday, February 27 the Storm of Simpson College will travel to Jacksonville, Ill. to face Midwest Conference foe Illinois College in a double-header. Buena Vista heads to Topeka, Kan. to battle Westminster (Mo.), league member of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, in a doubleheader. Nebraska Wesleyan faces Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) member, Augustana College (Ill.), in St. Louis, Mo. at Fontbonne University to begin their season.
The Spartans of the University of Dubuque head south to start the season facing Centenary College (La.), member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), in Shreveport, Louisiana for two games on Tuesday, March 4 and Wednesday, March 5. The Loras College Duhawks start their season against Illinois College on Saturday, March 6 in Jacksonville, Ill. Luther takes the field for the first time in 2021 in Normal, Ill., where they square off against Cornell College in neutral site double-header. Coe travels to Decatur, Ill. Sunday, Marcy 7, starting their campaign with a double header against CCIW member Milliken University.
In an effort to maximize competitive opportunities for student-athletes who lost the chance to compete a season ago, the American Rivers Conference will employ a 32-game round-robin schedule instead of the typical 24-game slate. An all-comers conference tournament will take place at the conclusion of the regular season. It will be the first time all of the teams will be invited to the tournament, which usually has six participants. The American Rivers Conference Tournament champion receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III College World Series.
A-R-C play begins Thursday March 18 as Coe will travel to Pella to square off with the Dutch of Central College and Loras will make the trek to Lincoln, Neb. to face the Prairie Wolves of Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Friday, March 19 Wartburg travels to Dubuque to face the Spartans to being A-R-C play for the two teams. That same day Simpson heads to Storm Lake to battle the Beavers of Buena Vista in both teams A-R-C opener.
The Luther College Norse host their first A-R-C series on Friday, March 26 when Dubuque comes to The Valley.
Conference Tournament: The 2021 American Rivers Conference tournament will begin with an 8/9 play-in game on Tuesday, May 18. The winner of the 8/9 single game will advance to the eight team double elimination bracket, which is set to begin on Thursday, May 20 and conclude on Saturday, May 22. The winner of the double-elimination tournament will receive the Conference's automatic berth in the 2021 NCAA Division III Baseball tournament.
NCAA Division III College World Series: The American Rivers Conference and Cedar Rapids Tourism, hosts of the 2019 NCAA Division III College World Series, will serve has hosts again in 2021-2023, with the championship being played at
Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The 2021 Championships will take place Tuesday, June 3 - Wednesday, June 9. Check back to
rollrivers.com at the end of March for the tournament page and ticket information.
|
|
No.1 Coe College
Head Coach: Steve Cook - 25th season at Coe (520-451-1)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 3-3
Position Players Returning/Lost: 7/2
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 5/3
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 11/5
All-Conf. Returning: TJ Johnson (Sr., SS/P), Jordan Kaplan (Sr., 1B), Riley LeGrand (Jr., OF/P), Jack Greene (Sr., P)
All-Conf. Lost: Zach Kammin, Andrew Schmit, Kevin DeLaney, Jacob Burns, Daniel Berger, Nolan Arp
Returning Players to Watch: Jordan Kaplan (Sr., 1B), Riley LeGrand (Sr., OF/P), TJ Johnson (Sr., SS/P), TJ Deardorff (Sr., 2B/P), Jack Greene (Sr., P)
Steve Cook - "It's great to have the opportunity to play baseball again. We're looking forward to the high level of competition that everyone in the A-R-C brings every weekend. We will have some proven returning players that have been a core nucleus for us for a number of seasons as well as some new additions that we hope will be ready to contribute." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All stats from the 2019 season) |
| Jordan Kaplan (Sr., 1B) |
24-games played // 8 2B // 3 HR // 20 RBI .576 SLG% // 6-6 stolen bases |
| Riley LeGrand (Sr., OF/P) |
23-games played // .418 BA // 4 2B // 15 RBI // 9 walks |
| TJ Johnson (Sr., SS/P) |
24-games played // 25 runs // 3 3B // 19 RBI |
| TJ Deardorff (Sr., SS/P) |
7 AB // 2 HBP // .929 FLD% |
| Jack Greene (Sr., P) |
7-games started // 2.61 ERA // 48.1 IP // 51 K // .202 BAA |
|
|
No.2 Buena Vista University
Head Coach: Steve Eddie - 21th season at BVU (443-335-2)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 5-2
Position Players Returning/Lost: 7/3
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 7/3
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 15/6
All-Conf. Returning: Nick Heinrichs (Jr., P/OF)
All-Conf. Lost: Gage Smart, Bryce Rheault
Returning Players to Watch: Tyler Tennyson (Sr., P/DH), Tyler Stoltze (Jr., C), Nick Heinrichs (Jr., P/OF)
Steve Eddie - "We will field a very experienced team in 2021, losing seven quality players from a 2020 team who had the ability to have a tremendous season. But we have a nice combination of players who have improved over the summer and will get their opportunity to play in a league that will test them in every way. I would expect our team to be similar to the rest of the league as we will look to develop as many pitchers as possible in order to get through a four game series." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All statistics from 2019) |
| Tyler Tennyson (Sr., P/DH) |
9-appearances // 3.25 ERA // 36.0 IP // 22 K |
| Tyler Stoltze (Jr., C) |
23-games played // .263 ERA // 3 2B // 12 RBI // 12 walks |
| Nick Heinrichs (Jr., P/OF) |
24-games played // .272 BA // 1 HR // 16 RBI // 39.2 IP // 3.86 ERA |
|
|
Tied-No.3 Luther College
Head Coach: Bryan Nikkel - 7th season at Luther (135-94)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 5-4
Position Players Returning/Lost: 9/9
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 3/4
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 24/29
All-Conf. Returning: Luke Plunkett (Jr., C)
All-Conf. Lost: None
Returning Players to Watch: Kelby Johnson (Sr., INF), Luke Plunkett (Jr., C), Owen VanderLinden (Sr., 1B)
Bryan Nikkel - "We are excited to see if our younger players are up for the challenge of the A-R-C. We have a great mix of older players and some great young talent. The conference seems to be very balanced and every weekend should be a battle." |
| 2019 Statistics (All Games) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All Statistics from 2019) |
| Kelby Johnson (Sr., INF) |
.299 BA // 14 2B // 1 HR // 22 RBI // 16-17 stolen bases |
| Luke Plunkett (Jr., C) |
.358 BA // 13 2B // 4 HR // 34 RBI // 17 walks |
| Owen VanderLinden (Sr., 1B) |
.346 BA // 3 HR // 33 RBI // 13 walks |
|
|
Tied-No. 3 Wartburg College
Head Coach: Joel Holst - 26th season at Wartburg (722-359-4)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 9-1
Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/2
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 5/4
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 10/5
All-Conf. Returning: Dylan Gotto (Sr., LHP), JoJo McNair (Sr., OF)
All-Conf. Lost: Tyler Hovick
Returning Players to Watch: Parker Ridge (Sr., SS), Darren Kilpatrick (Sr., RHP), Ben Dekruyf (Jr., 1B), Bryce Butler (Jr., 3B), Ethan Hayes (Sr., OF), Max Goodhue (Jr., OF), Aaron Eybers (Jr., RHP), Bret Kelting (Sr., DH)
Joel Holst - “We will have a solid team with experience coming back at most positions. Very solid top of our pitching staff, but creating depth with younger arms will be the key to our season. Impossible year to preseason rank teams without any real understanding of who is returning for 5th year and not being able to see teams last year." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All Statistics from 2019) |
| Parker Ridge (Sr., SS) |
23-games played // .333 BA // 28 hits // 1 HR // 10 RBI // 10 walks |
| Darren Kilpatrick (Sr., RHP) |
7-games started // 4.78 ERA // 43.1 IP // 1 shutout // 25 K |
| Ben Dekruyf (Jr., 1B) |
7-games played // 18 AB // 1 RBI |
| Bryce Butler (Jr., 3B) |
21-games played // .254 BA // 2 2B // .343 OBP |
| Ethan Hayes (Sr., OF) |
6-games played // 13 AB |
| Max Goodhue (Jr., OF) |
11-games played // .281 BA // 3 2B // 4 RBI |
| Aaron Eybers (Jr., RHP) |
14-appearances // 3.86 ERA // 32.2 IP // 4 saves |
| Bret Kelting (Sr., DH) |
7-games played // .474 BA // 9 hits // 3 RBI |
|
|
No. 5 University of Dubuque
Head Coach: Paul Wyczawski - 9th season at Dubuque (135-156-1)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 4-5
Position Players Returning/Lost: 3/6
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 8/1
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 23/5
All-Conf. Returning: Jordan Nelson (Sr., RHP), JJ Valencia (Sr., OF)
All-Conf. Lost: N/A
Returning Players to Watch: Jordan Nelson (Sr., RHP), JJ Valencia (Sr., OF), Zach McCoy (Sr., INF), Kellen Mitchell (Jr., 1B)
Paul Wyczawski - "With a good mix of talented veterans and newcomers we are excited about the 2021 campaign in what looks to be a competitive conference race from top to bottom." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All statistics from 2019) |
| Jordan Nelson (Sr., RHP) |
6-games started // 2.66 ERA // 1 shutout // 40.2 IP // 33 K |
| JJ Valencia (Sr., OF) |
23-games played // .288 BA // 5 2B // 10 walks // 8-10 stolen bases |
| Zach McCoy (Sr., INF) |
22-games played // 4 2B // 2 HR // 9 RBI |
| Kellen Mitchell (Jr., 1B) |
20-games played // .328 BA // 2 HR // 19 walks |
|
|
No. 6 Central College
Head Coach: Matt Schirm - 7th season at Central (95-115)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 3-3
Position Players Returning/Lost: 3/6
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 4/2
Letter winners Returning/Lost: N/A
All-Conf. Returning: None
All-Conf. Lost: None
Returning Players to Watch: Marcus Wenzel (Sr., P), Ryan Riddle (Sr., P), Landon VanderLeest (Jr., P), Nathan Schwanke (Sr., P), Trevor Kimm (Sr., C), Lucas Farren (Sr., UTL), Declan O'Hare (So., 3B), Kyle Hauser (Sr., SS)
Matt Schirm - "We are counting on a deep and experienced pitching staff to carry our team. We have a talented group of position players, but many of them lack experienced and will need to settle in quickly for us to be successful. I expect the conference to be as deep as ever, with a number of teams competing for the title." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(2020 statistics indicated with *) |
| Marcus Wenzel (Sr., P) |
9-appearances // 4.30 ERA // 14.2 IP |
| Ryan Riddle (Sr., P) |
8-appearances // 4 saves // 12.0 IP // 1.50 ERA |
| Landon Vanderleest (Jr., P)* |
2-appearances // 7.0 IP // 1.29 ERA // 9 K |
| Nathan Schwanke (Sr., P) |
8-appearances // 11.1 IP // 2.38 ERA // .231 BAA |
| Trevor Kimm (Sr., C) |
19-games played // .206 BA // 3 2B // 1 HR // 11 RBI |
| Lucas Farren (Sr., UTL) |
17-games played // 2 2B // 1 3B // 6 RBI |
| Declan O'Hare (So., 3B)* |
.158 BA // 4 runs // 2 RBI |
| Kyle Hauser (Sr., SS) |
2-games played // 3 AB |
|
|
No. 7 Simpson College
Head Coach: Nathan Roling - 5th season at Simpson (31-84)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 3-4
Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/1
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 8/0
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 20/1
All-Conf. Returning: Brady Held (Jr., UTL), Kolton Arnold (Sr., 1B), Noah Sacco (Sr., OF)
All-Conf. Lost: Truman Schmitt
Returning Players to Watch: Brady Held (Jr., UTL), Kolton Arnold (Sr., 1B), Noah Sacco (Sr., OF), Brandon Urias (Sr., INF), Brady Leonard (Jr., P), Zach Hollingsworth (Jr., UTL), Luke Willis (Jr., INF), Quentin Sefrit (Sr., INF)
Nathan Roling - "Our group is looking forward to the opportunities ahead of us in 2021. We will have a number of returners in key positions and a few impact newcomers that we're excited to see fit in. Depth will likely be very important in this unique season and feel that players are stepping up to fill those spots nicely. This league should be as tough as ever and we are excited to prove ourselves in what looks to be a very competitive conference season." |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(2020 statistics indicated with *) |
| Brady Held (Jr., UTL) |
7-games started // 48.1 IP // 4.47 ERA // 1 CG |
| Kolton Arnold (Sr., 1B) |
24-games played // .327 BA // 7 2B // 1 HR |
| Noah Sacco (Sr., OF) |
12-games played // 7 runs // .243 BA // 8 walks |
| Brandon Urias (Sr., INF)* |
.375 BA // 2 2B / 1 HR // 5 RBI |
| Brady Leonard (Jr., P) |
5-games started // 24.1 IP // 5.92 ERA // 13 K |
| Zach Hollingsworth (Jr., UTL) |
24-games played // .243 BA // 3 2B // 1 3B // 1 HR |
| Luke Willis (Jr., INF) |
2-games played // 2 AB |
| Quentin Sefrit (Sr., INF)* |
.300 BA // 3 hits // 1 2B // 2 RBI |
|
|
No. 8 Loras College
Head Coach: Carl Tebon - 25th season at Loras (536-513-4)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 3-7
Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/9
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 9/4
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 0/0
All-Conf. Returning: Dylan Pardoe (Jr., 3B)
All-Conf. Lost: N/A
Returning Players to Watch: Dylan Pardoe (Jr., 3B), Luke Fennelly (Jr., SS), Owen Funke (Jr., P)
Carl Tebon - “What a difference one year of not playing will make in our league. Who lost who? Who returned who? A-R-C from top to bottom is always a battle every series. Now with four game series it will make the weekends even tougher! We have some great leadership in our program this year and I look for them to carry our team in all situations. We are looking forward to competing again in the A-R-C!" |
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(All stats from the 2019 season) |
| Dylan Pardoe (Jr., 3B) |
24-games played // .295 BA // .681 OPS // 9-10 stolen bases |
| Luke Fennelly (Jr., SS) |
24-games played // .262 BA // 11 walks // 7-7 stolen bases |
| Owen Funke (Jr., P) |
No stats |
|
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No. 9 Nebraska Wesleyan University
Head Coach: John Rypel - 2nd season at NWU (6-7-1)
2020 Conference Finish: N/A
2020 Record: 6-7-1
Position Players Returning/Lost: 9/0
Pitchers Returning/Lost: 14/0
Letter winners Returning/Lost: 27/0
All-Conf. Returning: Derek Kolbush (Sr., INF)
All-Conf. Lost: None
Returning Players to Watch: Derek Kolbush (Sr., INF), Riley Ward (Jr., INF/RHP), John Haimowitz (So., C) Kaleb Knox (So., INF), Will Schneidewind (So., OF), Mason Bennett (Sr., OF)
John Rypel- "I think I speak for all the coaches around the country when I say we are just blessed to have the opportunity to get back on the field. I am extremely excited for our players and coaches to have the ability to compete again. I love our group of young men and I think we have the pieces in place to compete at a very high level this spring. Our hitters' made some big strides in 2020 and we have seen that carry over into the Fall and now our preseason. The pitching staff has developed big time since our arrival in the Fall of 2019 and I think they are going to have a very good year for us. Let's get this thing rolling!"
|
| 2019 Statistics (Conf. Games Only) |
| Players to Watch: (Returning Players Only) |
(2020 statistics indicated with *) |
| Derek Kolbush (Sr., INF) |
23-games played // .341 BA // 3 HR // 20 RBI // .511 SLG // .995 FLD% |
| Riley Ward (Jr., INF/RHP) |
22-games played // .316 BA // 18 runs // 5 2B // 5-5 stolen bases |
| John Haimowitz (So., C)* |
.277 BA // 4 2B // 8 RBI |
| Kaleb Knox (So., INF)* |
.286 BA // 9 runs // 4 2B // 8 RBI |
| Will Schneidewind (So., OF)* |
.333 BA // 12 runs // 18 hits // 6 2B // 7 RBI |
| Mason Bennett (Sr., OF)* |
.320 BA // 2 2B // 2 3B // 1 HR // 7 RBI |
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