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14 Bethany winter and spring student-athletes earn academic all-conference awards
Tuesday, June 09, 2009 ST. PAUL – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released its winter and spring sports academic all-conference lists from the 2008-09 school year on Tuesday. The individual athletes selected must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the award:
1. Post a 3.50 or better semester grade point average based on a 4.0 scale.
2. Compete in the sport in which he or she is nominated in the season that corresponds with the selection.
Bethany Lutheran had 14 academic all-conference honorees, with three athletes from each baseball, softball, men’s tennis, and women’s basketball. Two women’s tennis players received honors.
Baseball led all winter and spring sports with 43 honorees amongst participating schools. Women’s track and field had 41 award winners, while men’s track and field came in third with 39. Softball rounded out the UMAC’s top four with 32 selections. A grand total of 254 individuals earned academic all-conference awards.
As far as team academic all-conference awards go, Martin Luther College and Northwestern College each claimed the best grade point averages (GPA) in three of the eight winter and spring sports. UMAC-sponsored sports that occur in the winter and spring and their top academic teams are listed below.
Sport, School, Team GPA
Baseball, College of St. Scholastica, 3.587
Softball, Northwestern College, 3.597
Men’s Tennis, Martin Luther College, 2.972
Women’s Tennis, Northwestern College, 3.194
Men’s Track & Field, University of Minn., Morris, 3.397
Women’s Track & Field, Martin Luther College, 2.976
Men’s Basketball, Martin Luther College, 2.646
Women’s Basketball, Northwestern College, 3.507
Bethany Lutheran College
Name, Sport, Yr
Steve Hoostal, Baseball, Jr
Michael Greibrok, Baseball, Jr
Devin Kaasa, Baseball, Sr
Abagail Popp, Softball, So
Brittany Schlomer, Softball, Jr
Susan Hegstrom, Softball, Jr
Paul Webber, Men’s Tennis, So
Mike Lukasek, Men’s Tennis, Sr
Ben Wiechmann, Men’s Tennis, Sr
Caitlyn Felthous, Women’s Tennis, Jr
Madara Matveja, Women’s Tennis, So
Eva Voss, Women’s Basketball, Sr
Molly Erdman, Women’s Basketball, Jr
Megan Lecy, Women’s Basketball, So
Bethany baseball’s Schwecke and Dorris named NCAA All-Region, both to play for the Kutztown Rockies
Friday, May 29, 2009 Melissa Young Mankato, Minn.—Bethany Lutheran junior center fielder Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) and junior left-handed pitcher Ashton Dorris (Cassville, Mo./Iowa Central) have been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) NCAA Division III All-Midwest region teams. Both Schwecke and Dorris have also signed a contract to play in the NCAA summer baseball league for the Kutztown Rockies of Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
Schwecke was named to the ABCA NCAA All-Midwest Region First Team. During the 2009 season, Schwecke led the Vikings with a .456 batting average, 68 hits, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 57 runs scored, 62 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. He also led the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in hits, RBIs, runs, and triples for which he was named UMAC Player of the Year. Schwecke, also a right-handed pitcher, posted a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched and finished with a 1-0 record on the mound, to go along with five saves.
Bethany’s ace, Dorris, was named to the ABCA NCAA All-Midwest Region Third Team. Dorris finished the 2009 season with an undefeated 8-0 record on the mound. He posted a 3.06 ERA and struck out 84 hitters in 70.2 innings. Dorris was also named UMAC Pitcher of the Year for his efforts in conference play.
Both Schwecke and Dorris are excited about the opportunity to play for the Kutztown Rockies. The team is a member of The Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL), which is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is one of eight leagues in the National Alliance of Summer Baseball. The league is well known and has experienced success having several players appear in Minor and Major League Baseball.
Baseball team posts winningest season in recent history
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Joseph Baer Mankato, Minn. – The Bethany baseball team finished the 2009 season with a 29-10 record, including a 17-3 record to place them second within the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The team also fell one win short of a UMAC postseason championship. Coach Ryan Kragh was happy with the way his team competed. “Although we didn’t complete our main goal of winning the conference,” Kragh said, “this team exceeded all expectations and is the winningest Bethany baseball team in many years, maybe ever.”
Five individuals earned All-Conference recognition, with two others making the honorable mention. Juniors Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) and Ashton Dorris (Cassville, Mo./Iowa Central) were named UMAC player and pitcher of the year respectively. Schwecke led the team with a .456 batting average, 68 hits, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 57 runs scored, 62 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. He also led the UMAC in hits, RBIs, runs, and triples. Schwecke also posted a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. He finished with a 1-0 record on the mound and saved five games. Bethany’s ace, Dorris finished the season with an undefeated 8-0 record on the mound. He posted a 3.06 ERA and struck out 84 hitters in 70.2 innings.
Other All-Conference bids went to Nick Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North), Trent Sonnickson (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area), and Wade Dollerschell (Olivia, Minn./BOLD). Michael Greibrok (Glenville, Minn./Glenville-Emmons) and Travis Fisher (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis) both received honorable mention. Sonnickson and Dollerschell both finished the season batting above .400. Johnson and Fisher led the team in home runs with five a piece and Johnson drove home 47 runs. Greibrok started 11 games for Bethany and finished the season 6-1 with a 5.04 ERA. He showed great control, striking out 40 hitters while only walking 13 in his 60.2 innings.
Looking ahead to the 2010 season, Bethany loses just three seniors and two starters. They also return their entire pitching staff. Coach Kragh has big goals for the group moving forward, “A lot of new faces came in and contributed beyond expectations this year. Next year, we have the strongest recruiting class since I started being a coach. We are going to be a fun team to watch.”
Baseball claims nine All-Conference Awards including UMAC Pitcher and Player of the Year
Friday, May 15, 2009 Greg Johnson, UMAC Sports Information Director ST. PAUL – Bethany Lutheran College, who took second place in both the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season and postseason tournament, landed five players on the all-conference first team and two more on the honorable mention list. The Vikings swept the UMAC Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, which went to Justin Schwecke and Ashton Dorris. Schwecke, the UMAC Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference member, batted .487 in 20 UMAC contests with 36 RBI and 55 total bases. The outfielder led the league in RBI while placing second in hits and runs scored.
Dorris, a junior, was named the UMAC Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection following a 5-0 UMAC record and 2.43 ERA in league affairs. Dorris pitched three complete games, striking out a UMAC-best 50 batters.
The College of St. Scholastica, who claimed the UMAC baseball regular season and tournament championships in 2009, led the league with seven UMAC All-Conference First Team members and 13 all-conference winners overall. Four Saints in Peter Burg, Sean Claugherty, Steve Gerten and Adian Kummet are return to the all-conference first team for a second straight year.
Northwestern College and Northland College each had three individuals named to the all-conference first team, while Martin Luther College and Presentation College each had one representative on the list.
Northland’s B.J. Leach was named the UMAC Rookie of the Year after posting a .432 batting average and 35 hits in 21 conference contests. The St. Scholastica coaching staff comprised of Tim Anderson, Corey Kemp, Justin Harriman, Joe Wicklund and Tom Berrisford were chosen by their UMAC colleagues for the Coach of the Year award. The Saints, who lost head coach John Baggs to cancer early in the season, won their 13th consecutive conference title this season after going 19-1 in UMAC play.
1st Team All-Conference
Name, Institution, Year, Position
Wade Dollerschell, Bethany Lutheran College, Senior, 1B
Ashton Dorris, Bethany Lutheran College, Junior, P
Nick Johnson, Bethany Lutheran College, Junior, P, IF, OF
Justin Schwecke, Bethany Lutheran College, Junior, P, OF
Trent Sonnicksen, Bethany Lutheran College, Sophomore, SS
Peter Burg, College of St. Scholastica, Senior, P
Sean Claugherty, College of St. Scholastica, Junior, 1B
Steve Gerten, College of St. Scholastica, Junior, P, 3B
Paul Kolodge, College of St. Scholastica, Junior, C
Adian Kummet, College of St. Scholastica, Senior, P
Brian Marshik, College of St. Scholastica, Sophomore, OF, 2B
Kyle Wojtysiak, College of St. Scholastica, Senior, SS
Zac Pudlo, Martin Luther College, Senior, P, 3B
Chris Steiner, Northland College, Senior, SS
Bryce Szymanski, Northland College, Junior, OF
Matt Tanneberg, Northland College, Junior, 3B
Erik Dahl, Northwestern College, Junior, C
Dan Halstensgard, Northwestern College, Junior, IF
Ryan Nelson, Northwestern College, Junior, OF
Jared Koopman, Presentation College, Senior, OF
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Name, Institution, Year, Position
Travis Fisher, Bethany Lutheran College, Freshman, P, OF
Michael Greibrok, Bethany Lutheran College, Junior, P
Jake Gaub, College of St. Scholastica, Senior, P, OF
Nick Lee, College of St. Scholastica, Senior, IF
Joe Link, College of St. Scholastica, Sophomore, OF
Brandon Peterson, College of St. Scholastica, Freshman, OF
Chad Peterson, College of St. Scholastica, Sophomore, 2B
Josh Retka, College of St. Scholastica, Sophomore, P
Greg Holzhueter, Martin Luther College, Sophomore, SS
Tyler Morgan, Martin Luther College, Sophomore, C
Jake Scott, Martin Luther College, Senior, 2B
B.J. Leach, Northland College, Freshman, P, C, IF
Tyler Sage, Northwestern College, Senior, OF
Josh Cunningham, Presentation College, Junior, C
Dan Folie, University of Minnesota-Morris, Senior, 3B
Matt Peterson, University of Minnesota-Morris, Junior, SS
Player of the Year Award - Justin Schwecke (Bethany Lutheran College)
Pitcher of the Year Award - Ashton Dorris (Bethany Lutheran College)
Rookie of the Year Award - B.J. Leach (Northland College
Coach of the Year Award - College of St. Scholastica Coaching Staff
Baseball falls to St. Scholastica in UMAC Championship game
Saturday, May 09, 2009 Melissa Young Duluth, Minn.—The Vikings came out of the gates strong in the second game of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Championship Series Friday night. After being defeated 30-4 in the first game of the evening, the Vikings looked to show what they had left. Unfortunately the Vikings came up short, allowing the Saints to claim their 13th consecutive UMAC Conference Championship.
The Vikings posted three runs in their first at-bat as the first two batters reached on a walk and error respectively, followed by a RBI single from Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop), and a sacrifice bunt from Nick Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) to load the bases. First baseman Wade Dollerschell (Olivia, Minn./BOLD) then hit a single to center to bring two across the plate.
The Saints recorded two unearned runs of their own in the bottom of the first when they loaded the bases and used a Bethany error to their advantage.
The Vikings put runners on base in the second but found themselves in trouble as Chris Porter (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) was called out in a rundown and Travis Fisher (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis) was caught stealing during the rundown and thrown out at home. With a runner on third, Zach Herd (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East) hit a RBI double to put the Vikings ahead 4-2.
The lead wouldn’t last long, as the Saints scored 10 runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead 12-4. Saints’ second baseman had a pair of doubles and recorded five RBI for the inning. Tom Juberian followed with a three-run double and Chad Peterson brought two runners home with a sacrifice fly and an infield single.
After making a come-back in the game on Thursday night, the Vikings were not about to give up. They loaded the bases in the third frame and called up Fisher, who answered the call and hit a double to left center to bring home three. Trent Sonnicksen (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) added an RBI single and advanced on a throw to bring Fisher home. Not done yet, Herd advanced after being hit by a pitch and Schwecke hit an RBI double to left field, cinching the Saints lead to 12-9.
Bethany’s Michael Griebrok (L, 5-2 ,Glenville, Minn./Glenville-Emmons) held the Saints scoreless until the sixth inning when junior Paul Kolodge hit a home run to center. The Saints only other run came in the bottom of the eighth, from a Joe Link sacrifice fly. The Vikings struggled to find their groove against Saints’ pitcher Josh Hawkins (W, 1-0) who struck out eight batters and allowed only five hits in 6.1 innings.
The Vikings finish the season at 29-10 overall and 17-3 in the UMAC, while the Saints finish as the 2009 regular season and postseason champions with a 35-5 record overall and 19-1 in the UMAC.
Baseball defeats St. Scholastica in extra innings, advances to UMAC Championship
Friday, May 08, 2009 Melissa Young Duluth, Minn.—The second seeded Bethany baseball team, met the number one seeded St. Scholastica on the Saints home field on Thursday night in the second round of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Postseason Tournament. While it looked like the Saints might pull through for the win, the Vikings never gave up and came back to win the game 10-9 in ten innings.
The Saints pulled ahead, taking an early lead, holding the Vikings scoreless until the top of the fifth when Bethany loaded up the bases following a Chris Porter (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge) sacrifice bunt. The Vikings took advantage of a passed ball and a Saints error to put two runs on the board to tie up the score.
St. Scholastica answered back when Paul Kolodge hit a two-run triple off the left center field wall and brought the score to 4-2. With an additional RBI single from Brandon Peterson and three additional runs scored by the Saints in the bottom of the sixth (8-2) it was time to hear from the Vikings once again.
The game was far from over when the Vikings perked up and scored three in the seventh to chip away at the Saints’ lead. After back-to-back walks, a bunt by Porter, and a wild pitch, the Vikings were in scoring position. Trent Sonnicksen (Blue Earth Minn./Blue Earth Area) and Zach Herd each picked up a single RBI driving two runs across. Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) followed with a RBI triple to right center to cut the Saints’ lead to 8-5.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Bethany kept at it, loading the bases early after a double by Sonnicksen, a walk and a single from Schwecke. A wild pitch followed and brought Sonnicksen home, cinching the lead to 8-6. Steve Hovland (Waseca, Minn./Mayville State Univ.) hit a single to right field and advanced on the throw to bring in two runners and tied the game at eight.
The Saints were unable to score in the bottom of the ninth despite loading the bases. They came close as it appeared there was an error off of a ground ball, but the play was ruled as runner-interference forcing the game into extra innings.
The Vikings took the lead in the top of the 10th with bases loaded and two outs after Johnson hit a single through the right side to bring in two runs, giving Bethany the 10-8 lead.
The Saints had one more opportunity to steal the show but didn’t have it in them despite loading the bases and forcing a run after a walk.
The Vikings took the 10-9 victory and will now move on to the Championship game where they will meet the winner of the elimination game (St. Scholastica # 1 vs. Northwestern # 4) at 4 p.m., on Friday, May 8.
Baseball falls to MSU in Gaylord
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 Joseph Baer Gaylord, Minn. –Both the Bethany baseball team and the Mavericks from Minnesota State, Mankato (MSU) made the short trek to play under the lights at Walsh Field on Monday night. The nine inning, non-conference match-up went the Mavericks way by the score of 11-5.
MSU jumped on Bethany starter Steve Hovland (L, 1-2, Waseca, Minn./Mayville State Univ.) early, touching him for seven runs in the first two innings with the help of some defensive miscues by the Vikings. With the early lead, starter Matt Franke (W, 1-0) gave the Mavericks three strong innings. Franke made just one mistake on the night when Wade Dollerschell (Olivia, Minn./BOLD) parked a solo shot in the second.
With MSU ahead 7-1, each team put zeros on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth. Bethany crawled back with four runs before the inning was ended by a bases loaded ground out to the pitcher that robbed Trent Sonnickson (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) of a hit. With the score now 7-5 in the seventh, Bethany worked the bases loaded again before Trent Vedders got a fortunate strike three call on a full count delivery to Andy Jorges (Corcoran, Minn./Central Lakes CC). Vedders (S, 1) then picked up the save and finished off Bethany with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
With conference tournaments taking place at the end of the week, both teams elected to give their extra arms some short stints of work on the mound. Bethany threw Hovland, Josh Gasow (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East), Ben Schroeder (Minneapolis, Minn./Dakota County CC), Adam Rajtar (Mankato, Minn./Loyola), and Ryan Lussky (La Crescent, Minn./Luther). Rajtar worked the longest by pitching 2.1 innings and Gasow’s homecoming to Gaylord went well as he pitched two scoreless innings and struck out three batters. MSU threw five different pitchers as well.
Offensively, the Mavericks were led by Danny Miller who finished the day two for four with three runs scored and five RBIs. Miller gave the Mavericks plenty of insurance when he parked a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth. Matt Kuchenbecker also had two hits and three RBIs in the game for MSU. Bethany was led by Dollerschell, who homered and reached three times in four trips to the plate. Sonnickson also reached three times, including two hits and a run scored. Jorges added a one for two game with a two run single in the sixth.
After the season ending loss, Bethany’s overall record drops to 27-8, while the Mavericks improve to 33-14. On Thursday, Bethany will participate as the second seed in the UMAC postseason tournament, held in Duluth. Their first game will be at 10 a.m. in the morning against third seeded Presentation College.
Baseball takes two of three games at Northland
Sunday, May 03, 2009 Joseph Baer Ashland, Wis. – The Bethany baseball team traveled to Northland College over the last weekend to square off in a nine inning game on Friday and a double-header on Saturday. On Friday, the Vikings dropped game one of the series to the LumberJacks, 15-5, before rebounding with wins of 4-2 and 19-6 on Saturday afternoon.
Friday, Game One (Northland 15 – Bethany 5)
In game one, Bethany jumped out to an early lead scoring in three of the first four innings to take a 5-0 lead. Michael Greibrok (Glenville, Minn./Glenville-Emmons)(ND) also looked good in the early going, striking out five batters before running into trouble in the sixth. The middle of the Northland lineup then touched him for four runs in the inning to tie the game at five.
The LumberJacks then exploded on the Bethany bullpen in the seventh, scoring ten runs to end the game early. Bethany pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone as seven Northland batters reached with base on balls in the inning. The LumberJacks also strung together five opportune hits highlighted by a three run home run from Bryce Szymanski off of Ben Schroeder (Minneapolis, Minn./Dakota county CC) (L, 5-1). It was Szymanski’s second home run of the game.
Robert Leach (W, 3-5) pitched a complete seven innings for Northland. Leach gave up four earned on eight Bethany hits, while striking out four. The Lumberjacks were led offensively by the aforementioned Szymanski, who also doubled to go with his two homers, six RBIs, and three runs scored. Northland’s shortstop and UMAC leading hitter Chris Steiner also went three for four in the game with three RBIs.
Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) and Trent Sonnickson (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) each had three hits in the game for Bethany. Sonnickson scored two runs and knocked in an RBI while Schwecke added three stolen bases to his total in the loss.
Saturday, Game Two (Bethany 4 – Northland 2)
Saturday was a better day for the Vikings as they rebounded with two wins over Northland. Ashton Dorris (Cassville, Mo./Iowa Central CC) (W, 8-0) pitched a complete seven innings of solid baseball to record his eighth win of the season. Dorris gave up six hits and two runs while striking out eight LumberJacks hitters.
The tightly played defensive game featured no errors from either side and Bethany’s offense earned every one of their four runs against Northland’s Bryce Szymanski (L, 3-5), who also went the complete seven innings. The Vikings answered a Northland run in the bottom of the second by scratching home runs in the third, fourth, and fifth to take control of the game. Steve Hovland (Waseca, Minn./Mayville State Univ.) hit the go ahead RBI double in the fourth and was hit in by Steve Hoostal (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville) in the following at bat.
Offensively, Bethany received multi-hit games from Schwecke, Hoostal, and Chris Porter (Fort Dodge, Iowa/Iowa Central CC) who all had three hits a piece. Zach Herd (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East) also got involved with a run scored, a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly for the insurance run in the fifth.
Saturday, Game Three (Bethany 19 – Northland 6)
It took two games, but the Bethany bats finally knocked around the Northland pitching staff in game three of the two day series. The Vikings notched a 10-run fifth inning and scored 19 runs on 24 hits in to pull away from the LumberJacks with a decision finale win.
Nick Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) (W, 4-1) went five for six with a double, a home run, and three RBIs to help his cause on the mound. Johnson gave up four earned in four innings before passing the ball off to Travis Fisher (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis) (S, 1), who was overpowering in a seven-strikeout, three-inning save.
Offensively, Johnson wasn’t the only one who homered as Wade Dollerschell (Olivia, Minn./BOLD) blasted a three run shot off of starter Jeremy Snow (L, 1-2) in the fifth. Dollerschell finished with three hits and four RBIs in the game. Schwecke also added another productive game at the plate, finishing with a double, a triple, and four RBIs. Sonnickson added three hits, two runs, and two stolen bases, while Fisher and Porter combined for four runs, five hits, and five RBIs in the bottom half of the order.
For Northland, Bryce Szymanski finished the game three for four with an RBI and Matt Tanneberg scored twice and doubled in two runs. Chris Steiner also got a hit in the third game to finish six for nine at the plate in the series.
With two victories in three games the Bethany baseball team improves to 27-7 (17-3 UMAC) on the season. The Vikings will enter the UMAC postseason tournament next weekend as the second seed and will square off against Presentation College at 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The entirety of the tournament will be played in Duluth, Minn. as the College of St. Scholastica hosts.
The Vikings also have one last non-conference game on the schedule for Monday, May 4 against Minnesota State University, Mankato. The game will be played under the lights in Gaylord, Minn. at 7 p.m.
2009 Baseball season preview
Wednesday, February 04, 2009 Melissa Young The Bethany Lutheran baseball team comes into the 2009 season with goals set high, one of which is that 2009 will be their year to claim the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) title. The Vikings fell just short last season with a second place finish to The College of St. Scholastica. The team finished the season with a 22-15 record, including a 12-6 record in the UMAC. “Our main goal is to be able to compete for the UMAC title, but as the coach, I just want us to grow as a team and get better and better each day we practice or play,” said head coach Ryan Kragh.
The Vikings lost seven starters from the 2008 season and will be looking to fill those gaps. Kragh looks forward to the challenge and is excited to see what the team can do during their spring trip. “We are very young, but we do have some key returners in key spots and it should be a fun year to watch the team grow, said Kragh. I am excited to see the team play in the Metrodome early in the season as well as for our spring trip to Florida.”
The Vikings will look to their incoming players from the start with the hopes of providing quality innings and quality at bats. The team will also be looking for experience from a handful of returning players. “I think we will have better leadership this season, but the biggest thing is that we won’t have that proven guy at each spot,” said Kragh. “We are going to have to work hard to find those players and plug them in where they fit. I am excited to get started.”
Pitching
Junior LHP Ashton Dorris (Cassville, Mo./Iowa Central CC) will be at the top of Bethany’s pitching rotation again this season. “He was a steady starter for us last year and proved to be a competitor in every start he was in,” Kragh said. Dorris was also named UMAC All Conference First Team last season after posting a 3-4 record with a 4.05 ERA. Joining Dorris will be Michael Greibrok (Glenville, Minn./Glenville-Emmons) and Josh Gasow (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East), both junior RHP’s who have proven themselves successful on the Bethany mound. Other returnees looking to compete for some mound time include Aaron Miller (Ft. Dodge, Iowa/Ft. Dodge) and Adam Rajtar (Mankato, Minn./Mankato Loyola), both sophomore RHP’s. Newcomers to the Bethany pitching staff this season will be freshmen LHP Dylan Peters (Alpha, Minn./Martin County West), RHP Travis Fisher (Cedar, Minn./St. Francis), and RHP Ryan Lussky (La Crescent, Minn./Luther). The team also welcomes two junior transfers, LHP Steve Hovland (Waseca, Minn./Mayville State) and RHP Ben Schroeder (Minneapolis, Minn./Dakota County CC).
Catching
Junior Steve Hoostal (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville) returns to anchor the Vikings behind the plate. He will be pushed by freshman Philip Wessberg (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) and Andy Jorges (Corcoran, Minn./Central Lakes CC), a junior transfer, and who will also be looking to fill the catching position.
Infield
The Vikings will look to returning sophomore Trent Sonnicksen (Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area) at shortstop to provide strong defense up the middle. Sonnicksen had a successful season last year, earning a UMAC All Conference Honorable Mention award as well as the UMAC Rookie of the Year award. He hit .350 on the year and scored 35 runs. Also returning this season is junior Nick Johnson (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) who will split his time between the infield and pitching (RHP). Wade Dollerschell (Olivia, Minn./BOLD) is the sole senior returning to the infield this season. The Vikings welcome freshmen Sam Stier (Austin, Minn./Pacelli), Troy Shoemaker (Minnesota Lake, Minn./Maple River) and Jeremy Bade (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) who will be competing for playing time in the infield.
Outfield
Junior Justin Schwecke (Buffalo Lake, Minn./Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) returns this season to center field after a solid 2008 season. Schwecke, who splits his time between the outfield and as a member of the Vikings pitching staff (RHP), was named UMAC All Conference First Team after leading the team in a few offensive categories. Schwecke hit five home runs and five triples and knocked in 38 RBI’s in 36 games played. The Vikings also return senior Devin Kassa (Glenville, Minn./Riverland CC), junior Chris Porter (Ft. Dodge, Iowa/Iowa Central CC) and sophomore Zach Herd (Gaylord, Minn./Sibley East). One new face in the outfield will be Taylor Krier (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul), a first-year player this season.
Bethany baseball will start their season earlier than they ever have before. The Vikings open in the Metrodome on Monday, February 9th against North Central. The double header will start at 6:30 p.m. They will also play Hamline and Carleton in the dome before traveling to Winter Haven, Fla., in early March for non-conference action over spring break. Bethany begins UMAC play at home against St. Scholastica on March 27th.
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