COLUMBUS, Ohio – The preseason has concluded with the 2024 season set to begin for the Ohio Dominican Panthers baseball team this weekend.
After a season opening series in Ohio last season, the Panthers will be starting the 2024 campaign in Wise, Virginia against the Cavaliers of the University of Virginia's College at Wise. Following an adjusted schedule for weather earlier this week, the Panthers and Cavaliers will open the weekend on Sunday (Feb. 18) with a doubleheader of seven-inning games beginning at 1:00 PM with the final two games coming on Monday (Feb. 19) at 12:00 PM. Monday will also see seven innings in both ends of the doubleheader.
THE FIRST PITCH
- In the 2023 season, Ohio Dominican managed a .500 record in both overall and conference games. The Panthers were 27-27 overall and 16-16 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
- The Panthers made a run from the seven seed in the G-MAC Tournament to make it to the final day of the tournament as finished as the runner-up to the champion Northwood in a pair of 9-3 games on Championship Saturday.
- Christopher Antonides has a career record of 173-140 (.553) in his eighth season at the helm of the Panthers.
- Overall, 22 players are returning from the 2023 team. 15 position players and eight pitchers are back with two of the position players serving as two-way players.
- Five transfers join the team and ten new freshman will make up the 2024 roster of 38 players.
- Of the 15 returners on offense, this includes four of the top six in the categories of hits, batting average, and home runs.
- The reigning G-MAC Player of the Year and three-time All-Region honoree Jack Mathey (Copley, Ohio) comes off of a season with a team-high .401 batting average, 54 runs, 17 doubles, 14 home runs, 48 RBI and 14 hit by pitches.
- First baseman Lane Marshall (Wooster, Ohio) was a Second Team All-Conference member with a .366 average, 75 hits, 13 doubles, six triples and 47 RBI.
- Jordan Daniels (Blacklick, Ohio) was tied for fourth on the Panthers with a .311 average while notching 56 hits, 31 walks and 26 steals.
- Brennen Hunt (Ashland, Ohio) hit .288 at shortstop with 21 stolen bases and 12 doubles.
- As a team, the Panthers ranked within the top five in the G-MAC for stolen bases (1st -108), home runs (3rd - 53), walks (5th - 210) and batting average (5th - .290).
- For pitching, Ohio Dominican will have three starters back for the 2024 season. Three of the top five hurlers in terms of innings pitched from the staff will suit up for the 2024 season
- Michael Lesiecki (Uhrichsville, Ohio) is returning after 65.2 innings pitched over 14 appearances (12 starts). Max Whitesell (Dayton, Ohio) made 11 starts (15 appearances) for 55 innings with 55 strikeouts.
- Derek Bolander (Oregon, Ohio) got 47 strikeouts in 46.2 innings over 12 appearances and nine starts.
- Last year's pitching staff notched the fifth most strikeouts in the G-MAC (373).
- Ohio Dominican was voted fourth in the G-MAC behind Ashland, Northwood and Trevecca Nazarene as the G-MAC is all competing as a group with no divisional model this season. The top eight seeds will qualify for the 2024 Great Midwest Baseball Tournament at Prasco Park.
ABOUT UVA WISE
- The Cavaliers have played nine games so far this season with a 3-6 record. They split a four-game series with Shepherd before splitting a two-game series with King University. UVA Wise was swept by Montevallo and have lost four straight games entering play this weekend.
- They are batting .252 as a team with 69 hits, 11 doubles, 13 home runs and a .456 slugging %.
- Justin Reed is hitting .371 (13-35) with a team-high 13 hits, two triples and five hit by pitches. Reed is tied in the team lead for 18 runs batted in.
- Cole Harness is second with a .344 average but leads the Cavs with 12 runs scored and seven home runs.
SERIES HISTORY
- Ohio Dominican took two of three games last February in Mason, Ohio. The Panthers lead the Division II era series 2-1.
