Baseball picked seventh in A-R-C preseason rankings
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference coaches picked the Simpson College baseball team seventh in the 2024 Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Storm collected 16 points in the poll to tie with Central for seventh position. Set to open the season in 10 days, Simpson returns 15 letterwinners from last season while welcoming 24 newcomers.
"I am excited to compete this season with the group we have in our clubhouse," said eighth-year head coach Nathan Roling. "They are highly motivated and eager for the opportunities that the grueling A-R-C season presents. The strength of this team should be on the mound again this year and we're looking forward to that group taking another big step forward. We'll have experience in what looks to be our rotation with a number of talented younger pitchers competing for significant innings. Our offense is on the younger side, but filled with a good mix of athleticism and skill. We are excited to see how this group continues to grow and compete at a high level."
ONE LAST LOOK AT 2022
- Simpson concluded the year with a 16-24 overall record powered by a strong month of March which saw the Storm go 11-4 with a nine-game winning streak.
- The Storm went 6-18 in conference action, highlighted by a home series win over Wartburg and 10-8 victory over then-No. 24 Buena Vista. Simpson also took a game from Loras, Nebraska Wesleyan, and Dubuque.
- Trey Castile and Brady Held earned first team all-conference recognition, while Mitchell Roeder was an honorable mention selection.
- Castile and Roeder paved the way for Simpson's pitching staff, which ranked fifth in the league with an overall ERA of 5.41. The duo combined for 117 of the Storm's league-leading 329 strikeouts.
- Freshman Dylan Schlee tallied five saves on the mound, the most since Matt Pennings tied the program record with six in 2013.
KEY OFFENSIVE RETURNERS (2023 STATS)
- Ian Baldwin (.259, 44 hits, 23 runs, 19 RBI)
- Zach Fuller (.171, 21 hits, 11 runs, 10 RBI)
- Will Carlock (.263, 30 hits, 15 runs, 16 RBI)
KEY PITCHERS RETURNING (2023 STATS)
- Trey Castile (2.61 ERA, 58.2 IP, 69 strikeouts)
- Mitchell Roeder (4.66 ERA, 46.1 IP, 48 strikeouts)
- Dylan Schlee (3.19 ERA, 31.0 IP, 26 strikeouts, 5 saves)
- Easton Dunwoody (6.33 ERA, 54.0 IP, 46 strikeouts)
2024 AMERICAN RIVERS CONFERENCE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Buena Vista (31-11, 20-3 A-R-C) - 64 points
2. Luther (25-18, 17-7 A-R-C) - 49 points
3. Coe (23-17, 14-10 A-R-C) - 47 points
4. Dubuque (29-14, 13-10 A-R-C) - 45 points
5. Loras (29-17, 15-9 A-R-C) - 43 points
6. Wartburg (14-21, 9-15 A-R-C) - 30 points
t-7. Simpson (16-24, 6-18 A-R-C) - 16 points
t-7. Central (15-24, 8-16 A-R-C) - 16 points
9. Nebraska Wesleyan (14-26, 5-19 A-R-C) - 14 points
