Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Jake Krupar, the Muskingum baseball team will look to contend for a top spot in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2023 season. The Muskies open their season on Saturday, February 18, when they travel to take on Washington & Jefferson.
The Coach: Muskingum is led by Head Coach Jake Krupar, who's entering his first season at the helm for the Muskies. Krupar previously served as an assistant coach with Muskingum during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. After leaving New Concord, Krupar spent time at the Division I level with Wofford and Butler. While at Wofford, Krupar served as the director of player development; and during his stint with Butler he was the baserunning coordinator, coached the outfielders, and was the assistant hitting coach.
The Players – In the Field: Muskingum will look to several players in the field to help guide the team both at the plate and defensively this season. Standout players include senior infielder Dominic Gorence, senior outfielder Allex Santacroce, junior outfielder Quinten Collins, junior catcher Gavin Hawk, junior catcher Ryan Schwartz, sophomore outfielder Austin Lippolis, and sophomore infielder Travis Reynolds.
Last season, Gorence posted numerous career-highs en route to earning All-OAC Honorable Mention accolades. Gorence's career-highs included hits (49), RBI (30), runs scored (30), walks (21), doubles (12), stolen bases (7), batting average (.363), and slugging percentage (.496). Gorence also tallied two home runs last season, both of which came in the same game against OAC-rival Marietta who was ranked #1 nationally at the time. In the field, Gorence also posted career-best numbers including a .974 fielding percentage, 99 putouts, and 91 assists on the season.
During 2022, Santacroce also enjoyed a career-year, finishing with a .300 batting average and posting 31 RBI. Santacroce also stole 10 bags, tallied 24 runs scored, notched 36 hits, blasted five home runs, and finished with a slugging percentage of .475.
The Players – On the Mound: Muskingum will look to junior Jaxon Rinkes, junior Erik Cover, junior Liam Carey, and senior Clark Jennings to lead Muskingum on the bump this season.
Last season, Rinkes pitched 43.1 innings on nine starts, and he notched three wins on the year for the Muskies. Rinkes struck out 29 batters, and he also averaged 6.02 strikeouts per nine innings. Cover tossed 30.1 innings across five starts last season, picking up one win, and posting 14 strikeouts on the year. Carey made 19 appearances out of the bullpen for Muskingum last season, posting 26 innings pitched and striking out 23 batters. Carey also averaged 7.96 strikeouts per nine innings, and he tallied two saves on the year. Jennings will look to build on a solid 2022 season which saw him make 19 appearances out of the bullpen and pitch 33 innings. Jennings struck out 17 batters, nailed down three saves, and tallied two wins for Muskingum.
The Schedule: Muskingum's schedule features 40 contests, followed by the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Muskingum will play conference opponents in doubleheaders, with the first OAC-matchup taking place on Saturday, March 25, at home against Wilmington. All OAC contests are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. start times. The Muskies will travel to Xavier University and take on Defiance in a neutral site doubleheader on Saturday, February 25, at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Muskingum will also play seven contests in Fort Myers, Florida, as part of the Gene Cusic Classic. The trip will span from March 5 – March 11.
Broadcasts: All home games will be played at Mose Morehead Field and will feature an HD video stream accessible through the OAC TV app and on fightingmuskies.com.
