General Information:
School: Bethel University
Founded: 1947
Location: St. Paul, MN
Enrollment: 6,300 (2,900 undergrad)
President: Jay Barnes
Athletic Director: Bob Bjorklund
Team Nickname: Royals
Colors: Navy Blue and Vegas Gold
Arena: Hargis Park
Capacity: 500
2009 Record:
Overall record: 19-19
Conference record/finish: 10-10 / t-6th
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Greg Indlecoffer
Alma Mater/Year: Bethel/1988
Record at school (years): 140-129 / 69-71 MIAC (8th season)
Career record: same
Assistant Coaches:
Bill Hargis (Associate/Administrative Head Coach)
Bill Goodman (Pitching Coach)
Dan Richards (Assistant Coach)
Isaac Hamilton (Assistant Coach)
Clint Nelson (Assistant Coach)
Key Returners:
Tim Churchill (Sr., Mt. Prospect, Ill.) - SS
Kyle McCracken (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) - RHP
Tim Oesterlin (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) - OF
Jay Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) - C
Bob Tokar (Sr., Elk River, Minn.) - 1B
Season Outlook:
One of the most experienced teams in recent history is poised to take the field for Bethel in 2010 as nine seniors – all with significant playing time – return along with six juniors and nine sophomores. They will be joined by a number of freshmen eager to make an impact at the varsity level. The Royals compiled an overall record of 19-19 in 2009, and a conference record of 10-10 which included shutout wins over each of the four MIAC playoff teams, including the eventual Division III national champions, St. Thomas, as well as tagging NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University Mustangs with their first loss of the season when they matched up in Florida.
Last season was marked by a number of individual achievements as Bethel landed three players on the All-Conference team, which was the most in team history. Jay Slick (So., River Falls, Wis.) made an impact immediately in his first collegiate season by compiling a .436 batting average and leading the team in several offensive categories. Tim Oesterlin (Sr., Rochester, Minn.) finished among the top three batters in the MIAC and hit safely in all but four of the 37 games in which he played. Finally, Travis Adams became Bethel’s first ever MIAC Pitcher of the Year by throwing four complete game shutouts and is in the top five in the school record books in several pitching categories. Each of the players earned a spot on one of the three American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region teams, and both Oesterlin and Slick have been cited as two of Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s Division III Players to Watch for 2010.
Pitching
Though the Royals have graduated their top starter and closer from a year ago, Coach Indlecoffer
is confident his 2010 pitching staff will be tough on the mound as they battle to shut down the opposition. “We lost a couple key players who made significant contributions to the team on the hill for us, but we feel good about our returning staff knowing they are ready to step up and be leaders for us. In addition, we have some good young arms that will be put to the test early, knowing that the adversity they will face will only make them stronger.” Following a strong junior season that saw him throw 47.2 innings, Kyle “Crack” McCracken (Sr., Johnston, Iowa - pictured right) looks to become the ace of the staff with his ability to change speeds and frustrate batters. Chris Harrell (Jr., Mounds, Minn.), who earned an All-Conference Honorable Mention, will be called upon to eat up innings, as will Matt Johnson (Jr., Vadnais Heights, Minn.) and David Anderson (So., Willmar, Minn.). Chris Dent (Jr., Marietta, Ohio) led the team in appearances last season with 15, and is one of a handful of southpaws who will be factors in the pitching rotation along with David Freed (Fr., North Oaks, Minn.) and Matt Rowley (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.). Stepping into a closer role will be John Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wis.) and Jesse Nickols (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.).
Catching
Jay Slick stepped in as a freshman and became a leader at the plate and behind it, playing in 35 games. Slick led the team in home runs (4), walks (28), and on base percentage (.570), while finishing second in runs (33), hits (41), RBIs (25), and total bases (60). Meanwhile, Erik Anderson (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn. - pictured left) was no slouch, either. Anderson batted .323 and was second on the team in doubles with seven and had 18 RBIs, while also maintaining a perfect fielding percentage. “Both Jay and Erik are solid catchers who earned significant playing time as young players making them battle tested. We will look to them again this season to handle our pitchers and be productive at the plate,” said Indlecoffer. Jake Privette (Fr., Farmington, Minn.) rounds out the crew of catchers this season.
Middle Infield
Opposing pitchers don’t like leadoff hitter/shortstop Tim Churchill (Sr., Mt. Prospect, Ill. - pictured
right), and neither do opposing hitters. That’s because the third-year starter knows how to get on base with his bat and body and also take bases away with his glove. Churchill was hit by a pitch 18 times in both 2008 and 2009, and hit safely in 17 of 19 games during one stretch last season. Several players will be competing to join him in the middle of the diamond, namely Mark Therrien (Sr., Spring Lake Park, Minn.), Sean Bethke (So., Mahtomedi, Minn.), Chris Davidson (So., Plantation, Fla.) and newcomer Esteban Abbey (Fr., Chicago, Ill.). Coach Indlecoffer said, “Middle infield is such a critical position because these guys have the ability change the momentum of a game in a heartbeat with a double play or a diving stop on a ground ball. Much of our success on defense will be based on our ability to make those plays and keep runners close. We’ve got a pair of veterans in ‘Church’ and Mark who know how to run an infield and also some young guys who await the opportunity to show their stuff, too.”
First and Third Base
First baseman Bob Tokar (Sr., Elk River, Minn.) has been one of the anchors of the infield since his sophomore season. Last year he batted over .300 for the second year in a row, giving the Royals some good at bats and knocking in 21 runs. At third base, Bjorn Anderson (Sr., Arden Hills, Minn.) looks to return to his consistent defensive play while providing a spark to the bottom half of the order. Providing depth at third base is Mike Sedjo (So., West Chicago, Ill.) along with utility infield player Buddy Flaherty (So., Victoria, Minn.). “With a mixture of veteran starters and younger back-up players at key positions, we think we will be a very sound defensive team... and that’s what we will need from our team to be in the playoff mix at the end of the regular season,” said Indlecoffer.
Outfield
In addition to his accolades at the plate, Tim Oesterlin was also named to the 2009
ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III Midwest Region Gold Glove Team for his play in the field. The Royals have some good speed and strong arms in the outfield with returning players like Ryan Doheny (Sr., Anoka, Minn.), John Slick, who both hit over .360, and Sean Flaherty (Sr., Shoreview, Minn.). A mixture of returning players in Dan Johnson (Jr., Eagan, Minn.), and Travis Piepho (So., Minneapolis, Minn) will be joined by Patrick Ellwanger (Fr. St. Paul, Minn.) and John Westmark (Fr., Champlin, Minn.) who will both be competing for playing time. Indlecoffer said, “This veteran group in the outfield made some great plays – and consistently played smart defense out there. That’s the kind of leadership and defensive play we have come to expect from a group of senior outfielders.”
Offensively, the Royals return every player with more than 60 at bats from a year ago, which is cause for great optimism on Indlecoffer’s part. “The fact that so many of our returning players know the high level of pitching they will face this season creates a genuine experience base to build upon. I strongly believe that experience is going to have an effect on our mental approach at the plate. When we stay within ourselves and are selective about what we’re swinging at, not only are we going to manufacture runs, but that discipline is going to spill over into our younger guys and make them better hitters as well,” said Indlecoffer.
As a whole, the 2010 Royals have plenty of reason to be optimistic. A seasoned group of veterans and returning players, coupled with a talented class of newcomers will make for some exciting baseball in one of college’s most competitive conferences.
