2012 Bethel Baseball Preview
General Information:
 
School: Bethel University
Founded: 1947
Location: St. Paul, MN
Enrollment: Approximately 6,400 (2,850 undergrad)
President: Jay Barnes
Athletic Director: Bob Bjorklund
Team Nickname: Royals
Colors: Navy Blue and Vegas Gold
Field: Hargis Park
 
2011 Record:
Overall record: 20-19
Conference record/finish: 8-12/7^th
 
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Brian Raabe
Alma Mater: University of Minnesota
 
Assistant Coaches:
Tim Beasley
Dan Richards
Bob Tokar
Erik Lovdahl
Chris Dent
Herb Gibson
Rus Poser
 
Key Returners: (Name, Year, Hometown, Position)
Jay Slick (Sr., River Falls, Wis.)- C
Travis Piepho (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.)- OF
Buddy Flaherty (Sr., Victoria, Minn.)- SS/P
Mike Sedjo (Sr., West Chicago, Ill.)- 3B-MIAC All-Conference Selection in 2011
David Anderson (Sr., Willmar, Minn.)- P
David Freed (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.)- P/OF
Matt Rowley (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.)- OF/P
Jesse Nickols (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.)- OF/P
 
Key Newcomers: (Name, Year, Hometown, Position)
Matt Pryor (Fr., St. Paul, Minn.) - SS
Nik Anderson (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn.) - IF
Joe Zorn (Fr., Stillwater, Minn.) - P
 
Captains: Jay Slick, Travis Piepho, David Freed
 
Season Outlook:
 
The Royals welcome first year head coach Brian Raabe who comes to BU after serving as the head baseball coach at Forest Lake High School for the past 11 years. Raabe compiled a 164-99 record during his time as the skipper for one of perennial powerhouses in Class AAA. He will now be at the reins of the BU baseball squad, a team that finished one game above five hundred after the 2011 season. This spring BU returns several key players to the diamond as they look to capture their first MIAC crown.
 
The team will rely on a solid core of seven seniors to lead the charge for the 2012 campaign. The Royals should have a strong rotation imbedded within their pitching staff.  Senior David Anderson (Willmar, Minn.) along with juniors David Freed (North Oaks, Minn.) and Matt Rowley (Minnetonka, Minn.) will throw a bulk of the innings throughout year. Sophomores Keaton Schut (Des Moines, Ia.) and Matt Pearson (Rochester, Minn.) will also see extended time on the mound this season as they saw some time as freshmen in 2011. Freshman Joe Zorn (Stillwater, Minn.), who is also a member of the basketball team, will look to contribute to the pitching staff when he makes the transition to the diamond this spring.
 
The Royals have a trio of catchers who will look to anchor the defense this spring, as senior Jay Slick (River Falls, Wis.) will spend a majority of time behind the plate and freshman Grant Anderson (Andover, Minn.) and sophomore Bryce Walt (Bloomington, Minn.) will also add to this role.
 
The infield will see several familiar faces as seniors Mike Sedjo (West Chicago, Ill), Buddy Flaherty (Victoria, Minn.), Sean Bethke (Mahtomedi, Minn.), and Chris Davidson (Plantation, Fla.) will all be back vying for positions. Flaherty will also see some time on the mound this year for the Royals. Sophomore Ryan Hangartner (Watertown, Minn.) along with freshmen Nik Anderson (Arden Hills, Minn.) and Matt Pryor (St. Paul, Minn.) will also look to step in and see some time.
 
The outfield will also be a strong suit for the Royals, as they will return a veteran group to roam the deep grass this spring. Senior Travis Piepho (Minneapolis, Minn.) and juniors Jesse Nickols (Arden Hills, Minn.), Matt Rowley (Minnetonka, Minn,), and David Freed (North Oaks, Minn.) will all patrol the outfield this spring.
 
Coach Raabe will rely on the bats of Jay Slick, Travis Piepho, Matt Rowley, and David Freed this spring as this quartet of players all hit over .300 for the 2011 season. Slick led all returners as he hit two round-trippers last year and also batted in 28 runs.
 
Coach's Outlook:
Coach Brian Raabe is optimistic heading into the new season and new chapter in his life and is excited about what the future holds. When asked about the biggest adjustment from the high school to collegiate level Raabe commented by saying, “The game is the same, baseball is baseball, but the biggest change is the concept of recruiting.”  Raabe concluded by saying, “I didn't have the opportunity to recruit players in high school, but I am very excited about the recruiting process as I love that part of my position.”
 
Play Ball!
The Royals will head down to the Metrodome on Monday, February 27th to open up the 2012 season. Their opponent for the 7:30 am doubleheader will be the Rams from North Central University. They will also play doubleheaders with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (March 7th) and Grandview University (March 12th) from Des Moines, Iowa before the team heads south to sunny Fort Myers, Florida. The varsity will play nine games and the junior varsity will have three contests during their time in the sunshine state. The team will also be practicing during time slots when no games are scheduled. The first MIAC contest for the squad will be on March 31st when they travel to Winona to take on the Cardinals from St. Mary's University.