2009 Marietta College baseball preview
Etta Express working toward fifth national title this spring

Feb. 20, 2009
MARIETTA, Ohio — There is great optimism surrounding the Marietta College baseball team as it enters the 2009 season. Sixth-year Head Coach Brian Brewer’s squad is filled with talent and hungry to win the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and make its return to the NCAA Tournament after a 2008 campaign, which left the Pioneers one win shy of a third-straight trip to postseason play.

Marietta, which won national championships in 1981, 1983, 1986 and 2006, has plenty of firepower as it heads into the spring. The Etta Express expects to return 10 of 12 lettermen, seven everyday starters and almost its entire pitching staff. A group of hard-working underclassmen and freshmen will battle to fill the few holes left by graduation.

Seven seniors, including All-Mideast Region pitcher T.J. Knowlton and All-Mideast Region third baseman Cameron Cimino, will anchor Marietta’s lineup this spring. Knowlton, an All-OAC first team selection, led the OAC with a 9-2 record while posting a team-best 3.04 ERA in 83 innings. Cimino, another All-OAC first team pick, led the Pioneers in hits (47), doubles (11), triples (3), RBI (39), slugging percentage (.622) and walks (26) while finishing second in home runs (5) and third in batting average (.370).

All-OAC pitcher Jason Baumler, third baseman Brennan Cribbins, All-OAC utility player Justin Merryman, second baseman Josh Spicer and All-OAC pitcher Chris Stewart will also be asked to provide the traditional senior leadership featured in the Marietta baseball program.

Baumler, Knowlton, Merryman, Stewart and junior Nate Eschbaugh, who will form the core of a formidable pitching staff, all have big game experience for Marietta. Junior All-OAC catcher Dan Jones will help lead the pitching staff for a third straight season. The Pioneers’ three leading hitters—Cimino, Merryman (.390 BA, 1 HR, 21 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Britt Meador (.385 BA, 2 HR, 14 RBI)—also return to the lineup in 2009.

Marietta will open its season with a three-game trip to Rocky Mount, N.C., where it will take on Piedmont (Ga.) and host North Carolina Wesleyan on Feb. 28 and then Montclair State (N.J.) on March 1. The Pioneers will also be traveling to Texas again for spring break (March 9-13) with a second straight stop in Memphis, Tenn., to take on Rhodes (March 7). Marietta's home opener at Don Schaly Stadium is scheduled against La Roche (Pa.) on March 18 before opening OAC play at rival Heidelberg on March 21. Spring Weekend is scheduled for April 24-26 when the Pioneers’ play host to Baldwin-Wallace.

Marietta's team goals remain the same for 2009 as they have been since 1964: win the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Mideast Regional and the NCAA Division III World Series.

Here is how the 2009 Pioneers look position-by-position:

Pitchers: Senior right-hander T.J. Knowlton has solidified himself as Marietta’s top pitcher over the last few seasons and should fill that role again as a senior. Knowlton, who finished 9-2 with a 3.04 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 83 innings, led the OAC in both innings pitched and wins as a junior. Senior left-hander Justin Merryman will look to return to his form from 2007 after going 3-6 with a 6.42 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings as a junior. Senior left-hander Chris Stewart will look to build upon a solid junior campaign, his first in pinstripes. Stewart started five games but made his mark out of the bullpen, finishing 6-2 with three saves, a 3.60 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 50 innings. He is expected to fill a similar role this spring. Senior right-hander Jason Baumler, who went 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA, and junior right-hander Nate Eschbaugh, who went 3-0 with a 6.21 ERA, have both made valuable contributions to the staff over their careers and will be working to have productive years in 2009. Junior right-hander Tyler Penwell is another arm that will be expected to help the bullpen this season.

Catcher: Junior Dan Jones will return behind the plate in 2009. The coaching staff believes Jones, who threw out 43% of would-be base stealers in 2008, is one of the top defensive catchers in the nation. He also batted .308 with 11 extra base hits, 30 runs scored and 21 RBI last season. Classmate Chris Beatty, who made seven starts as a sophomore, has proven to be a solid backup. Beatty has the tools to impact the middle of the order and will also battle for at-bats as the designated hitter in 2009.

First Base: Senior Justin Merryman will likely see more time at first base after starting six games there in 2008. Playing first base rather than the outfield will allow him to rest his arm after pitching. Merryman, a strong defender, led all Pioneer hitters with a .390 batting average. 11 of his 39 hits went for extra bases; he also scored 24 runs and drove in 21 more. Sophomore Casey Levens is also expected to contribute at first base after earning reps at the position down the stretch last year. Levens, who had 47 at-bats as a freshman, hit .340 while driving in 11 runs.

Middle Infield: Junior Tyler Penwell and senior Josh Spicer return as the staring shortstop and second baseman, respectively, in 2009. Penwell scored 23 runs and drove in 17, while Spicer finished with four runs scored and five RBI in 2008. Both are working to improve all facets of their game and have more productive years this spring. Sophomore Chris Dowdell has starting experience at both positions and will push Penwell and Spicer for playing time in the middle of the infield this year.

Third Base: Senior Cameron Cimino is expected to be a Player of the Year candidate at third base in 2009. Cimino, who will also see time as the designated hitter, had a breakout year as a junior, leading Marietta in most offensive categories. He batted .370 with 20 extra-base hits, 35 runs scored and 39 RBI. Senior Brennan Cribbins, who has played all over the infield during his career, will push Cimino for time at the hot corner. Cribbins hit .267 with eight extra-base hits, 20 runs scored and 17 RBI a year ago.