Baseball Pressbook

2005 SPRING BASEBALL PRESSBOOK

Founded –1853 Enrollment –1,750 Affiliation –Reformed Church in America President – Dr. David Roe Membership – Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division III

Founded in 1853, Central College is a four-year coeducational liberal arts college of the Reformed Church in America. Located 40 miles southeast of Des Moines, Central offers its 1,659 students learning opportunities not only on the Pella campus, but international study sites in Hangzhou, China; London and Colchester, England; Paris, France; Eldoret, Kenya; Leiden, the Netherlands; Merida, Mexico; Granada, Spain; Carmarthen, Wales; and Vienne, Austria. Central is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division III, and the lowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Men compete in baseball, football, basketball, tennis, golf, wrestling, soccer, track and cross country while women compete in tennis, golf, track, softball, volleyball, cross country, soccer and basketball. Rugby is offered at the club level.

The Kuyper Athletics Complex The Kuyper Athletics Complex is located at the corner of Independence Street and West Fifth Street in southwest Pella. The complex includes P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium (1970), H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse (1987), A.N. Kuyper Field (1977), the baseball and softball fields (1978), Ryerson Golf Practice Range (2005), cross country course (2003), tennis courts (1992), soccer field (1992) and the Ron Schipper Fitness Center (1999). The complex also includes practice and intramural softball diamonds and football fields. Golf meets are held at the Bos Landen Golf Resort, two miles southwest of the campus on Highway T-15.

Directory Sports Information Director ...... Larry Happel Office phone ...... (641) 628-5278 Home phone ...... (641) 628-2754 Cell phone ...... (641) 780-6118 Fax...... (641) 628-5340 E-mail...... [email protected] Web site ...... www.central.edu/athletics

I ATHLETICS DEPT. STAFF Assistant football Reid Evans—offensive line Athletics director Al Dorenkamp Assistant football Matt Paulsen—defensive backs Special assistant to the athletics director John Edwards Assistant football David Roe—kickers/punters Director of intramurals and Adam Stevens Assistant football Jeff Sanger—stingers special events Assistant football Kevin Sanger—defensive line Assistant director of intramurals Dan Mason Assistant football Jerry Southmayd—quarterbacks Athletics office manager Jeffy Schuring Assistant football Travis Sterling— Athletics secretary TBA player development/LEAD program director Head athletic trainer Leslie Duinink Golf--Men’s Charlie Estabrook Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gilmore Assistant golf Tom Linton Interim assistant athletic trainer Denise Barnard Assistant golf Jon Hietbrink Athletic training education John Roslien Assistant golf Mike Patzia program director Volunteer assistant Clint Brown Strength and conditioning coordinator/ Jake Anderson Golf--Women’s Jodee Schaben Ron Schipper Fitness Center coordinator Soccer--Men’s Garry Laidlaw Building and grounds manager Randy Shives Assistant soccer Takis Apostolopoulos Sports information director Larry Happel Assistant soccer Eric Boeyink Soccer--Women’s Rick Burns Assistant soccer Kathryn Burns FACULTY ATHLETIC COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES Assistant soccer Russell Goodman Dr. Dennis Doyle, associate professor of Softball George Wares communication studies Assistant softball Denise Barnard Dr. Edmond Willis, professor of psychology Assistant softball Teresa Thompson Dr. Lori Witt, assistant professor of history Assistant softball Shannon Merkle Tennis--Men’s/women’s Doug Stursma COACHING STAFF Assistant men’s/women’s tennis Rod Braun Baseball Adam Stevens Track and field--Men’s/women’s Kevin Sanger Assistant baseball Dan Mason Associate track and field Guy Mosher Assistant baseball Brent Fridley Assistant track and field Jeff Bovee Volunteer assistant Casey Olney Assistant track and field Katie Button Basketball--Men’s Mike Boschee Assistant track and field Stephen Fyfe Assistant basketball Nic Nelson Assistant track and field Mike Marcinkowski Assistant basketball Joe Steinkamp Assistant track and field Eric Pingel Basketball--Women’s Mick Angel Volleyball Kent Clayberg Assistant basketball Jerry Nikkel Assistant volleyball Megan Clayberg Assistant basketball Josh Harrington Assistant volleyball Ann Van Hemert Volunteer assistant Cathy Angel Assistant vollyeball Colleen Evenhouse Cross country--Men’s/women’s Jeff Bovee Wrestling Matt Diehl Assistant cross country Stephen Fyfe Assistant wrestling Kevin Azinger Assistant cross country Guy Mosher Assistant wrestling Rex Gray Football Jeff McMartin Assistant wrestling Jamie Scott Assistant football Jeff Bollard—offensive line Volunteer assistant Matt Diehl Assistant football Dick Bowzer—receivers Assistant football Darrell Brand—running backs Assistant football Don De Waard—def. coordinator/linebackers II HEAD COACH DIRECTORY

Name E-mail Office phone (641 area code) Angel, Mick [email protected] 628-7652 Boschee, Mike [email protected] 628-5225 Bovee, Jeff [email protected] 628-5178 Burns, Rick [email protected] 628-5224 Clayberg, Kent [email protected] 628-5139/7605 Dorenkamp, Al [email protected] 628-5310 Estabrook, Charlie [email protected] 628-7694 Hoekstra, Greg [email protected] 628-5226 Laidlaw, Garry [email protected] 628-5789 McMartin, Jeff [email protected] 628-7609 Reed, Eric [email protected] 628-5422 Sanger, Kevin [email protected] 628-7603 Schaben, Jodee [email protected] 628-5591 Stevens, Adam [email protected] 628-5396 Stursma, Doug [email protected] 628-5194 Wares, George [email protected] 628-5195

Athletics department Phone--(641) 628-5226 Fax--(641) 628-5356 Sports information office Phone--(641) 628-5278 Fax--(641) 628-5340

III Baseball

2005 schedule Date Opponent Location Time March 1 *Bethel (Minn.) Minneapolis, Minn. 12:15 p.m. March 6 @Purdue North Central (Ind.) Port Charlotte, Fla. 11:30 a.m. @Concordia (Wis.) Port Charlotte, Fla. 3 p.m. March 7 *Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) Port Charlotte, Fla. 10 a.m. March 9 *Penn State-Altoona Port Charlotte, Fla. 12:30 p.m. March 10 $John Jay (N.Y.) Port Charlotte, Fla. 9:30 a.m. March 11 @Lakeland (Wis.) Port Charlotte, Fla. 9:30 a.m. @Urbana (Ohio) Port Charlotte, Fla. 12:30 p.m. March 19 *Graceland Lamoni 1 p.m. March 25 *Illinois College Jacksonville, Ill. Noon March 26 *Monmouth (Ill.) Monmouth, Ill. Noon March 30 *Nebraska Wesleyan Pella 1 p.m. April 2 +Wartburg Waverly 1 p.m. April 7 +Luther Decorah 1 p.m. April 9 +Dubuque Pella 1 p.m. April 13 +Coe Cedar Rapids 1 p.m. April 16 +Simpson Indianola 1 p.m. April 18 *Grinnell Grinnell 2 p.m. April 21 +Cornell Pella 1 p.m. April 23 +Loras Pella 1 p.m. April 30 +Buena Vista Pella 1 p.m. May 4 $Augustana (Ill.) Rock Island, Ill. 7 p.m. May 7 *Clarke Pella 1 p.m. May 12-15 Iowa Conf. tourn. Cedar Rapids TBA May 19-22 NCAA Div. III regional TBA TBA May 27-31 NCAA Div. III championship Appleton, Wis. *doubleheader (two seven-inning games) !Florida game start times are Eastern Time +Iowa Conference doubleheader (seven-inning game followed by nine-inning game) @Single seven-inning game $Single nine-inning game

2005 junior varsity schedule Date Opponent Location Time March 31 Marshalltown CC Marshalltown 1 p.m. April 4 Southwestern CC Pella 1 p.m. April 12 Simpson JV Indianola 1 p.m. April 14 Marshalltown CC Pella 1 p.m. April 25 Ellsworth CC Pella 2 p.m. May 2 Simpson JV Pella 1 p.m. (all dates are seven-inning doubleheaders)

Baseball 1

BASEBALL QUICK FACTS

2004 record: 20-22 overall, 10-6 conference (fourth place) Returning 2004 all-conference selections: 3 (SS-Steve Gebhart, firt team; P-Matt Rohach, U-Austin De Hoogh, second team) Position starters lost: 3 (RF-Pat Johnson, 2B-Nate Landas, DH-OF-Tom Sheehan) Starting pitchers lost: 0 Position starters returning: 7 (C-Kody Wohlers, 1B-C-Adam Duerfeldt, SS-Steve Gebhart, 3B-Matt Murphy, CF-Austin De Hoogh, LF-Shea Stamp, DH-OF-Josh Sandin) Starting pitchers returning: 5 (Austin De Hoogh, Matt Rohach, Tanner Ludwig, Jon Doudna, Kent Patterson) Letterwinners lost/returning: 7/15 2005 captains: Adam Duerfeldt, Steve Gebhart, Kent Patterson, Kody Wohlers

Adam Stevens Head coach Adam Stevens is in his second season as head baseball coach at Central. In his rookie campaign, Stevens guided a young team to a surprising 20-22 record. Stevens previously served as an assistant coach at Wabash College (Ind.) for a year, helping the squad post its first winning season in five years. Earlier he was an administrative assistant in the baseball office at Ball State University (Ind.) where he received his master’s degree in physical education/athletic administration. A graduate of Morningside College, where he was a four-year starter, Stevens played in 110 consecutive games. He was team captain his senior year. Stevens also served as junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach at Sioux City West High School for two years.

Brent Fridley Assistant coach Brent Fridley is in his first season as an assistant baseball coach at Central College. Fridley, a 2003 Central graduate, works with infielders and outfielders. He was a three-year letterwinner as a shortstop for the Dutch. He was a team co-captain in 2003 and received the team’s newcomer of the year award in 2001. An assistant coach for Hampton-Dumont High School in 2002, Fridley also has experience as a basketball assistant. He was on the Central men’s basketball staff in 2003-04, and served as a student assistant in the 2000-01 campaign. Fridley also works in the federal Talent Search program office housed on Central’s campus.

Dan Mason Assistant coach Dan Mason is entering his second season as assistant baseball coach for the Dutch, serving as pitching coach. A native of the Chicago area, Mason is a former standout baseball pitcher at North Park College (Ill.). He earned NCAA Div. III All-American honors in 1983 and was inducted into the North Park College Hall of Fame in 1988. Mason received his master’s degree in physical education from Mankato State University (Minn.) where he served as a graduate assistant coach.

Casey Olney Volunteer assistant Casey Olney, a 2004 Central graduate, is in his first season as a volunteer assistant coach, working with catchers and infielders. He was a team co-captain at Central in 2004 and played third base for the Dutch. He previously coached youth baseball at the Babe Ruth League and American Legion levels in North Dakota. Olney received the Central baseball team’s Versteeg Award for outstanding leadership and sportsmanship.

2004 results 20-22 overall, 10-6 conference March 14 $St. Michael’s (Vt.) Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 12-9 $Marian College (Wis.) Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 3-1 March 15 $Mid-America Nazarene (Kan.) Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 5-4 $Massachusetts College Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 13-3 March 17 $Greenville College (Ind.) Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 18-11 (9) March 18 $Dordt Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 3-2 $Dordt Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 9-6 (8)

2 Baseball

March 19 $Purdue-North Central (Ind.) Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 14-8 $Purdue-North Central (Ind.) Port Charlotte, Fla. W, 5-4 March 20 $St. Joseph’s (N.Y.) Port Charlotte, Fla. L, 7-6 March 25 Knox (Ill.) Galesburg, Ill. L, 13-12 March 27 William Penn+ Pella L, 5-0 William Penn+ Pella W, 1-0 March 30 Grand View Pella L, 5-1 April 3 *Coe Pella L, 22-3 *Coe Pella W, 13-12 April 7 Graceland+ Lamoni W, 13-3 (6) Graceland+ Lamoni L, 12-4 April 10 *Cornell Mt. Vernon L, 13-10 *Cornell Mt. Vernon W, 10-5 (8) April 13 Grinnell+ Pella W, 11-3 April 14 *Dubuque Dubuque W, 4-3 *Dubuque Dubuque W, 8-6 April 16 Morningside Carroll W, 11-18 April 19 *Wartburg Pella L, 7-6 *Wartburg Pella W, 6-1 April 21 Iowa Wesleyan Pella L, 8-4 April 22 *Buena Vista Storm Lake L, 12-5 *Buena Vista Storm Lake W, 8-6 April 24 *Luther Pella L, 9-7 *Luther Pella L, 3-2 April 28 Upper Iowa+ Fayette L, 22-15 Upper Iowa+ Fayette L, 6-0 May 1 *Simpson Pella W, 4-3 *Simpson Pella W, 10-12 May 3 Grand View Des Moines L, 13-12 May 8 *Loras Dubuque W, 7-3 *Loras Dubuque W, 6-5 May 13-16 **Simpson Cedar Rapids L, 10-6 **Cornell Cedar Rapids W, 9-2 **Wartburg Cedar Rapids L, 12-11 *Iowa Conference doubleheader **Iowa Conference tournament $Port Charlotte Invitational +doubleheader

2004 Iowa Conference standings Conference Overall WL WL T Simpson 11 5 31 16 0 Wartburg 13 3 30 15 0 Luther 12 4 6 13 0 Central 10 6 20 22 0 Buena Vista 6 10 18 21 0 Cornell 6 10 17 22 0 Loras 4 12 15 21 0 Dubuque 3 13 12 26 1 Coe 7 9 26 18 0

Baseball 3

Iowa Conference team champions 1947 Central 1962 Wartburg 1977 Wartburg 1992 William Penn 1948 Central 1963 Wartburg 1978 Wartburg, William Penn 1993 Upper Iowa 1949 Buena Vista 1964 Luther 1979 Wartburg 1994 Simpson 1950 Buena Vista 1965 Buena Vista 1980 Buena Vista 1995 Upper Iowa 1951 Buena Vista 1966 Luther 1981 Buena Vista, William Penn 1996 Upper Iowa 1952 Loras, Simpson 1967 Upper Iowa 1982 William Penn 1997 Wartburg 1953 Buena Vista 1968 Luther 1983 Luther 1998 Wartburg 1954 Buena Vista 1969 Luther 1984 Luther 1999 Wartburg 1955 Buena Vista 1970 Buena Vista 1985 Luther 2000 Wartburg 1956 Upper Iowa 1971 Luther 1986 William Penn 2001 Wartburg 1957 Buena Vista 1972 Luther, Upper Iowa 1987 Simpson 2002 Wartburg 1958 Simpson 1973 Upper Iowa 1988 William Penn 2003 Wartburg 1959 Buena Vista 1974 Buena Vista 1989 William Penn 2004 Wartburg 1960 Luther 1975 Central, Luther 1990 William Penn 1961 Wartburg 1976 Buena Vista 1991 Simpson

4 Baseball .406 .383 .401 .390 .439 .456 .275 .410 .388 .400 .395 .336 .276 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .400 .412 1.000 OB% 1 0 3 8 0 3 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 11 13 53 52 HBP 8 1 9 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 25 34 32 25 25 23 10 24 228 173 SO 4 7 1 8 5 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 12 21 20 19 21 14 BB 142 148 0 0 4 0 1 4 2 4 1 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 45 SB 0 0 5 2 0 0 0 6 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 31 41 HR 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 3 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 12 3B 3 3 9 5 0 8 7 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 76 11 10 73 2B 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 28 20 17 50 14 40 10 31 15 250 287 RBI 8 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 H 32 42 36 37 50 41 55 20 53 27 407 420 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 R 18 29 22 30 10 42 37 31 16 27 10 282 321 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 74 25 AB 101 138 108 123 140 148 153 145 102 1292 1288 1 9 2 4 8 9 9 G 20 32 40 34 42 42 14 42 42 42 42 37 39 37 14 15 12 14 10 11 vg. .308 .317 .304 .333 .301 .315 .286 .357 .277 .326 .359 .270 .366 .265 .160 A .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 feldt ohlers om Sheehan anner Ludwig Brett Delaney Matt Murphy T Pat Johnson Shea Stamp Steve Gebhart Kody W 2004 statistics – Batting Name Adam Duer Central Dan Flaherty Nate Landas Opponents Austin DeHoogh Josh Sandin Casey Olney Matt Kuempel Jeremy Robinson Matt Rohach Nicholas DePennin Gavin Mitchell Ross McFerrin Casey Ragar T Jon Doudna Kent Patterson Matt Harre Chris Borgman

Baseball 5 2 0 0 3 1 2 0 1 2 2 3 0 20 30 WP 8 3 1 0 1 3 0 5 7 6 5 3 52 53 HBP 16 14 1 0 13 20 7 10 12 43 34 3 173 228 SO 1 3 8 7 1 11 19 13 22 16 34 13 BB 148 142 1 1 5 25 41 27 43 11 21 18 43 35 ER 271 227 1 2 7 R 28 55 32 47 11 24 22 50 42 321 282 1 3 6 7 H 36 61 31 62 32 27 82 72 420 407 IP 1.0 1.0 4.1 9.1 26.0 39.2 23.2 33.0 25.2 19.1 67.0 55.1 305.1 307.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 SHO 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 3 0 10 12 CG 5 0 0 4 2 3 0 0 2 3 3 0 L 22 20 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 3 6 5 0 W 20 22 42 42 1/0 2/0 9/5 4/0 8/4 9/0 14/3 11/6 10/6 12/0 14/7 G/St. 15/11 ERA 8.65 9.00 9.00 9.30 7.36 8.38 5.78 5.69 4.82 7.99 6.64 10.27 11.73 22.85 anner Ludwig Brett Delaney Ross McFerrin Chris Borgman Jon Doudna Kent Patterson Casey Ragar T Gavin Mitchell Nick DePenning Matt Rohach Austin DeHoogh 2004 statistics - Pitching Name Matt Harre Central Opponents

6 Baseball 2004 statistics- Fielding Name Ch PO A E Fld% DP Nick DePenning 10 2 8 0 1.000 0 Kent Patterson 9 1 8 0 1.000 1 Gavin Mitchell 6 2 4 0 1.000 0 Brett Delaney 4 4 0 0 1.000 0 Tanner Ludwig 4 0 4 0 1.000 0 Jeremy Robinson 2 2 0 0 1.000 0 Adam Duerfeldt 284 270 11 3 .989 15 Kody Wholers 181 162 16 9 .983 0 Tom Sheehan 65 56 7 2 .969 5 Pat Johnson 97 91 3 3 .969 1 Austin DeHoogh 61 48 11 2 .967 1 Nate Landas 178 81 90 7 .960 13 Shea Stamp 75 68 4 3 .960 0 Matt Rohach 17 3 13 1 .941 0 Matt Murphy 75 25 44 6 .920 2 Steve Gebhart 198 66 113 19 .904 18 Chris Borgman 10 1 8 1 .900 0 Josh Sandin 28 24 1 3 .893 1 Dan Flaherty 6 1 4 1 .833 0 Jon Doudna 4 1 2 1 .750 0 Casey Olney 28 2 12 8 .714 0 Matt Harre 1 001.0000 Ross McFerrin 0 000.0000 Casey Ragar 0 000.0000 Matt Kuempel 0 000.0000

Central 1343 916 363 64 .952 24 Opponents 1348 923 339 86 .936 28

Baseball 7

Career statistics – Batting Austin DeHoogh Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2002 .245 33 102 17 25 18 5 3 0 2 2003 .368 8 19 4 7 4 0 0 0 3 2004 .270 37 74 16 20 10 2 1 1 5 Total .267 78 195 27 52 32 7 4 1 10

Brett Delaney Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2004 .308 20 26 6 8 4 3 0 0 0

Adam Duerfeldt Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2003 .269 36 119 24 32 14 7 2 1 9 2004 .366 39 145 27 53 31 10 3 1 4 Total .322 75 264 51 85 45 17 5 2 13

Steve Gebhart Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2003 .369 31 103 23 38 26 9 0 4 2 2004 .359 42 153 31 55 40 11 0 6 1 Total .363 73 256 54 93 66 20 0 10 3

Matt Murphy Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2004 .317 32 101 18 32 19 3 0 0 0

Josh Sandin Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2004 .265 27 102 10 27 15 4 2 1 0

Shea Stamp Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2003 .300 24 70 18 21 14 3 1 6 2 2004 .304 40 138 29 42 28 9 1 5 4 Total .303 64 208 47 63 42 12 2 11 6

Kody Wohlers Avg. G AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR SB 2002 .219 34 96 20 21 21 3 1 2 0 2003 .362 24 58 16 21 15 5 0 3 1 2004 .301 42 123 30 37 17 14 2 0 1 Total .285 100 277 66 79 53 22 3 5 2

Baseball 7 16 43 59 10 20 43 12 12 SO SO SO SO SO SO SO 14 4 6 13 3 12 23 16 SO 14 52 34 BB 14 42 51 7 22 34 12 16 BB BB BB BB BB BB 19 9 7 13 1 16 20 17 BB 6 28 13 27 70 66 21 43 43 27 18 ER ER ER ER ER ER ER 41 7 6 27 5 18 27 23 ER 6 48 35 36 87 75 24 47 50 32 22 R R R R R R R 55 8 12 32 7 22 40 25 R 8 58 42 45 118 108 32 82 31 27 H H H H H H H 61 8 13 31 7 27 56 26 H 14 94 72 33.2 75.0 86.2 25.2 33.0 62 67.0 23.2 19.1 IP IP IP IP IP IP IP 39.2 9.0 8.0 23.2 9.1 19.1 42.0 19.2 IP 17.1 81.2 55.1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 SH. SH. SH. SH. SH. SH. SH. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 SH. 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 5 0 1 CG CG CG CG CG CG CG 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 CG 0 3 3 0 7 5 0 3 3 2 2 L L L L L L L 4 0 0 2 0 2 4 2 L 1 4 3 2 4 7 2 1 6 0 3 W W W W W W W 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 W 1 6 5 15 21 22 12 10 15 9 8 G G G G G G G 11 3 3 9 9 8 11 7 G 15 32 14 7.32 8.40 6.89 7.36 11.73 5.78 10.27 8.38 ERA ERA ERA ERA ERA ERA ERA 9.30 7.00 6.75 10.27 4.82 8.38 5.79 10.53 ERA 3.12 5.29 5.69 2004 2004 2004 2004 2002 2003 2004 2004 2004 2003 2003 2003 2004 otal otal otal otal otals anner Ludwig otal T T T T T Career statistics – Pitching Chris Borgman Austin DeHoogh Nick DePenning Jon Doudna Matt Harre T Kent Patterson Matt Rohach T

8 Baseball

All-time records Individual offensive (Minimum, 30 at bats)

Most at bats Season - 153, Steven Gebhart, 2004 Career - 486, Joe Byers, 1997-2000

Most runs Season - 54, Joe Byers, 2000 Career - 129, Joe Byers, 1997-2000

Most hits Season - 73, Scott Marlow, 2000 Career - 164, Scott Marlow, 1998-2001

Highest batting average Season - .453, Blake Jessen, 1993 Career - .346, Rick Hassman, 1986-89

Most total bases Season - 124, Scott Marlow, 2000 Career - 247, Rick Hassman, 1986-89

Most doubles Season - 22, John Edwards, 1970 Career - 30, John Edwards, 1969-1972

Most triples Season - 5, tie, Mike Schermer, 1983; Jason Darling, 1998 Career - 9, Mike Schermer, 1983-84

Most home runs Game - 3, Jerry Rohach, vs Northern Iowa, 1983 Doubleheader - 5, Jerry Rohach, vs. Northern Iowa, 1983 Season - 15, Pat Johnson, 2004 Career - 24, Rick Hassman, 1986-89

Most RBI Season - 50, Pat Johnson, 2004 Career - 104, Rick Hassman, 1986-89

Most sacrifices Season - 10, Matt Schulte, 1986

Most stolen bases Season - 23, Tom Koos, 1986 Career - 50, Joe Byers, 1997-2000

Most walks Season - 25, Chris Douglass, 2000 Career - 65, Chris Douglass, 1997-2000

Individual defensive

Most putouts Season - 270, Adam Duerfeldt, 2004

Baseball 9 Most assists 113, Steve Gebhart, 2004

Highest fielding percentage (Minimum 100 chances) Season - .990, Todd Overbergen, 1985 (101-102)

Individual pitching (minimum, 45 innings, season; 100 innings, career)

Most wins Season - 7, tie, Mark Steffes, 1980; Jeff Hanneman, 1988 Career - 17, Wade Van Vark, 1996-99

Most games Season - 14, Jeff Hanneman, 1988 Career - 39, Wade Van Vark, 1996-99

Most complete games Season - 9, Jeff Hanneman, 1988 Career - 15, tie, Jeff Hanneman, 1987-90; Wade Van Vark, 1996-99

Most innings Season - 75, Jeff Hanneman, 1988 Career - 187.3, Jeff Hanneman, 1987-90

Fewest hits allowed Season - 28, Tom Vander Linden, 1981 Career - 109, Rich Schulte, 1989-91

Lowest ERA Season - 1.58, Mark Steffes, 1978 Career - 3.61, Mark Steffes, 1978-82

Fewest runs allowed Season - 20, tie, Mark Steffes, 1979; Tom Vander Linden, 1979; Randy Schroyer, 1985 Career - 61, Rich Schulte, 1989-91

Most strikeouts Season - 60, tie, Dave Gregory, 1985; Todd Subbert, 1988 Career - 158, Wade Van Vark, 1996-99

Team records, game Most runs - 23, April 20, 2004, at Dubuque Most runs allowed - 20, March 16, 2001 vs. Ohio Wesleyan Most runs, two teams - 34, March 4, 2000 vs. Mt. Mercy Most errors - 8, Feb. 1979 at Trinity (Texas) Most at bats - 48, May 15, 2004 vs. Wartburg Most hits - 20, tie, April 22, 2000 vs. Buena Vista; March 14 vs. St. Michael’s (Vt.) Most home runs - 4, April 27, 2004 vs. Upper Iowa Most RBI - 18, April 22, 2000 vs. Buena Vista Most doubles - 6, April 22, 2000 vs Buena Vista Most stolen bases - 5, April 22, 2000 vs. Buena Vista, April 8, 1998 vs. Simpson

Team records, season offensive Highest batting average - .327, 2000 Most runs - 352, 2000 Most runs per game - 7.6, 2001 Most doubles - 87, 2000 Most triples - 87, 1994 Most home runs - 47, 2000

10 Baseball

Most RBIs - 334, 2000 Most walks - 180, 2000 Most stolen bases - 65, 1997 Most stole bases per game - 1.9, 1997

Team records, season defensive Most double plays - 74, 2002 Most put outs - 939, 2000 Most assists - 417, 1994 Most errors - 160, 2000 Highest fielding percentage - .950, 1997 Fewest stolen bases allowed - 12, 1998

Team records, season pitching Most victories - 23, 2000 Lowest ERA - 3.62, 1999 Most shutouts - 4, 1994 Most strikeouts - 195, 1995, 1996 Most strikekouts per game - 6.5, 1999

Individual record leaderboard Season batting average leaders Name Average Year Blake Jessen .453 1993 Scott Marlow .448 2000 Todd Connelly .438 1990 Jason Darling .432 1998 Joe Tecklenberg .431 1985 Kent Van Vark .417 1980 Scott Marlow .412 2001 Jeff Wooten .404 1988 Rick Hassman .402 1987 Rick Hassman .400 1989

Season home run leaders Name Home runs Year Pat Johnson 15 2004 Chris Douglass 14 1988 Rick Hassman 14 2000 Rick Hassman 12 1987 Joe Byers 8 2000 Mike Hanna 8 2000 Scott Marlow 8 1987 Josh Allison 7 1996 Scott Marlow 7 2001 Matt Menninga 7 2002 Rich Schulte 7 1989 Rich Schulte 7 1991

Season doubles leaders Name Doubles Year Scott Marlow 19 2000 Eric Johnson 18 1994 Scott Marlow 14 2001 Kody Wholers 14 2004 Cole Van Vark 13 2001 Chris Douglass 12 2000 Tim Higgins 12 2003 Darren Huinker 11 1986 Rick Hassman 11 1989

Baseball 11

Ronnie Lamfers 11 2002 Steve Gebhart 11 2004 Jason Darling 10 1998 Adam Duerfeldt 10 2004 Pat Johnson 10 2003 Jim Radcliffe 10 1980 Pedro Rodriguez 10 1995 Joe Tecklenberg 10 1985

Season RBI leaders Name Hits Years Pat Johnson 50 2004 Chris Douglass 48 2000 Scott Marlow 47 2000 Matt Menninga 43 2000 Steve Gebhart 40 2004 Matt Menninga 39 2002 Joe Tecklenberg 38 1985 Mike Hanna 37 1986 Matt Menninga 37 2001 Joe Byers 37 2000 Chris Kollbaum 35 2000 Scott Marlow 34 2001

Career hit leaders Name Hits Years Scott Marlow 164 1998-2001 Joe Byers 153 1997-2000 Rick Hassman 135 1986-89 Scott Gustafson 118 1994-97 Todd Connelly 117 1987-90 Wade Van Vark 117 1996-99 Chris Douglas 116 1997-2000 Brett Van Roekel 109 1992-95 Eric Johnson 104 1992-95 Steve Gebhart 100 2002- Loren Merkle 96 1995-98 Rich Schulte 94 1989-91 Matt Menninga 94 1999-2002 Ed Ergenbright 90 1982-85 Adam Duerfeldt 85 2003- Ben Messerly 84 1992-95 Pat Johnson 83 2003-04 Jason Darling 82 1995-98 Darren Huinker 81 1983-86 Blake Jessen 81 1990-93 Kody Wohlers 79 2002- Joe Tecklenburg 79 1983-85 Dan Hassman 74 1980-83 Nathan Landas 72 2001-04 Gary Happel 72 1981-84

Season strikeout leaders Name Strikeouts Year Dave Gregory 60 1985 Todd Subbert 60 1988 Todd Subbert 59 1989 Wade Van Vark 58 1999 Scott Carter 53 1995 Josh Allison 50 1996

12 Baseball

Mark Steffes 50 1980 Jeff Hanneman 47 1988 Todd Vande Noord 47 2000 Johnathon Kloster 46 1998 Todd Vande Noord 45 1999 Jim Barclay 43 2002 Scott Carter 43 1994 Matt Rohach 43 2004 Jim Barclay 42 2003 Wade Van Vark 42 1997 Wade Van Vark 42 1998

Year-by-year season results Year Record Conference finish Coach 1910 1-5 1911 1-5 1912 1913 3-4 1914 4-5 1915 3-3 1916 1917 1918 5-1-1 1919 2-2-1 1920 1921 0-5 1921 1922 1923 3-3 1924 1925 4-6 1926 3-4 1927 6-6 1928 3-3 1929 1930 4-3 1931 3-3 1932 2-4 1933 2-2 1939 1-3 1940 2-4 1947 1st 1948 1st 1949 3-4 1952 5-2 1953 3-6 1954 4-5 1955 1956 3-10 Marinus Kregel 1957 2-11-1 Marinus Kregel 1958 4-13 Marinus Kregel 1959 8-9 Lester “Buck” Terlouw 1960 8-8 Lester “Buck” Terlouw 1961 6-11 Lester “Buck” Terlouw 1962 7-4-1 Eldon Schulte 1963 8-8 Eldon Schulte 1964 1965 1966 6th Jack Walvoord 1967 5-12 6th Jack Walvoord

Baseball 13

1968 6-12 6th Gary Boeyink 1969 11-6 3rd Gary Boeyink 1970 17-12-1 tie, 3rd Gary Boeyink 1971 14-12 tie, 2nd Eldon Schulte 1972 7-8 2nd Eldon Schulte 1973 10-6 2nd Eldon Schulte 1974 13-8 tie, 3rd Eldon Schulte 1975 9-9 tie, 1st Eldon Schulte 1976 9-14 8th Eldon Schulte 1977 5-18 tie, 6th Eldon Schulte 1978 6-17 tie, 6th John Edwards 1979 12-17 3rd John Edwards 1980 15-15 tie, 3rd John Edwards 1981 12-25 6th John Edwards 1982 11-22 5th John Edwards 1983 11-17 3rd John Edwards 1984 10-16 4th John Edwards 1985 25-11 2nd John Edwards 1986 16-18 2nd John Edwards 1987 13-19 5th John Edwards 1988 18-22 5th John Edwards 1989 14-17 5th John Edwards 1990 15-11 5th John Edwards 1991 9-19 6th John Edwards 1992 10-20 tie, 8th John Edwards 1993 10-13 3rd John Edwards 1994 17-18 6th John Edwards 1995 16-20 5th John Edwards 1996 9-33 8th John Edwards 1997 18-16 5th John Edwards 1998 17-19 5th John Edwards 1999 16-14 5th John Edwards 2000 23-23 6th John Edwards 2001 15-23 9th John Edwards 2002 15-23 6th John Edwards 2003 12-24 8th Dave Baker, Matt Ballou 2004 20-22 4th Adam Stevens

Central’s Iowa Conference baseball championships 1947 1948 1975

All-time records vs. opponents (scores unavailable for 1912, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1929, 1934-1938, 1941-1948, 1950, 1951, 1954-1956, 1964-1966, 1971 seasons) WL T Albert Lea (Minn.) 2 0 0 Albright (Pa.) 0 1 0 Arcadia 1 1 0 Augsburg (Minn.) 2 0 0 Augustana 1 7 0 Austin College (Texas) 2 0 0 Benedictine (Kan.) 0 3 0 Bishop (Texas) 4 0 0 Buena Vista 46 45 0 Calvin (Mich.) 0 2 0 Carroll (Mont.) 1 1 0 Central Methodist (Mo.) 0 2 0 Chicago (Ill.) 1 2 0 Coe 14 9 0 Colby (Maine) 0 3 0

14 Baseball

Columbus (Ga.) 1 2 0 Concordia Lutheran 1 4 0 Cornell 11 8 0 Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 3 3 0 Dallas Baptist (Texas) 0 4 0 Denison (Ohio) 140 Des Moines 150 Dordt 1 1 0 Drake 11 11 0 Dubuque 46 27 0 Eastern Connecticut State (Conn.) 020 Eastern Nazarene (Mass.) 110 Eastern New Mexico 060 Edgewood (Wis.) 0 1 0 Ellsworth 3 1 0 Eureka (Ill.) 1 1 0 Fontbonne (Mo.) 0 2 0 Georgia College (Ga.) 4 15 0 Georgia Southwestern (Ga.) 14 25 0 Graceland 13 5 0 Grand View 8 16 0 Greenview 1 1 0 Grinnell 27 3 0 Harris-Stowe (Mo.) 0 2 0 Hiram (Ohio) 0 1 0 Huston-Tillotson (Texas) 2 0 0 Illinois College (Ill.) 2 0 0 Incarnate Word (Texas) 3 0 0 Iowa 1 13 0 Iowa State 3 14 0 Iowa Wesleyan 24 25 0 Knox (Ill.) 0 3 0 Leander Clark 1 0 0 Lincoln (Mo.) 4 4 0 Loras 26 23 0 Luther 30 51 0 Macalester (Minn.) 0 1 0 Marian (Ind.) 0 2 0 Mary Hardin Baylor (Texas) 2 2 0 Massachusetts 0 1 0 Mid-American Nazarene (Kan.) 1 0 0 Minn. State-Mankato 0 2 0 Minot State (N.D.) 1 0 0 Moravian (Pa.) 1 0 0 Morningside 1 1 0 Mount Mercy 6 7 0 Mount Union (Ohio) 0 1 0 Muskingum (Ohio) 0 4 0 Nebraska Wesleyan (Neb.) 1 3 0 North Dakota State (N.D.) 0 2 0 Northern Iowa 2 17 0 Ohio Wesleyan (Ohio) 1 1 0 Parsons 19 24 0 Purdue-North Central (Ind.) 1 1 0 Quincy (Ill.) 0 2 0 Rockford (Ill.) 2 0 0 Roger Williams (R.I.) 1 0 0 Shorter (Ga.) 2 0 0 Shriener (Texas) 0 1 0 Simpson 41 65 1

Baseball 15

St. Ambrose 7 3 0 St. Edward’s (Texas) 0 1 0 St. John Fisher (N.Y.) 1 0 0 St. John’s (Minn.) 1 1 0 St. Joseph’s (Maine) 0 1 0 St. Mary’s (Minn.) 0 2 0 St. Mary’s (Tex.) 1 17 0 St. Michael’s (Vt.) 1 0 0 St. Olaf (Minn.) 2 0 0 St. Scholastica (Minn.) 4 0 0 Stephen F. Austin (Texas) 0 2 0 Southeast Oklahoma (Okla.) 020 Southwestern (Texas) 5 20 0 Texas Arlington 4 0 0 Texas Lutheran 8 0 0 Texas Wesleyan 0 4 0 Thomas More (Ky.) 0 2 0 Trinity (Conn.) 10 11 0 Trinity Lutheran 0 1 0 Union 0 1 0 Upper Iowa 43 52 0 Wartburg 35 47 1 Webster (Mo.) 2 0 0 Westminster (Mo.) 1 1 0 William Penn 52 66 0 Wis.-River Falls 2 0 0 Wittenberg (Ohio) 1 4 0 Wooster (Ohio) 0 1 0

16 Baseball 2005 roster Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. B/T Hometown High school Cole Adair P/SS 6’ 150 Fr. R/R Perry, Iowa Perry Cory Bachman P/IF 5’11 180 So. R/R Denison, Iowa Denison *Chris Borgman P 6’4 200 Jr. R/R Fulton, Ill. Fulton ***Austin DeHoogh CF/P 5’10 165 Sr. R/R Clive, Iowa WDM Valley *Brett Delaney OF 5’10 185 Jr. R/R Ankeny, Iowa Saydel *Nick De Penning P 6’5 180 Jr. R/R Sully, Iowa Lynnville-Sully *Jon Doudna P 6’2 190 Jr. R/R Johnston, Iowa Johnston **Adam Duerfeldt C/OF 6’ 215 Jr. R/R Urbandale, Iowa Urbandale Michael Edwards 3B/1B 6’ 205 Fr. L/R Pella, Iowa Pella Dan Flaherty 2B 5’7 160 Sr. R/R Holdrege, Neb. Holdrege Kyle Fuerstenberg P/IF 6’ 170 Fr. R/R Waverly, Iowa Waverly-Shell Rock Ben Gander P/OF 6’ 175 Fr. L/L Maxwell, Iowa Collins-Maxwell **Steve Gebhart SS 6’ 190 Sr. R/R Des Moines, Iowa Saydel Jared Greenfield P 6’ 160 Fr. R/R Sioux Falls, S.D. O’Gorman Joey Hajduch P 6’ 200 Fr. R/R W. Des Moines, Iowa Dowling Matt Harre P 6’3 190 Jr. R/R Leawood, Kan. Shawnee Mission East Aaron Heffernan OF 5’10 170 Fr. L/R Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa Tylor Johnson P 6’ 210 So. R/R Montrose, Iowa Ft. Madison Jeremy Kippley 1B/P 6’4 225 Fr. L/L Denison, Iowa Denison Matt Kuempel 3B/C 6’2 225 Jr. R/R Anita, Iowa Anita Andy Long SS/2B 5’9 165 So. R/R Perry, Iowa Perry Mike Luce P 6’3 185 Fr. R/R Omaha, Neb. Millard North *Tanner Ludwig P 6’1 180 So. R/R Urbandale, Iowa Urbandale Brett Mahan P 6’3 170 Fr. L/L W. Des Moines, Iowa Valley *Matt Murphy 3B 5’6 185 Jr. L/R Ames, Iowa Ames Justin Owens SS 5’10 160 Fr. R/R Milo, Iowa Southeast Warren Adam Palmersheim P 6’3 165 Fr. R/R Ankeny, Iowa Ankeny *Kent Patterson P 5’11 210 Sr. L/L Collins, Iowa Collins-Maxwell Cody Phelps P/OF 6’4 175 Fr. R/R Ankeny, Iowa Johnston Trent Powers OF 5’11 155 Jr. R/R Jefferson, Iowa Jefferson Drew Riemenschneider P 5’10 220 Jr. R/R Marshalltown, Iowa Marshalltown Jeremy Robinson OF 6’2 180 Sr. R/R Danville, Iowa Danville **Matt Rohach P 5’11 170 Jr. R/R Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa *Josh Sandin OF 6’ 215 Sr. R/R Ankeny, Iowa Saydel **Shea Stamp OF 6’1 175 Jr. L/L Lisbon, Iowa Lisbon Jacob Vaverka SS/P 5’10 160 Fr. R/R Pella, Iowa Pella **Kody Wohlers C 6’1 200 Sr. L/R Missouri Valley, Iowa Missouri Valley *letters earned

Outlook Enthusiasm is rising, but also the expectation level, as the Central College baseball program heads into year two under coach Adam Stevens. Stevens’ club was the surprise of the Iowa Conference in his first season as a collegiate head coach. After losing 12 of the team’s first 19 games, the Dutch reeled off six straight wins and posted a 10-6 league record, good for fourth place and a league tournament berth. Coming off a 12-24 season, Central closed at 20-22, just the program’s third 20-win campaign in 35 years. But Stevens and the Dutch take little satisfaction in that. The young mentor knows its crucial for his program to take another leap forward in 2005 and he’s hopeful that his first recruiting class can help Central do just that. “I’m excited,” Stevens said. “We do have a lot of momentum right now. We did some things people didn’t expect last year, but as I keep telling the guys, we still have a long way to go. We have to take the next step.” The incoming players’ impact will likely be most quickly felt on the pitching mound. “I think we’ve improved our pitching depth,” Stevens said. “We’ve got a lot of unproven guys, but we feel they can become good college pitchers. “I think we can be a real good defensive team as well. We have the potential to be very solid up the middle. But we did graduate some important guys and will have to replace them.”

Baseball 17 Pitchers Two all-Iowa Conference honorees head a rotation that’s eyeing improvement. Senior Austin De Hoogh and junior Matt Rohach were both second-team picks. Rohach fashioned a 6-3 record with two saves and a 5.78 earned run average while De Hoogh was 5-3 with two saves and a 5.69 ERA. “Matt’s coming off a very good year,” Stevens said. “He’s a real competitor and I like to give him the ball. He’s improved his arm strength and could be one of the best pitchers in the league.” De Hoogh is one of the squad’s most versatile players. He’s the starting center fielder when not on the hill. “Austin’s our best athlete overall,” Stevens said. “We’re looking for big contributions from him both offensively and defensively.” The Dutch have several other veteran hurlers, but newcomers are crowding the picture as Stevens seeks to put together a staff that will slice a chunk out of last year’s uncomfortably high 7.99 team ERA. Senior co-captain Kent Patterson (1-3, 11.73), junior Nick De Penning (2-0, 7.36), sophomore Tanner Ludwig (3-2, 8.38), junior Chris Borgman (1-4, 9.30) and junior Jon Doudna (0-2, 10.27) boast considerable experience. “Kent Patterson had a very good sophomore year,” Stevens said. “He got roughed up last year, but has really made some strides. I’m really looking for good things from him and we need that from him. “Chris Borgman has a lot of potential and could be one of our better pitchers. Jon Doudna has been very consistent, and Tanner Ludwig had a pretty good freshman year. Nick De Penning may be used a lot in middle relief. He competes well.” Heading the newcomers is the top candidate for the vacated closer spot, junior Drew Riemenschneider, a transfer from Marshalltown Community College. “He’s a very competitive kid,” Stevens said. “He likes being on the mound as a closer and that’s what we want out of that spot.” Several freshmen are in the mix to log innings, including highly touted Jared Greenfield of Sioux Falls, S.D., Mike Luce of Omaha, Neb., Brett Mahan of West Des Moines and Ben Gander of Maxwell. “They all could be starting pitchers,” Stevens said. “I think they’ll get significant innings if they continue to work hard. They had a great fall, but they are still freshmen so they have to prove themselves yet. We’ll get them some innings early and see how they do.”

Infield There’s open competition at first base. Junior Adam Duerfeldt saw considerable action at first last year, but he’ll likely be used more as a catcher and left fielder this season. But Stevens likes what he’s seeing from freshman Jeremy Kippley of Denison. Versatile senior Josh Sandin could help out as well as freshman Michael Edwards of Pella. The Dutch have a hole at second base which Stevens thinks can be filled by sophomore transfer Andy Long, whom he envisions at the top of the lineup. “He’s probably our best infielder defensively,” Stevens said. “He knows how to play the game.” Senior Dan Flaherty will also get a shot. “Dan’s a good utility infielder,” Stevens said. “He’s also a very valuable pinch-runner. He brings a lot to the team. We need to have him around.” Senior Steve Gebhart hit .359 with 11 doubles, six homers and 40 RBI as Central’s shortstop last season and was a first-team all-conference selection. He’s a team co-captain. “Steve’s the leader of our infield,” Stevens said. “He’s coming off a very good year and will be in the middle of our lineup. He’s a hard worker who could have a big year.” Freshman Justin Owens could be the shortstop of the future. “He’s a very good athlete,” Stevens said. “He’s going to be a good utility player for us this year.” Freshman Jacob Vaverka can help at either shortstop or second base. “He’s strong both offensively and defensively,” Stevens said. Junior Matt Murphy is back at third base after hitting .317 with 19 RBI. “Matt’s a very good defensive player with good hands,” Stevens said. “He’s a contact hitter. We like having him up with runners on base.” Edwards could see action at third as well. “He’s a very good hitter,” Stevens said. Freshman Kyle Fuerstenberg of Waverly also shows promise at third base. Second-year co-captain Kody Wohlers, a senior, returns behind the plate. He hit .301 with 17 RBI last season as a left-handed hitter, but he’s valued even more for his ability to run the show on the field. “He’s a very good defensive catcher,” Stevens said. “He’s a great leader and really came on as a hitter. Wohlers will share time with Duerfeldt, who is a captain as well and also important to the club. He batted a team-

18 Baseball high .366 in 39 games with 10 doubles, a homer and 31 RBI. Duerfeldt will play in the outfield, too. “Even when they’re not catching, they both need to be in the lineup for us somewhere,” Stevens said.

Outfield Left field is a bit of an unknown. Stevens thinks Duerfeldt’s overall athletic ability could allow him to plug in there. “He’s the biggest guy on the team yet probably the fastest,” Stevens said. De Hoogh patrols center when he’s not pitching. He hit .270 last year while knocking in 10 runs. “He’s a very good defensive outfielder,” Stevens said. “He’s got the best arm on the team.” Junior Shea Stamp moves from left field to right. The strong lefty hit .304 with five homers and 28 RBI after belting six homers in a late-season flurry as a freshman. When De Hoogh is pitching, Stamp will likely get the call to move to center field. “Shea’s probably going to be our leadoff hitter,” Stevens said. “He can handle the bat and knows the game. He can have some long at-bats and works the pitchers well. He’s got a ton of potential and is one of the hardest workers on the team.” Other outfield candidates include senior Josh Sandin, who started 26 games last season and hit .265 with 15 RBI. “Josh is a hard worker and a team guy,” Stevens said. “He has the ability to play several positions which is really going to help us.” Also in the picture are senior Jeremy Robinson, junior Brett Delaney, who batted .208 with 11 RBI, and freshman Aaron Heffernan of Ottumwa.

Designated hitter Stevens has plenty of options at DH, including Sandin, Edwards, Heffernan, Delaney and junior Matt Kuempel, who can also back up at third and catcher.

Staff Stevens likes his coaching staff. Dan Mason returns as the pitching coach while former Dutch infielder Brent Fridley is a new assistant and Casey Olney, a member of last year’s club, serves as a volunteer assistant, working with catchers and outfielders. “Dan Mason adds a lot of experience to the staff as a former player and as a coach,” Stevens said. “The guys really like him and he handles a very important job working with our pitchers. “Brent Fridley was a very good player at Central. The guys respect him. He knows the game really well and he’s very competitive, which I like. “Casey Olney wants to be a college coach and is a great addition.”

The Iowa Conference After winning eight straight league titles, Wartburg is an easy pick for the 2005 Iowa Conference race. But Stevens also has an eye on Simpson as well as Luther and Coe. “It’s a very strong league from top to bottom,” he said. The schedule-makers added to the challenge. Eight of Central’s first 10 league games are on the road and the eight are against those same four teams Stevens identifies as the top contenders. But by then the Dutch will be accustomed to challenges. The hurdles begin with the season opener against Bethel (Minn.) in the Metrodome in Minneapolis March 1. The Royals are coming off a 29-11 season. “It’s a difficult schedule but that’s the way we want it,” Stevens said.

The bottom line Improved depth alone gives Stevens reason to believe the Dutch will field a stronger club in 2005. “We’ve got a lot of competition for spots, which is something we didn’t have last year,” he said. “The only way to get better is to be pushed.”

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