Baseball sets sights on breakout 2022 season

After playing a conference-only schedule in 2021, the Muskingum baseball team has its sights set on a breakout 2022 campaign. The Muskies begin their season on Wednesday, March 2, when they travel to non-conference foe Washington & Jefferson.

The Coach: Muskingum is led by Head Coach Gregg Thompson, who's entering his 27th season at the helm. During Thompson's tenure, the Muskies have had numerous First Team All-OAC selections, both for athletic and academic accomplishments. The baseball program has also produced five Clyde Lamb nominees, the highest award given to a scholar-athlete in the OAC. Thompson has gained a reputation as one of the top offensive coaches in the game, and his players and teams have collected numerous records and achievements under his tutelage.

The Players – In the Field: The Muskies will be led by several players in the field this season, including senior infielder Chayce Lundell, senior infielder Trey Yoder, junior infielder Devin Ryan, junior outfielder Allex Santacroce, junior infielder Dominic Gorence, and sophomore infielder Andy Eurez.

Last season, Lundell appeared in 28 games, batting .277. He registered 26 hits, 16 RBIs, 14 runs scored, four doubles, and two home runs in his junior campaign. Yoder played in 25 games for the Muskies and registered a .239 batting average. He also tallied 21 hits, 14 runs scored, eight RBIs, and three doubles. Ryan appeared in all 31 games for the Muskies and registered a .391 batting average. A Second Team All-OAC selection a season ago, Ryan also tallied team-highs in hits with 50, RBIs with 28, runs scored with 26, and doubles with 15.

Santacroce played in 22 games for Muskingum last season, registering a .259 batting average. On the year, he amassed 15 hits, 10 runs scored, seven RBIs, and three doubles. Gorence played in eight games last year, while Eurez appeared in 28 games for the Muskies. In his freshman season, Eurez batted .213 with 16 hits, 15 runs scored, and eight RBIs.

The Players – On the Mound: This season, the Muskingum pitching unit will be led by senior Jake Norris, senior Drew Eaches, sophomore Jaxon Rinkes, and sophomore Noah Moser.

Last season, Norris pitched in nine games with nine starts and recorded a career-high 41 strikeouts in 55.2 innings of work. Eaches appeared in seven games for the Muskies, tallying 10 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched. Rinkes appeared in five games with one start, and Moser made an appearance in five games for Muskingum.

The Schedule: Muskingum's schedule features a 40-game slate, followed by the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. Muskingum will play all conference opponents in doubleheaders, with the first OAC-matchup taking place on Saturday, March 26, at John Carroll. All OAC contests are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. start times. The Muskies will also play nine games in Fort Myers, Florida, part of the Gene Cusic Classic. The Muskies' Florida trip will last from March 6 – March 12. 

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.