The pop of the mitt and the crack of the bat will be music to the ears of Valparaiso University baseball players and coaches this week.

The team is on the brink of starting its 2021 season on Friday, Feb. 19 at UAB, finally returning to the diamond in a game situation for the first time in over 11 months after the 2020 campaign came to a screeching halt due to COVID-19.

“It’s going to be nice to take the field and have a break from the craziness of the last year,” head coach Brian Schmack said. “Some of the freshmen haven’t played in even longer than the players who were here last year because their final high school seasons were canceled. It’s going to feel weird to get back on the field, and everyone is looking forward to it. Hopefully this gives them some added perspective on how quickly things can be taken away and they have an increased appreciation for the opportunity to compete.”

Starting Pitching

During the shortened 2020 season, Valpo employed an uncommon strategy, utilizing former closer Easton Rhodehouse (Gilbert, Ariz. / Highland) in an “opener,” role, where he took the ball for the first inning or two before handing it off to a typical starter. Rhodehouse is penciled into a similar role this year and will likely start the first game of each weekend series. The righty appeared in eight games and made six starts last year, one of four pitchers in the nation to start six games.

“Every time Easton threw last year, we were tied or the score was close,” Schmack said. “We want to use our top pitchers in close situations instead of hoping that we get to use them in a high-leverage spot that may never arise. We were pleased with Easton opening games last season, and we’re excited to continue that.”

Sophomore RHP Ryan Mintz (Lombard, Ill. / Willowbrook) will get the ball after Rhodehouse on Fridays. He struck out 11 over 17 2/3 innings in his five appearances as a freshman. Sophomore RHP Trent Turzenski (Burlington, Wis. / Burlington) has earned the role of Saturday starter after posting a team-best 2.48 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 19 innings as a freshman. On Sunday, Schmack will turn to junior RHP Colin Fields (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville), who struck out 17 over 18 innings during his four starts last year.

“Our starters all have good stuff and they’ve learned how to utilize their stuff by making improvements over the last 12 months,” Schmack said. “We’ve seen positive strides from Ryan, Trent and Colin, and they give us the best opportunity to win those weekend games. With this year’s four-game MVC format, we’ll determine our fourth starter based on who is available and who steps up.”

Relief Pitching

Fifth-year senior RHP Jon Tieman (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Prairie Ridge), junior RHP Nathan Chasey (Ames, Iowa / Gilbert [Indian Hills CC]), junior RHP Nolan Lebamoff (Fort Wayne, Ind. / Carroll [Kankakee CC]) and redshirt freshman LHP Jake Miller (Chester, N.Y. / Don Bosco Prep) all figure to play roles out of the Valpo bullpen.

Tieman has spent time in various capacities throughout his Valpo tenure, from closer to Friday starter to long reliever. The right-hander is a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team choice, 2018 All-MVC Honorable Mention selection and former Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American. Tieman is four strikeouts away from 200 for his career and six away from cracking the Top 10 in program history.

Chasey joined the program this season after spending two years of junior college baseball at Indian-Hills CC- Centerville, where he was named an NJCAA Region 11 Honorable Mention selection in 2019. Lebamoff also comes in as a JUCO transfer and was the Kankakee Community College Pitcher of the Year in 2019, when he tied for third in the nation in saves among NJCAA Division-II players. Miller provides a strong option from the left side after he redshirted during the 2020 season.

“Tieman has been impressive; we’re excited to have him in the back end of our bullpen,” Schmack said. “Lebamoff has showed well, and Chasey had a very good preseason. Miller has impressed us and shown an uptick in velocity this year. We like our situation in the bullpen.”

Outfield

The opening day outfield will feature no shortage of experience as seniors Riley Dent (Long Beach, Calif. / Wilson), Jonathan Temple (Turlock, Calif. / Turlock Modesto JC) and Steven Fitzsimmons (Golden Valley, Minn. / Robbinsdale Cooper) are the projected starters.

Dent received 2019 All-MVC Honorable Mention accolades before leading the team in batting average at .311 while starting all 16 games during the shortened 2020 season. He had a team-high 19 hits, tied for the club lead in RBIs with seven and was second on the squad with seven runs scored.

A two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team choice, Fitzsimmons had a breakout junior senior in 2019 by hitting .268 with nine doubles before playing in 13 games and making 12 starts during the 2020 campaign.

Temple joined the program as a JUCO transfer prior to last season and started all 16 games while tying for the team lead with three doubles, collecting 12 hits and drawing seven walks in 2020. Junior Jeremy Drudge (Plymouth, Ind. / Plymouth) will also see time in the outfield and receive at-bats at DH.

“Our outfield features older guys who have showed well and proven they deserve an opportunity,” Schmack said. “We’re very comfortable with this group, and we’re excited to see those seniors perform.”

Infield

The projected starting infield includes three underclassmen and one senior as Valpo is expected to line up from third to first with freshman Kaleb Hannahs (West Terre Haute, Ind. / West Vigo), fifth-year senior Damon Jorgensen (Blair, Neb. / Blair [Coffeyville]), sophomore Nolan Tucker (Cedar Lake, Ind. / Hanover Central) and sophomore Kyle Schmack (Wanatah, Ind. / South Central).

Jorgensen ranked second on the team in batting average a year ago and is now in his third season at Valpo after coming in as a JUCO transfer. An all-local right side features a Hanover Central alum at second base and a South Central product at first, while the hot corner is held down by the rookie Hannahs, the son of Indiana State head coach Mitch Hannahs.

“It’s a very young group aside from Damon, who is a fifth-year senior leading the charge in the middle,” Schmack said. “We had an opening at third base, and Kaleb has done a great job defensively and showed us he can handle that position. On the right side, Nolan and Kyle are young guys who only had 30-40 at-bats as freshmen against high-level competition. Both changed their bodies for the better during the offseason, and it’s good to see that growth.”

Freshman Alex Thurston (Fowler, Ind. / Benton Central) is a utility infielder, while fellow rookie Brady Renfro (Antigo, Wis. / Antigo) will see time at DH and first base.

Catcher

Junior Jake Kapers (Schererville, Ind. / Mount Carmel) and sophomore Angel DiFederico (New Haven, Ind. / New Haven) will share time behind the plate to begin the season.

“We have four catchers on the roster, which is something we’ve never had before,” Schmack said. “With doubleheaders on Missouri Valley Conference weekends this season, the importance depth at that position is magnified. Both Jake and Angel have different strengths and we’ll see who gives us the best opportunity to win each weekend.”

Kapers has made 44 starts over the last two seasons, while DiFederico batted .348 in a limited sample size last season, playing in seven games and making six starts.

The 54-game slate begins on Friday, Feb. 19 at UAB with Missouri Valley Conference play getting underway on Thursday, April 1 at DBU.