Baseball

HCAC 2024 Baseball Notebook, Week 3

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week three of the 2024 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule
 
Athletes of the Week:
Hitter of the Week:
Kade Kline (Terre Haute, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outfield | Junior - Kline became the first player in Rose-Hulman history to hit for the cycle in Saturday's win over Houghton. He finished the day going 5-6 with a cycle, 2 triples, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Throughout the entire week, Kline led the team with a .471 batting average and .545 on-base percentage with 6 runs, 8 RBIs, and 4 extra-base hits.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
John Girard (Richmond, Ky.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Sophomore - Girard helped lead the Panthers to a 4-0 week in Myrtle Beach as the sophomore pitched a complete game shutout against Bridgewater. He had a no-hitter in place through eight and a third innings, surrendering just three hits with 11 strikeouts.

Notable Performances:
  • Tyler Smitherman (Westfield, Ind.) Anderson University | First Base | Graduate - Tyler Smitherman went 8-for-17 with 4 homers, 7 RBI and 6 runs as Anderson went 4-0 on the week. Smitherman recorded a slashline of .471/.500/1.176. He smashed two of his homers in the first game of Anderson's series against Knox.
  • Landen Southern (Lafayette, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Junior - Landen Southern threw six scoreless innings and struck out 13 batters for a win against Knox. He allowed four hits and a walk.
  • Justin Maurer (Springfield, Ohio) Bluffton University | First Base | Junior - Maurer went 3-of-7, hitting .429, as the Beavers fell to Baldwin Wallace and Rockford on Sunday. He rapped a double and had two walks for a .600 on-base percentage.
  • Tysen Lipscomb (Wapahani, Ind.) Franklin College | Catcher | Fifth Year - Went 7-for-11 with a home run, 6 RBI and 3 runs scored as Franklin swept a three-game series with Hope College over the weekend…went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 11-0 win…went 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBI in game one, powering Franklin to a 6-4 victory.
  • Matt Johnson (Griffith, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | Junior - Hurled six innings of shutout ball on Friday against Hope, allowing two hits and striking out six batters as Franklin bested the Flying Dutchmen, 11-0.
  • Alex Christie (Greenwood, Ind.) Hanover College | Infield | Sophomore - Alex led the Panthers to a perfect 4-0 week in Myrtle Beach as the senior went 6-of-16 at the dish with three doubles a homerun and four RBI. Christie propelled the Panthers to a come from behind win over Keystone as he connected for a homerun in the eighth inning scoring the go-ahead run.
  • Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind.) Manchester University | First Base | Sophomore - Joel Kennedy hit .286 over three games as the Spartans competed against Keystone, Bridgewater State, and Eastern Nazarene in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Kennedy finished the weekend with six RBI, two doubles, and a home run. The sophomore is currently hitting .409 on the season with a .818 slugging percentage.
  • Rocco Hanes (Ossian, Ind.) Manchester University | Catcher/Utility | Junior - Rocco Hanes threw 8.1 innings against Bridgewater State on Sunday. The junior struck out 11 batters and allowed just five hits while giving up three earned runs.
  • Jake Lawson (Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Second Base | Fifth Year - Lions second baseman Jake Lawson had a fantastic weekend at the plate. In the three-game series with Ohio Wesleyan he was 5-for-9 (.556) at the plate, with an OBP of .643. He scored four runs, hit a double, reached via base-on-balls three times, was hit by a pitch and had a sacrifice bunt.
  • Kaiden Morris (Fairfield, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Junior - Junior right-hander Kaiden Morris, set the tone for the Lions in the teams 2-1 win over Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday. He started the game on the mound and went 5.1 innings allowing only a single hit and no runs, while striking out four. The first time through the Ohio Wesleyan lineup, Morris was perfect going 9-up 9-down.
  • Zachues Carr (Mahomet, Ill.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | Junior - Carr picked up two of the three wins on the mound for the Fightin' Engineers this past week. In his two appearances, he totaled 4 innings, 1 earned run, and 3 strikeouts for a 2.25 ERA and 1.75 WHIP en route to a 2-0 record on the mound.
  • Calvin Schubert (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Infield/Outfield | Junior - Schubert had 8 RBI's on the weekend, including 5 in the series finale over DePauw. He finished the series with 5 hits, 8 RBI's, and two home runs, one being a grand-slam.
  • Luke Patton (Ashland, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Sophomore - Patton went six strong innings in the Saturday game two win over DePauw, striking out 10 batters and giving up just 3 hits.

 
Looking Forward:
HCAC Baseball Standings