CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week one of the 2025 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule
 
Athletes of the Week:
Hitter of the Week:
Mitchell Roether (Dayton, Ohio) Earlham College | First Base | Junior - Mitchell Roether went 5-8 with two runs scored, five RBI and an eighth-inning home run against Olivet on Opening Day in Sadler Stadium.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Matt Johnson (Griffith, Ind.) Frankln College | Pitcher | Senior - Johnson was dominant as the opening day starter for Franklin as they claimed a win over Concordia Chicago on Sunday morning…Johnson logged six innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in what would be a 4-3 Franklin win.

Notable Performances
Hitting Athletes

• Garrett DeHart (Smyrna, Ga.) Franklin College | Outfield | Junior - DeHart batted .286 (2-for-7) with three runs scored, a home run and three RBI during Franklin's two wins on opening day…clubbed a go-ahead three-run home run in the Grizzlies' 4-3 win over Concordia Chicago in game one…went 1-for-4 with two runs scored in a 5-2 win over North Park to cap the day.
• Jake Danneman (Edgewood, Ky.) Hanover College | Shortstop | Senior - Danneman led the Panthers to a 2-1 week as they competed in a tough opening schedule featuring Mary Washington, Hartford, and Methodist. The senior went 2-for-11 at the plate with four runs and four RBI. He also added the go-ahead home run, plating three runs, in the top of the seventh to beat Methodist. He went a perfect 2-for-2 on stolen bases and drew four walks.
• Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind.) Manchester University | First Base | Junior - Joel Kennedy brought the power to opening day of Manchester Baseball, helping the Spartans split the series against Wabash and start off 1-1. Kennedy finished the Double-Header batting .500 going a combined 4-8 with 3 RBIs and one home run. Kennedy led the Spartans to a win to start out their season, going 3-5 with 3 singles, 1 RBI, 1 Run, and zero strikeouts. In the field, Kennedy had zero errors, 1 assist, and 2 double plays.
• Jordan Harley  (Batavoia, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Left Field | Junior - Lions junior left fielder Jordan Harley had an outstanding week helping lead the team to a 2-1 record on their trip to Huntingdon. In the three games he was 7-for-12 (.583) at the plate with a 1.226 OPS, 4 runs scored, 2 RBI, 1 walk, a .643 OBP and was 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.
• Mason Rasmussen (Lake Barrington, Ill.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Catcher | Junior - Rasmussen went 3-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk for a .800 on-base percentage and 1.250 slugging percentage in the season-opening win over Mount Union. The junior singled in the eighth and scored the go-ahead run at 6-5, and he doubled in the tenth and his pinch runner would score the go-ahead and game-winning run in the 9-7 extra innings win.

Pitching Athletes

• Kyle Jeffries (Gilbert, Ariz.) Earlham College | Pitcher | Sophomore - Kyle Jeffries started game two against Olivet on Sunday and pitched 5.1 innings with six strikeouts. The sophomore allowed just four hits and two earned runs in the win.
• Caden Wilburn (Whiteland, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | Junior - Junior pitcher Caden Wilburn was dominant in his first career start, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over six innings of work. Campbell slammed the door shut with three innings of one-hit ball in relief, earning the first save of his career.
• Dalton Sisson (Bowling Green, Ky.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Sophomore - Sisson got the start and the win over Methodist throwing seven complete innings. He tallied six strikeouts and allowed just six hits. Sisson posted a team-best 1.29 ERA.
• Nolan Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Sophomore - Sophomore Nolan Miller pitched in relief this weekend, during the teams win over Wheaton. After the starter went 4.2 innings, Miller pitched the final 4.1 allowing only a single hit and no runs while striking out seven Wheaton batters, earning the win in the Lions season opener.
• Brady Strawmyer (Fishers, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | Sophomore - Strawmyer was lights out in his first start of the season on Sunday as he pitched five shutout innings with five strikeouts in the 9-7 extra-inning win over Mount Union. The sophomore standout left the game with a 2-0 lead after allowing just five hits in his outing.

 
Looking Forward:
HCAC Baseball Standings