Oberlin, Ohio – Not often is a defending conference champion picked to finish sixth in its respective preseason poll the following season, but that is exactly where its peers in the North Coast Athletic Conference selected the Oberlin College baseball team.
 
The surprise team of 2015, the Yeomen reached the NCAC Tournament by virtue of its crossover-series win over DePauw and then went on to shock the league by beating traditional power Wooster two times in two days, while also knocking off Allegheny along the way for its first-ever NCAC Championship.
 
However, the journey didn't stop there as the Yeomen went on to the NCAA New York Regional, where they won three games, had a lead in the 8^th inning against national champion Cortland and eventually lost on a walk-off in the semifinals of the tournament against RPI.
 
Despite all of that, the Yeomen still come into the 2016 season looking for what all teams covet – respect.
 
If Oberlin is able to make it back to its third league tournament in four years, it will have to be with a new cast of characters as the Yeomen graduated seven of their nine everyday position players from a year ago. However, they do welcome back a young, talented, and polished pitching staff.
 
"We are going to have to do it a little differently this year," Head Coach Adrian Abrahamowicz said. "I really like our pitching and I think our defense will be better. We have a lot of talented guys who were behind those seniors last year that are ready to step up and show what they can do."
 
Pitching
Sophomore Sean Kiley and junior Kyle Dominy highlight the weekend rotation as they each led the team with six wins a season ago.
 
Kiley, who was named to the All-NCAC Tournament Team, tossed 63.1 innings, allowing 63 hits, 30 runs (24 earned) and 14 walks. The Studio City, California, native Finished with a 3.41 ERA and team-best five complete games. He was second on the team with 34 punch-outs, while holding opponents to a .263 batting average.
 
Dominy made 13 appearances and 11 starts while totaling a team-high 69 innings. He finished with a 4.43 ERA and held opponents to a .289 batting average. After pitching in wins over Allegheny and Wooster at the NCAC Tournament, the southpaw from Phoenix, Arizona, gave up just three runs on five hits to NCAA Champion Cortland as he worked seven innings before departing the game with a 4-3 lead in the opening round of the NCAA Regional.
 
Sophomore Milo Sklar is another hard-throwing sidearmer who can be an option as a starter or out of the bullpen. The 2015 NCAC Tournament MVP, Sklar pitched in all three wins during the NCAC Tournament and appeared in a team-high 19 games with two starts. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Sklar finished with a 3.02 ERA and 4-5 record to go along with two saves. He totaled 50.2 innings and a team-high 35 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .245 batting average.
 
Junior Macabe Camps also has his eye on a weekend rotation spot after finishing the 2015 campaign on the upswing. In 10 appearances and three starts, the right-hander from Albany, California, posted a 2.77 ERA and held opponents to a .294 batting average. In the NCAA Regional, Camps sprinkled nine hits and three runs (two earned) in a nine-inning complete-game that saw the Yeomen defeat Old Westbury 9-3.
 
Senior co-captain Harrison Wollman and classmate Jesse Kohler are also looking to erase their subpar seasons from 2015 and end their respective careers on a high note. With some adjustments, they both have the ability to be contributors on the bump this season. Left-handed senior Julian Sawhill will also look to bounce back after an injury-riddled season in 2015 and be key option for the Yeomen.
 
Coach Abrahamowicz also has a plethora of options out the bullpen to be used in key situations. In total, the staff features 14 right-handers and eight left-handers.
 
"Our pitching is going to have to lead us this year," Abrahamowicz said. "I feel our staff can match-up with anyone in the conference, and I have liked what I have seen from all of the guys so far throughout camp."
 
Catchers
Seniors Blaise Dolcemaschio and Brian Hemmert serve as two of the four team captains and are tasked with managing the Yeomen pitching staff from behind the plate.
 
Dolcemaschio played in 34 games and made 31 starts a season ago. He hit .298 with 22 RBI and gunned down 19 total runners on the bases between steal attempts and pick-offs.
 
Hemmert saw time in 19 games, earning 16 starts as a junior as he hit .302 with 16 hits in 53 at-bats, which include six doubles. The Scotts Valley, California, native threw out 9-of-31 (29%) would-be-base stealers.
 
First-years Connor MacDowell, Isaac Goldman and Andrew Sugarman will spell the senior duo at times and should see some innings during the team's 16-game spring break trip.
 
"Brian and Blaise have done such a great job for us over the last three years, and I would expect more of the same this season. Both guys do a good working with our pitchers. The young guys have two good role models to look up to in them."
 
Infield
The Yeomen's regular infield from third to first from last spring is all gone, but a mixture of underclassmen are ready to fill the voids.
 
Junior Mike Masella and sophomore Jack Brewster are the likely options to man the hot corner. Masella played in 15 games a season ago, making 10 starts while hitting .268. He had 11 hits in 48 at-bats. In limited opportunities, Brewster was 3-of-14 at the plate in eight games played.
 
Sophomores Sam Harris and Derek Martin will be the main double-play combination up the middle with Harris at short and Martin at second. Harris led all freshmen with 34 games played in 2015, which included eight starts. He will look to build off his .222 batting average. In limited chances, Martin batted .286 with eight hits in 28 at-bats. He played in 16 games and made seven starts.
 
First-years Ian Dinsmore, Brendan Mapes, and junior Darren Zaslau will provide depth in the infield.
 
At first base the Yeomen are expected to platoon senior co-captain Colin Brown and sophomore Quin Butler, with senior Brandon Bertot potentially mixing in as well. Brown, who was the third catcher last season, was limited to eight games and four starts. He went 5-of-18 at the plate for a .278 clip with two doubles, five RBI, and a run scored. Butler played in seven games, making four starts while hitting .263 with five hits in 19 at-bats.
 
"We have a lot of guys who are mostly unproven at this point in the infield. I have seen what they can do in practice and in limited chances, but it is really going to be up to them to put in the work and get better everyday throughout the season."
 
Outfield
Junior Justin Cruz is back to control centerfield after he played in 46 games with 45 starts last year. With the speed and ability to track down balls from gap-to-gap Cruz will be a welcomed and familiar face to the Yeomen faithful this spring. He hit .252 a season ago and swiped just six bags – a number most folks expect to see climb this year.
 
Looking to take over for the departed Andrew Hutson in right field is junior Brian Carney with Butler also battling for time. Carney had his season cut short in 2015 due to injury and batted .231 over four games. 
 
Senior John Evans may be the best defensive outfielder on the team and will mix in at all three spots.
 
Freshman Jake Reynolds has impressed the coaches throughout the fall season and into camp as he has eyes on the job in left field. He will be tested by Evans and senior Daniel Becker.
 
Schedule
The Yeomen are slated to open the season on Saturday, March 12, at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. A week later they will travel to Tucson, Arizona, and play 16 games over an eight-day span.
 
NCAC play commences on the weekend of April 9-10 when the Yeomen welcome the Hiram Terriers to Dill Field for a four-game set.