Winning a school record 21 games in the 2016 season, the Kalamazoo College baseball team is headed back to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association postseason tournament for the third consecutive season under fourth year head coach, Mike Ott.
Entering MIAA play with a 4-4-1 record, the Hornets started conference play hot sweeping Albion in a four game set on March 25 and 26. Kalamazoo managed to lose just one series throughout conference play on its way to a 17-11 MIAA record, notably the team's highest conference win total in program history.
The Tournament Match Ups
The MIAA tournament is a double-elimination style tournament set for May 11, 12 and 13 with the final two days of the tournament set to be played at Adrian College.
May 11
Game #1 – No. 4 Kalamazoo (21-17-1, 17-11) at No. 1 Adrian (30-10, 24-4) – 4 p.m. (Adrian, Mich.)
Game #2 – No. 3 Hope (22-17, 17-11) at No. 2 Alma (27-13, 18-10) – 4 p.m. (Alma, Mich.)
May 12
Game #3 – G-1 Winner vs. G-2 Winner
Game #4 – G-1 Loser vs. G-2 Loser
Game #5 – G-3 Loser vs. G-4 Winner
May 13
Game #6 – G-3 Winner vs. G-5 Winner
Game #7 – G-3 Winner vs. G-5 Winner (if necessary)
Making a statement
Kalamazoo went a combined 5-7 against the three opposing teams participating in the MIAA's postseason and two of those wins came on the road against the Hornets' first round match up—the Adrian Bulldogs. Adrian, now the MIAA regular season champion for the eighth consecutive year, has turned itself into a perennial power in the conference and nationally, but Kalamazoo hasn't shied away from the competition.
In the four game series between the two teams on April 1 and 3 with notably all four games played at Adrian due to weather, no game was decided by more than two runs.
Each team's top pitcher, Ryan Orr of Kalamazoo and Tommy Parsons of Adrian, tossed a no-hitter in conference play, so it wouldn't come as a shock to see another tight game opening up the postseason.
Fantastic Four
Kalamazoo's offense hasn't displayed a significant amount of power in 2016, but what the Hornets lack in power they make up for with a consistent and effective approach led by their one through four hitters at the dish. The various combinations of Ian Kobernick, David Kracht, Jack Clark and Mitchell VanKoevering at the top of the lineup have driven in 51 percent of the runs for K this season.
Of the four, Clark leads the way with a .369 batting average and an impressive .500 on base percentage. Kobernick leads the team in runs scored (34) while VanKoevering holds the team lead in RBI (28).
Others to keep an eye on this postseason include Jordan Wiley, who's second in the MIAA with 24 stolen bases, and Connor Grant, who leads the team with two home runs and is third on the team with 25 RBI.
Directions to Adrian's campus and other information regarding the MIAA tournament can be found here.