A healthy Zac Mathie could give the Scots one of the top clean-up hitters and right fielders in NCAA Div. III.

With 16 seniors, believed to be the largest senior class in program history, The College of Wooster baseball team's expectations for 2014 may be as high as they've ever been. Several of the seniors were leading contributors as soon as they stepped on campus and they've produced some notable achievements – two North Coast Athletic Conference championships and a 30-win season (33-12) – but now they hope to really leave their mark, qualify for the NCAA Div. III Baseball Championships field again and make an extended postseason run.

"This is what we've been kind of building for when these guys showed up on campus four years ago," said long-time Wooster head coach Tim Pettorini, a career 1,000-game winner (1,035-388-6). "We've taken steps, won conference championships the last two years. Hopefully, the logical next step is to take it a step further."

The Fighting Scots' lineup will be anchored by preseason All-American Eddie Reese and look very similar to last season, when it ranked 12th in Div. III in scoring (8.1 rpg), third in doubles (117 total), 14th in home runs (23 total), and 18th in team batting average (.323). Other than finding replacements for a speedy centerfielder who hit in the No. 8 hole (Ryan Miner) and a part-time DH (Johnathan Ray) due to graduation, Pettorini is simply looking for increased consistency in certain areas.

Jarrod Mancine, who will move from left to centerfield, returns in the leadoff spot after earning a spot on D3baseball.com's All-Mideast Region First Team as well as second-team all-NCAC recognition. He reached base nearly 50 percent of the time (.481) via a team-high .392 batting average plus 25 walks and seven hit by pitches, and his speed helped result in 12 stolen bases and 45 runs scored.

Junior shortstop John McLain had a breakout season, taking a spot on the All-NCAC Second Team. He hit .317 with a team-leading 42 runs, 13 doubles, four home runs, and 14 stolen bases, while batting out of the No. 2 hole, and will likely resume that role or possibly switch to the No. 5 spot in the order.

Reese, one of Div. III's top offensive players, will hold down the No. 3 hole for the third-straight year. He enters his senior season as a career .362 hitter with 35 doubles and 17 home runs, including .370 with 22 doubles and eight homers as well as 54 RBI, when he collected second-team All-American and NCAC Player-of-the-Year honors last season. Defensively, the coaching staff is toying with the idea of shifting him from second base to the outfield (left) in order to get another strong bat in the lineup.

Zac Mathie has been penciled in as Wooster's clean-up hitter and right fielder since joining the program four years ago, but has missed significant time due to injuries each of the last two seasons. Now healthy, the three-time second-team all-NCAC selection looks to maximize the potential that has seen him bat .345 with 37 doubles, nine home runs, and 108 RBI over 105 career games.

The remainder of the lineup will likely fluctuate, as the Scots' possible No. 5 hole hitter, senior first baseman Billy Farrow, will be out for the beginning of 2014 due to shoulder surgery. Farrow provides a powerful bat with 18 doubles and 12 home runs during his career, however, Wooster has the luxury of penciling in Cal Thomay, another senior who can play either corner infield position. In fact, Thomay received honorable mention on the All-NCAC Team after finishing with a .359 average, which included several clutch hits, last spring.

Two of the Scots' most valuable pieces are seniors Bryan Miller and Craig Day, both of whom are expected to find their spots in the everyday lineup. Miller was an all-region and first-team all-conference pick, excelling defensively at the catcher position while also quietly recording the squad's second-best average (.386) and third-most RBI (29). Day, who owns career numbers of .305, 19 doubles, 11 homers, and 65 RBI, will be a four-year starter, possibly taking over at second this spring or returning to a third base/DH role.

Junior Frank Vance, a smooth-swinging left-handed hitter who can play third base or DH, appears ready to become a full-time starter after batting .360 with seven doubles and 16 RBI in 75 at bats last season, while senior outfielder Shane Gallagher could emerge as a key piece of the offense, too. He hit .280 with five extra base-hits and 11 RBI over 50 at bats, and possesses good speed.

Additional returning veterans who have the ability to work their way into regular roles include sophomore outfielder Joey Gilmore, Wooster's fastest player; sophomore middle infielder Kenny Reckart, a defensive specialist; senior Mike Ries, a skilled offensive talent who was slowed by a serious knee injury; sophomore Jacob Solomon, who is in the outfield mix; junior first baseman/DH Brendan Taylor, who has shown potential with a strong bat; and junior Ian Vernier, who should spell Miller at catcher more frequently.

It may be tough to find many at bats for newcomers this season, but Pettorini sees a very bright future for many of his freshmen, led by first baseman Jamie Lackner as well as left-handed outfielder Jake Kail, catcher Ryan Ostendorf, and third baseman/catcher Alex Tench.

While the offense should be as potent as ever, Pettorini thinks the difference this year could be a deeper, more experienced pitching staff, which will be anchored by Steve Hagen. The senior right-hander known for his accurate location, array of pitches, and durability was second-team all-Mideast Region (American Baseball Coaches Association) and first-team all-North Coast Athletic Conference last season. He may have received more honors, but was often the victim of poor run support, finishing with an 8-3 record. More impressive, Hagen compiled a 2.56 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .213 batting average and just 12 walks over 91.1 innings pitched.

Two of the Scots' other top-four hurlers from last spring return, a pair of hard-throwing right-handers in seniors Matt Felvey and Kyle Koski. They're competing with each other for the Nos. 2-3 spots in the rotation. Felvey, a converted shortstop, logged 69.0 innings last spring and was 4-2 with a 3.52 ERA, while Koski produced a staff-best 2.14 ERA and struck out 53 in 54.2 innings.

The remainder of the staff's roles will be sorted out throughout the season, but regular contributions are expected from seniors Jon Rothman, Zach Klein, Jon Huisel, and Brett DeWester, junior transfer Danny Reese, sophomores Hank Schlueter and Zach Woullard, and freshmen Nick Buckingham and Tyler Schuch. Rothman filled a key spot in middle relief in 2013, making a team-high 22 appearances (2-1, 4.33 ERA, 27.0 IP), while Klein notched three saves (20.1 IP). Reese, the younger brother of teammate Eddie Reese, is being looked at as a potential closer. Schlueter and Woullard have developed after seeing spot duty in their initial season, and Schlueter and Schuch provide the Scots a couple of left-handed options.

"We're really excited where we are, in terms of talent and maturity. (The players) have a good handle on what they need to do, but they still have to go out and do it," summed up Pettorini.