University of Cincinnati Clermont College’s head baseball coach Joe Spriggs is expecting a successful season again.

He had 32 members on his Cougar varsity squad of a year ago and 15 of them have returned for another year of action.

“We’re a little bit young. We need to replace a lot of players,” said Spriggs, a University of Cincinnati and Colerain High School graduate.

“We’ve got good depth. Our pitching will be a little bit better and we have good catchers. Offensively, we have the corps back.”

At the plate, Spriggs expects good hitting from veteran standouts the likes of senior Bobby Noeth, junior Andrew Hord, a Glen Este High grad, junior Andrew McPheters, and junior Steven Hendrickson.

When Clermont is on the field, he believes he will get good defensive efforts from freshman catcher Mike Gastrich, a Milford High grad, Huff, sophomore catcher J. D. Little, a Batavia High grad, freshman first baseman A. J. Wilson, a Milford High grad, and junior catcher Andrew McPheters.

On the mound, the number-one pitcher, according to his coach, will be sophomore righthander Nate Jancsics. Other hurlers from whom good days on the mound are also anticipated are freshman righthander Josh Williamson, freshman lefthander Geo Silvani, and freshman lefthander Matt Zompero who transferred to UC Clermont from Eastern Kentucky University.

The Cougars are the defending champions of the Ohio Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) where they posted an 11-1 record during the 2009-10 campaign. With the large number of returning lettermen and 25 new players in the fold, Spriggs believes his team should be the favorite to win the conference once more.

“Our hope is to make it back to the (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) championship tournament. We were seeded sixth last year and finished second. We expect big things this year,” Spriggs concluded.

The Ohio Christian University Trailblazers and the Clark State Community College Eagles are the squads he expects to be his toughest foes in the OCAA. The other members of the association are the Ohio State University – Marion Scarlet Wave, Southern State Community College Patriots, Temple Baptist College Rams, and World Harvest Bible College Warriors.

Roster

Mike Gastrich, freshman catcher, Milford High School graduate; J. D. Little, sophomore catcher, Batavia High School graduate; Andrew Hord, junior outfielder, Glen Este High School graduate; Brandon Huber, junior righthand pitcher, Amelia High School graduate; James Pulskamp, sophomore lefthand pitcher, Amelia High School graduate; Bill McPartland, sophomore righthand pitcher, Batavia High School graduate; Alex Fisler, sophomore outfielder, Batavia High School graduate; A. J. Wilson, freshman first baseman, Milford High School graduate; Joey Wahl, freshman infielder, Batavia High School graduate; Jared Retzlaff, freshman righthand pitcher, Amelia High School graduate; Shawn Talbott, freshman infielder, Glen Este High School graduate; Andy King, sophomore righthand pitcher and infielder, Glen Este High School graduate; Ralph Hodges, freshman catcher, Milford High School graduate; Steve Hendrickson, junior outfielder and infielder, Huber Heights Wayne High School graduate; William Hare, freshman outfielder, Huber Heights Wayne High School graduate; Jarrod Chapman, junior lefthand pitcher, Lakota West High School graduate; Geo Silvani, freshman lefthand pitcher, Fairfield High School graduate; Andrew McPheters, junior catcher, Colerain High School graduate; Brent Humphrey, junior infielder, Ryle (Ky.) High School graduate; Bobby Noeth, senior infielder, Western Brown High School graduate; Matt Zompero, freshman lefthand pitcher and outfielder, Lakota East High School graduate; Jeff Muse, sophomore outfielder, Oak Hills High School graduate; Mike Stidham, junior first baseman, Lakota West High School graduate; Chris Alfaro, junior infielder, Anderson High School graduate; Josh Williamson, freshman righthand pitcher, Fairfield High School graduate; Nathan Hale, freshman righthand pitcher, Norwood High School graduate; Zach Hornschemeier, righthand pitcher, Kings High School graduate; Chris Seeger, sophomore righthand pitcher, Moeller High School graduate; Tyler Sluder, sophomore lefthand pitcher, Norwood High School graduate; Chett Williams, freshman catcher and outfieler, Norwood High School graduate; Travis Orr, sophomore righthand pitcher, Eastern High School graduate; Nate Jancsics, sophomore right hand pitcher, Loveland High School graduate; Zach Barkalow, junior outfielder, Summit Country Day School graduate; Jarred Wilkins, freshman outfielder, Indian Hill High School graduate; Tony Piper, freshman righthand pitcher, Bellevue (Ky.) High School graduate; A. J. Vann, freshman righthand pitcher, Campbell Co. (Ky.) High School graduate; Jeff Tyree, freshman righthand pitcher, Norwood High School graduate; Destul Huff, sophomore catcher, Mason High School graduate; Eric Jamison, freshman first baseman, Western Brown High School graduate; and Jesse Inskeep, freshman righthand pitcher, Anderson High School graduate.

The head coach of the Red and Black is Joe Spriggs and the volunteer assistant coaches of the Cougars are Jack Harbison, a resident of Amelia, and Keith Bauman, a Milford High School graduate.

Schedule

Mar. 26 at Cedarville College (doubleheader), Mar. 31 at Ohio Christian College (doubleheader), Apr. 2 Clark State Community College (doubleheader), Apr. 3 Alice Lloyd University (doubleheader at Old Crosley Field, Blue Ash), Apr. 5 Cincinnati Christian College (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 7 Ohio State University – Mansfield (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 9 Clark State Community College (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 10 Southern State Community College (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 12 Ohio University – Chillicothe (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 16 Southern State Community College (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 17 at Ohio University – Chillicothe (doubleheader), Apr. 21 Ohio Christian University (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 22 Robert Morris University (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 23 Robert Morris University (doubleheader, Old Crosley), Apr. 25 at Miami University – Hamilton (nine innings), Apr. 28 at Miami University – Hamilton (nine innings), May 1 at Ohio State University – Newark (doubleheader), and May 3 Wilmington College (nine innings, Old Crosley).