Schedule
Hillsdale College (0-0) at RV Lee (1-2) | 4 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 7 | Larry Carpenter Stadium – Cleveland, TN
Hillsdale College (0-0) at RV Lee (1-2) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 8 | Larry Carpenter Stadium – Cleveland, TN
Hillsdale College (0-0) at RV Lee (1-2) | 4 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 8 | Larry Carpenter Stadium – Cleveland, TN
 
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Lee Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2025 Lee Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Preview
A new-look Hillsdale College baseball team kicks off the 2025 season in Tennessee this weekend, as the Chargers travel to a powerhouse Lee University team for a three game series.
After narrowly missing the G-MAC Tournament in 2024, Hillsdale bid farewell to a massive senior class and 16 total players, while adding 15 new freshmen to the roster in a turnover that will reshape the program heading into the upcoming campaign.

Lee is a perennial top 25 team in NCAA DII and is coming off a 39-18 season that saw the Flames win the Gulf South Conference regular season title as well as multiple games in the NCAA DII Tournament. The season has already started in Tennessee, as the Flames went 1-2 against Emmanuel at home last weekend in their first action of 2025.

Lee suffered heavy graduation losses from that 2024 squad but should reload well, especially on the mound, where All-Region closer Tim Gooden returns from 2024. To replace the team's top three starters, Lee has brought in three transfers, led by JuCo transfer Cooper Casteel, who struck out six and gave up just one run in a start for the Flames over the weekend. Jacksonville State transfer Will Baker and JuCo transfer Dylan Van Meeteren also started for Lee this past weekend, while senior Nelson Smith also started 11 games for the Flames in 2025.

The Flames also have big holes to fill in the lineup, returning just three of their everyday hitters from last season. Power bat JJ Williams is the top returner, and he hit .462 with two home runs over the weekend, but Luke Collier also is a veteran piece for the Flames who's off to a strong start. Tucker Platt and Levi Cloud are two more names to watch at the plate for Lee this season.

While Hillsdale has big shoes to fill in its lineup in terms of offensive production, the cupboard is far from bare for the Chargers. Three of the team's top six hitters return, led by sophomores Rocco Tenuta and Will Millard, who each hit above .280 with double-digit extra base hits as freshmen in 2024 and who will be mainstays for Hillsdale this season. The team's best returning hitter overall might be senior Zak Kent, who seized a starting role in the outfield midway through 2024 and had the best batting average (.357), slugging percentage (.571) and on-base percentage (.423) among returners in 2024.

Along with those three, Hillsdale also brings back its starting shortstop and second baseman from last year in sophomores Aaron Jasiak and Tyler Turner, as well as another veteran infielder who got good playing time last season in Kaden Nowak. In the outfield, senior Augie Hutchison will get his shot to lock down a starting spot after three seasons playing behind veteran stars.

On the mound, Hillsdale brings back two players with significant starting experience in sophomore Daniel Higdon, who was one of the Chargers top pitchers before a late season injury, and senior Brandon Scott, who transitioned out of the bullpen late in the year and impressed in three starts. Sophomores Luke Miller, Hayden Hoffpauir, Jacob Pallo and Josh Novak all have a year under their belt and will battle to lock down bigger roles this season.

The Chargers have options in the bullpen, including Jasiak, who excelled as a reliever on top of his hitting for Hillsdale last season, senior Andrew George and sophomore Logan McLaughlin, as well as pitchers from the group above who don't land one of the four weekend starting jobs. The raw talent is there for Hillsdale to take a step forward as a staff, and that's a key for the Chargers to have a successful 2025 – a 7.34 team ERA in 2024 was a major reason the team missed the G-MAC Tournament last season.

The X-factor for Hillsdale this season is that 15-player freshman class, one that's full of talent and pedigree. While the lineup is still uncertain, it's likely that multiple freshmen will end up starting in the field for the Chargers in 2025, and several of the six freshmen pitchers will see the field either in a starting or relief role. How much of an impact those freshmen can make could determine how successful of a season 2025 ends up being for Hillsdale.

Hillsdale also opened up the 2023 season with a three-game series at Lee, the last time these two programs met. The Chargers had success against the Flames, taking two of three from what was a nationally-ranked squad at the time, including 3-1 and 8-7 victories.