Schedule
RV Northwood (25-11, 19-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (19-18, 12-8 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Friday, April 18 | Hillsdale, MI – Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field
RV Northwood (25-11, 19-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (19-18, 12-8 G-MAC) | 4 p.m. ET Friday, April 18 | Hillsdale, MI – Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field
RV Northwood (25-11, 19-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (19-18, 12-8 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, April 19 | Hillsdale, MI – Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field
RV Northwood (25-11, 19-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (19-18, 12-8 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. ET Saturday, April 19 | Hillsdale, MI – Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field
Hillsdale College (19-18, 12-8 G-MAC) at #17 Davenport (25-11, 11-1 GLIAC) | 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 22 | Caledonia, MI – Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex
 
Links
Live Stats/Stream Links | Hillsdale Roster | Northwood Roster | Davenport Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Northwood Stats | Davenport Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Preview
A split on the road with Findlay this past weekend keeps the Chargers in third place in both the G-MAC North Division and the overall standings at 12-8 in conference play. Hillsdale next faces a tremendous challenge and opportunity at home this weekend with a four game set against the runaway leader in the G-MAC, Northwood.

A perennial contender that's finished first or second every year since joining the G-MAC, Northwood is off to an incredible 19-1 start in conference play and on pace to break the record for most conference wins in a single season. Hillsdale will get a shot to knock them off that pace and bolster their own G-MAC Tourney chances.

Northwood boasts the G-MAC's top offense, though in contrast to past Timberwolves teams that were known for monster home run totals, this edition is getting it done with doubles and strong baserunning. Northwood leads the conference in runs scored and has 56 stolen bases. Veteran Myles Beale leads the way with a .388 batting average and a team-high 50 hits, while juniors Caden Duryea and Ben DeVries bring the power, as Duryea has a team high 44 RBIs and DeVries has a team-best six home runs. Alex Jarboe and Ben Narr are two additional key hitters for a stacked Northwood lineup.

On the mound, Northwood has reloaded around returning starters Tyler Sager (5-1, 4.18 ERA) and Grant LaMarche (2-3, 5.15 ERA). Trevor Crawford has stepped in and been a high-quality starter for the Timberwolves with a 4-1 record and a 2.32 ERA, and Davenport transfer Connor Foley and JuCo transfer Jake Ickes have also played important roles as starters. Sager threw a no-hitter last week against Lake Erie and should be Northwood's first-game starter this weekend. Lucas McKinney has two saves to lead the bullpen, which also gets significant contributions from Cody Matuz, Adam Wandzel and converted starter Dominic Mauro. Northwood's staff has a G-MAC-best 4.12 ERA and backs up their pitchers with a defense that boasts a G-MAC-leading .972 fielding percentage.

After the Northwood series is done, Hillsdale travels to Davenport on Tuesday for a midweek non-conference game against the nationally-ranked Panthers. After an extremely disappointing 2024 season that saw Davenport finish 14 games below .500, the Panthers rebuilt extensively in the transfer portal and now boast the GLIAC's top team and the top ranked team in the Midwest Region at 25-11 overall and 11-1 in GLIAC play.

On the mound Davenport is a brand new squad thanks to three Division I transfers who are dominating at their new home as starters. In a midweek contest, the Panthers are likely to save their top starters for the weekend, with Hillsdale most likely to see spot starter and bullpen arm Conor Gausselin, a successful up-transfer from NAIA Aquinas College who's made nine appearances so far this season. Davenport's top bullpen arms include another Aquinas transfer, reliever Mason Hill, as well as homegrown prospects Brandon Skorupski and Ian Dixon, all of whom have saves on the year.

Davenport's offense also has been top-notch this year, with eight regulars hitting .290 or better and 36 home runs in 36 games on the season. JuCo transfer Justin Johnson leads the team in batting average (.333) extra base hits (20) and RBIs (31) while Xander Reisbig (six home runs), Dylan Pawenski (eight home runs) and Michael Tchavdarov (18 extra base hits) have done real damage as well. Cody Hultink, Coltrane Rubner and Logan Todd each are hitting above .300 as well to help set the table for the Panthers. Davenport's defense hasn't been slacking either, with a sterling .971 fielding percentage to back up its pitchers.

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. So far, the Chargers are on track to make a return to the G-MAC Tourney with three conference weekends remaining, but will need to keep winning to pull it off.

So far, the Chargers have been led at the plate by senior Zak Kent, who's having a breakout campaign in his final season with a team-leading .376 batting average, 19 extra base hits, including six home runs and a Chargers-best 41 RBI, while also earning G-MAC Player of the Week honors for this past weekend. Past Kent, the Chargers are leaning on youth offensively, with three freshmen performing well as every-day players. Outfielder Tyler Sowers is off to an excellent start, hitting .333 with 14 extra base hits, first baseman Will Lehman has 34 RBIs and also has won a G-MAC Player of the Week Award, and Gaard Swenson has 15 extra base hits and a walk-off home run as well. Along with those four players, sophomore Rocco Tenuta (.302, 34 RBIs, team best .449 OBP and four home runs) continues to produce as Hillsdale has shown excellent upside offensively and now seeks to build consistency for the stretch run.

On the mound, Hillsdale has a solid ace in sophomore Daniel Higdon, who's got a 3.70 ERA and four wins, and can also turn to veteran Brandon Scott, who has been the starting pitcher in two shutouts this season and has four wins, for solid outings as well. Sophomore Jacob Pallo has been improving each week and looks set as the third starter, and freshman Gibson Cary has emerged as another starting option for the Chargers along with Aaron Jasiak. Out of the bullpen, Logan McLaughlin, Hayden Hoffpauir and Andrew George all have had strong appearances, while sophomore Winston Delp and junior Patrick MacLean have steadily improved and become important pieces out of the bullpen as well. Senior Drew Erdei also has come on recently to give the Chargers another option in relief. Hillsdale's staff is backed up by a solid defense, with a .968 fielding percentage that leads the G-MAC currently.

Hillsdale has a long history with Northwood as two founding members of the GLIAC in the 70s, up to their current membership in the G-MAC. Northwood leads the series 21-18 since 2011 but has controlled things recently, winning 10 of their last 13 games against the Chargers including 3-1 victories in their last three four-game series. Davenport also has gotten the better of the Chargers historically, with a 10-4 edge in contests since the first meeting between the two teams in 2018. That includes a 10-5 Davenport victory last season.