Season Review: Baseball's early season hot streak cut short by pandemic

By Tim Glon

ADA — When the Ohio Athletic Conference and the NCAA shut down intercollegiate sports due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 12, the Ohio Northern baseball team was on a roll.

The Polar Bears had won five of their last six games during their annual spring break trip to Florida, which included a 9-7 victory over No. 19-ranked St. John Fisher (N.Y.)

Northern started the season with an 0-3 record at the Derby City Classic Feb. 22-23 at Louisville, Ky., which included three losses by a total of only five runs, then dropped an 8-2 decision to Waynesburg (Pa.) in its spring break opener to fall to 0-4.

Undaunted, ONU topped Waynesburg 6-3 in the nightcap of the doubleheader on March 1 to start a hot streak.

A 15-5 win over Muhlenberg (Pa.) followed the win over SJF and a split with Saint Mary's (Minn.) put Northern at 4-5 heading into its spring break finale.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Chayten Overholt (Delphos/Lincolnview) smacked a walk-off, two-out, two-run single to give the Polar Bears a 2-1 victory over Albion (Mich.)

Spirits were high as the Polar Bears returned North and were ready to leave for a 3-game set at Rose-Hulman (Ind.) March 13-14 when the season was canceled with a 5-5 record.

"My heart is broken for the guys to lose the season, especially the seniors," ONU head coach Gene Stechschulte said. "Everything was shaping up for this to be one of our most complete teams in several years. The senior class built on the foundation of recent success. A great group of young men, which will always be the calling card of our program!"

Juniors Matthew Burkett (Maumee) and Krue Thwaits (Greenville/Milton-Union) led Ohio Northern is batting with .412 and .382 averages, respectively.

Sophomore Corey McMann (Flower Mound, Tex./Liberty Christian) hit .378 and led the team with two home runs, 11 runs scored and a .622 slugging percentage.

Junior Andy Mills (Cincinnati/St. Xavier) hit .378 and joined McMann and Thwaits with a team-best three stolen bases.

Thwaits also had a team-best 9 RBI.

On the mound, senior Jack Schaller (Bowling Green) led a solid pitching staff with a 1-1 record, a sparkling 1.40 ERA and 18 strikeouts in just 19.1 innings of work.

Senior Nate Bye (Thorntown, Ind./Western Boone) was 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA and 15 punchouts and senior Scott Beaton (Novi, Mich.) was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

The OAC did not give out All-Conference awards due to the abbreviated season, but an impressive seven Polar Bears received Academic All-Conference accolades.

Beaton, Burkett, Mills, senior Sean Sweeney (Morrow/Little Miami) and juniors Alex Dodson (West Chester/Lakota West), James Fisher (Castalia/Margaretta) and Michael Rocco (Orlando, Fla./Zionsville (Ind.)) all earned the honor.

The NCAA has allowed all spring sports student/athletes a fifth season of eligibility, opening the door for any or all of ONU's nine seniors to return in 2021.