Storm baseball picked fifth in A-R-C Preseason Poll
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Simpson College baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league on Wednesday.
The Storm finished sixth in conference standings last season after winning seven of their last 11 games for an 18-23 overall record, the most victories in a season since tallying 22 during the 2014 slate.
Coe garnered 59 points in the poll and was selected as the league favorite after winning the regular season championship in 2021. Luther, which claimed last year's tournament title, took the number two position with 58 points, while Loras (48 points) and Buena Vista (43 points) finished ahead of Simpson (34 points) in the third and fourth spot, respectively.
"This is going to be a unique season with every team in the conference bringing back a majority of their impact players, especially on the mound," said head coach Nathan Roling. "That is going to bring a highly-competitive conference season. I am excited to see how our team comes together in this early season leading up to the conference slate."
The Storm return two All-A-R-C performers from last year's roster led by senior Brady Held who had a stellar season on the mound, finishing the year ranked first in the conference in earned run average (1.53), batting average against (.171) and hits allowed (36). The all-region honoree posted a 6-3 record with four complete game performances and closed the campaign with five straight triumphs. At the plate, Held batted .333 with 42 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs and a triple.
Along with Held, the Storm bring back Colton Major who landed on the All-A-R-C Second Team as a junior. He posted a 4-3 record on the hill, finishing seventh in the league in batting average against (.246), ninth in strikeouts (53), and 11th in ERA (4.66).
Offensively, Simpson returns Kolton Arnold who led the team in hits (45) and runs scored (29), and finished second with a .310 batting average. Arnold tied Held with a team-high 24 RBIs and ranked third with six doubles. Infielders Ryan Willis and Luke Willis also return after combining for 53 hits and 23 runs batted in last season. R. Willis led the team with six stolen bases.
"Our strength should lie in our starting pitching and a well-balanced lineup in the early going, as we look to grow and build throughout the season," said Roling. "We look to build off the momentum created at the end of last season and the hard work that our players have put in since then."
Simpson takes the field for the first time on March 5 in Topeka, Kan. The Storm have a doubleheader against Carthage beginning at 2 p.m. and will round out their opening weekend with two games against Gustavus Adolphus on Sunday, March 6 at 1 p.m.
The squad will head to Florida a week later for eight games at the Russmatt Invitational before jumping into the conference schedule at Dubuque and Nebraska Wesleyan at the end of March. The Storm are slated to spend most of April in Indianola with 14 games at McBride Field beginning with a doubleheader against Cornell on Apr. 2.
The A-R-C Tournament is scheduled for May 12-14 on Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
2022 American Rivers Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Coe
2. Luther
3. Loras
4. Buena Vista
5. Simpson
6. Dubuque
7. Wartburg
8. Nebraska Wesleyan
9. Central
