CLEVELAND, OH - Denison earns the top spot on the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference baseball preseason poll, based on votes submitted by the league coaches.
The Denison Big Red, owners of four-consecutive NCAC titles, received eight of the nine possible first-place votes for a total of 80 points in the league poll. The Wittenberg Tigers, who were named the 2024 NCAC Baseball Co-Champions alongside Denison, secured second with 72 points and the final first-place vote. Kenyon and Wabash tied for the third spot, collecting 55 points each. DePauw sits in fifth place, just five points behind the Owls and Little Giants with 50 points, while Wooster finished with 35 points to capture sixth in the poll. Ohio Wesleyan (27), Oberlin (21), and Hiram (10) rounded out the field in seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
Denison heads into the 2025 season ranked No. 5 in the nation, according to the D3baseball.com Preseason Top 25. The Big Red's high ranking can be attributed to the successful season they had last year, finishing 42-8 overall, 13-3 in conference play, being named the NCAC Co-Champion, and winning the NCAC Tournament title. In the NCAA Tournament, Denison advanced to the 2024 Super Regionals, marking its furthest postseason advancement in program history.
The Big Red return four all-conference selections from 2024. Leading the way is two-time NCAC Player of the Year and the 2024 D3baseball.com Player of the Year, senior
Eric Colaco (Richfield, OH/Revere). In his junior campaign, Colaco hit .420 (89-for-212) with seven triples, six home runs, and 59 RBI, to go along with 28 doubles, 42 stolen bases, and 79 scored runs, all of which led the conference. In the 2024 season, he rewrote Denison single-season records for at-bats, hits, doubles, total bases (149), runs scored, and stolen bases. Sophomore designated hitter
Jack Lutte (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) and junior pitcher
Will Rettig (Perrysburg, OH/Perrysburg) are back for the Big Red after earning second-team all-conference honors last season. During his rookie campaign, Lutte was named the 2024 NCAC Newcomer of the Year after hitting .407 (70-for-172) and amassing 41 RBI and 16 doubles. Rettig accumulated a 9-1 overall record, a team-low 3.23 ERA, and a team-high 66 strikeouts over 75.1 innings. Sophomore pitcher
Peter Lemke (Geneva, IL/St. Francis) also returns after earning a spot on the third team last season. In 2024, the Geneva, Illinois native recorded a 9-1 record, allowing 67 hits through 65.1 innings and recording the team's third-lowest ERA (3.58) as a rookie.
The 2025 season begins on Saturday, February 15th, with conference play slated to start on Saturday, March 29th. The NCAC Tournament will be held Thursday-Sunday May 8th-11th at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
2025 North Coast Athletic Conference
Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points) |
|
| 1 |
Denison (8) |
80 |
| 2 |
Wittenberg (1) |
72 |
| T3 |
Kenyon |
55 |
| T3 |
Wabash |
55 |
| 5 |
DePauw |
50 |
| 6 |
Wooster |
35 |
| 7 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
27 |
| 8 |
Oberlin |
21 |
| 9 |
Hiram |
10 |