After a magical season in 2021, the Davenport baseball team will look towards the future and it is a bright one in 2022. The Panthers went 33-16 a year ago and captured their first GLIAC regular season and tournament titles. In addition, they had another first as they played in the NCAA Regionals and advanced to the championship game. Head coach
Kevin Tidey embarks on his 11th season at the helm of the program and believes this season could be just as special as long as the team's focus is in the right place. Last season, the team played excellent baseball in the final month of the season which propelled them from the middle of the pack in the GLIAC standings to their first championship.
If you like offense, then this team stacks up among the best in program's history on paper.
Noah Marcoux (first base) and
Nolan Anspaugh (center field) were recently named as preseason first team all-american and the duo has a proven track record. Marcoux was second team all-region and first team All-GLIAC in 2021. He started in all 49 games and led the team with a .392 batting average. He scored 54 runs and collected 18 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, and 62 RBI. He ranked in the top 10 for a single season at Davenport in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, home runs, and RBI. Anspaugh is a five-tool player who was named third team all-american, first team all-region, and first team All-GLIAC last season. He batted leadoff in 32 games and hit third in 17 games. He batted .373 with a team-high 79 hits and 64 runs scored. Anspaugh had 14 doubles, seven triples, 12 home runs, and 54 RBI. He also led the team with 18 stolen bases and fielded at a .976 percentage.
Also returning as first team All-GLIAC honorees from last season are
Carson Eby and
James Kohl. Eby split time between catcher and third base and was also first team all-region and honorable mention all-american. He played in 48 games and batted .351 with 42 runs and a single-season DU record 23 doubles. Eby also had four home runs and 51 RBI as one of four Panthers with over 50 RBI. Kohl made 14 appearances on the mound and started in nine games last season. He led the GLIAC with eight wins and was third in innings pitched (66.2) and strikeouts (65). He posted a 3.11 ERA which was the second lowest on the team.
Christian Petre returns to the outfield as a second team All-GLIAC performer in 2021. Petre had a fine junior campaign having made 48 starts in left field. He batted .353 with 71 hits, 62 runs (second in the GLIAC), nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 33 RBI. He also stolen 14 bases in 15 tries and had a .418 on-base percentage. He ranked fourth in the GLIAC in hits, eighth in walks (24), and led the league in sacrifice flies (5).
The Panthers are picked to repeat as GLIAC champions according to the Preseason Coaches Poll. Davenport received 34 poll points and four first-place votes. Northwood was second with 29 poll points and two first-place votes. Those two teams will open up GLIAC play on Friday, Mar. 25 in a four-game series at Davenport's Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex in Caledonia.
