ST. PAUL, Minn.---ST. PAUL, Minn.---The 2021 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) baseball season may be one of the most anticipated seasons ever – mostly because of the long-awaited return of spring sports after 2020 conference play was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The season also brings great anticipation, though, as many teams return a plethora of talent and greater parity than ever before exists in the top half of the conference standings. With the season already started for some teams and conference play just around the corner, the UMAC coaches expect Bethany Lutheran College to top the league this season as it was a unanimous choice in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced Wednesday.
The Vikings were a unanimous choice for first among the coaches with 64 points and all eight first place votes. After winning back-to-back tournament titles in 2018 and 2019, the Vikings sit ahead of the College of St. Scholastica that was selected second with 56 points for its final season in the UMAC. The University of Northwestern grabbed the other first place vote finishing third with 49 points, while the University of Wisconsin-Superior was fourth with 44 points.
Due to the added year of eligibility, Bethany Lutheran returns almost its entire roster from 2020 including senior infielder Jake LaBerge who was batting .444 with three doubles and four RBI before the season was shut down a year ago. The Vikings bring back two-time All-UMAC First Team selection Ross Buemer who has been an impact player for the Vikings in each of his seasons, as well as senior pitcher Logan Nissen who was a 2018 First Team pick and 2019 Honorable Mention.
The Saints have won at least a share of every UMAC regular season championship title since 1997 and hope to add one more this spring before departing the conference. Senior pitcher and 2019 First Team selection Grant Taival will look to guide the Saints on the path to victory after picking up a win in his one appearance in 2020. Mitchell Olson was the Saints top hitter before shutting down with 12 hits in his final five games and 10 RBI in nine total games played last spring.
Northwestern is another team that lost very little talent from 2020 and hopes to make a push for the conference title with one of its deepest rosters in recent years. Two-time All-UMAC pitcher Philip Wall returns to lead the Eagles on the mound boasting a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.10 and 11 career wins. Senior Carlton Lindow also returns behind the plate after leading the UMAC in caught stealing plays to earn All-UMAC honors as a catcher.
In its last UMAC action, Wisconsin-Superior made an incredible run through the UMAC postseason tournament as the No. 4 seed all the way to the championship round of games. The Yellowjackets hope to keep that momentum heading into 2021 welcoming back 2019 All-UMAC First Team selections Bryce Flanagan and Ryan Rodriguez. Flanagan boasts a .335 career average and 38 RBI in 62 games, while Rodriguez has four career wins in 18 starts and 101 strikeouts.
Crown College made its first-ever UMAC tournament appearance in 2019 and was slotted fifth in the poll by the coaches with 33 points. This season, the Storm will look to Seth Betts to lead the way. The senior was a 2019 All-UMAC First Team selection and set program records for runs, hits, total bases, walks, assists and saves. Bailey Sarto and Nic Schroedle will also look to help lead a senior heavy squad after successful starts a year ago.
The poll rounded out with the University of Minnesota Morris sixth (29), Northland College seventh (22), North Central University eighth (15) and Martin Luther College ninth (12).
Minnesota Morris sophomore Alex Baumann tallied 12 doubles in 2019 which was ninth-best in program history. He will look to help lead the Cougars to a fresh start along with Josh Doss and Evan Benson who each hit a home run in the Cougars’ five games a year ago.
Northland assumes new leadership under head coach and alum Jeremy Snow and will rely heavily on 2019 Rookie of the Year Jake Schramm and All-UMAC Honorable Mention pitchers Adrian Bethel and Noah Cross to help the squad improve under Snow’s reign.
North Central brings back three players in Rene Brockman, Chris Harding and Jack Parker who all hit over .300 in last year’s abbreviated season. Martin Luther will rely on veteran Honorable Mention short stop Joey Behm to anchor the squad this spring.
Several UMAC have already started non-conference play this season, while conference games are slated to begin Saturday, April 10. The UMAC tournament will take place May 20-22.
2021 UMAC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Pl. | School | Pts. |
| 1. | Bethany Lutheran | 64 (8) |
| 2. | St. Scholastica | 56 |
| 3. | Northwestern | 49 (1) |
| 4. | Wisconsin-Superior | 44 |
| 5. | Crown | 33 |
| 6. | Minnesota Morris | 29 |
| 7. | Northland | 22 |
| 8. | North Central | 15 |
| 9. | Martin Luther | 12 |