Macalester shared the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) crown last spring, bringing the championship trophy to campus for the first time in 61 years, and returns a veteran lineup seeking another conference playoff bid and chance to play for a spot in the national post-season.  The Scots are coming off an all-time best 26-14 season and went 16-4 in the MIAC.  Macalester has improved its record four years in a row, going from 13-22 in 2008 to 19-19 in '09 to 22-17 in 2010 to 26-14 last year.

13th year skipper Matt Parrington, last year's MIAC coach of the year, loses quality starting pitching, but sees the return of three All-MIAC picks, and two-year team captains, to the lineup: All-Midwest Region second baseman Mitch Glasser (Sr., Chicago, Ill. / Latin School), and the catcher/first base platoon of Garrett Salzman (Sr., Glendale, Calif. / St. Francis) and Robert Williams (Sr., West Covina, Calif. / Northview).

“I like the make-up of our team,” said Coach Parrington. “We certainly have some holes to fill due to graduation, but I feel we have some good players waiting for their chance. It will be fun to watch this team develop throughout the year.”

INFIELD
Two-time All-MIAC pick Glasser is back for his fourth season at second base and brings a .365 career batting average into the year.  Glasser hit a team-best .408 with four homers and a .617 slugging percentage.  He struck out just once in 129 plate appearances, that coming on the final day of the season at the MIAC tournament, to rank first in the nation in toughest to strike out.   Glasser missed seven league games with injured ankle so didn't qualify for MIAC batting crown, but batted .462 (24-for-52) in league play with .692 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage.

Glasser's double-play partner is MIAC All-Defensive team shortstop Jimmy Belfont (Jr., Olney, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel).  Belfont registered a .955 fielding percentage and was in on 15 double plays. He led all shortstops in conference play in batting average.

Salzman and Williams will again bat in the middle of the lineup as four-year starters.

Salzman was last year's MIAC batting champ with .441 average in 18 league games.  He ranked first in the conference in hits (30) and third in on-base percentage (.494) and his five-hit game late in season at Concordia helped Scots clinch tie for MIAC title with 13-inning victory.  Williams topped the Scots with 34 RBI and 50 hits.  He led the MIAC in total bases and ranked second in RBI. A candidate for catching and outfielder duties is Tom Forster (Fy., Stillwater, Minn) .

Vying for other infield position include veterans Colin Carpenter (So., Harvard, Ill.) and David Melms (Jr., Wauwatosa, Wis. / Wisconsin Lutheran), with Ezra Wise (Sr., Bronxville, N.Y. / The Hackley School) and Justin Sims (So., Bronx, N.Y. / The Beacon School) working in at first base.

OUTFIELD
Graham Brown (Sr., Annandale, Minn.) is one of the MIAC's fastest players and has been successful on 41-of-44 base stealing opportunities.  Several candidates are lining up to replace graduates Will Chen (an All-MIAC pick) and Bobby De Meulenaere as starting outfielders, including Nathan Rubin (Sr., Venice, Fla.),  CJ Smith (So., Ashland, Wis.), Ross Bronfenbrenner (So., San Anselmom, Calif.  / Marin Academy), Joe Famalette (Fy. Aliso Viejo, Calif.  / Aliso Niguel), and Nick Mar (Fy. Sacramento, Calif. / McClatchy).

PITCHING
Alex Ingram went 8-1 last season and Eric Robinson was 8-2.  Both graduated after making the all-region and all-conference squads, so Parrington will look for others to take over starting pitching duties.  Several candidates appear ready for the task, including Nick Meerson (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif. / Harvard-Westlake), Nathan Kelleher-Crew (So., Cool, Calif. / Golden Sierra), Chase Kahn (So., Cooper City, Fla. / American Heritage Plantation), Louis Mondale (Sr., St. Louis Park, Minn. / Benilde-St. Margaret) and CJ Smith.  Newcomers looking to earn mound duty include Justin Kleschen (Fy., Evanston, Ill. / Evanston Township) and Paul Schubring (Fy., Gilbert, Ariz. / Chandler Preparatory).

SCHEDULE
Macalester plays five Metrodome doubleheaders and 10 games in the Phoenix area over Spring Break.  The opener is Feb. 28 against Wisconsin-Superior at the Metrodome. 

2012 Macalester Schedule