Arete Fall 2023 Magazine

HILLSDALECHARGERS.COM

A N ATHLETICS U P DAT E FOR A LU M NI A ND F R I E NDS

IN THIS UPDATE

Meet the new Athletic Director J O H N T H A RP

Fiddler on the Court P ETE R K A LT H O F F, ’ 23

A Lifesaving Match K ARO L I NE S HE LTO N , ’2 2

History of Success S COT T S CH U LT E , ’ 9 4

Athletic Facilities Improvements

FALL 2023

Hillsdale College Athletics Mission Hillsdale College was founded in 1844 with a purpose to "develop the minds and hearts of its students," a reference to the moral and intellectual virtues.

The driving purpose of athletics at Hillsdale College is to cultivate these virtues. Their practice on the field of competition inspires and elevates the minds of those who compete and those who watch.

Follow us on Social Media Hillsdale College Charger Athletics

Scan the QR Code to find all your Chargers gear needs online at hillsdalechargers.com

2

FALL 2023

@hillsdale_chargers

@HCChargers

Scan the QR Code to watch the Chargers Online!

30

22

16

6

Inside this update: Chargers Comment.......................................................................................................................................5 New Athletic Director John Tharp.................................................................................................. 6-15 Alumni Feature: Karoline Shelton, ’22 ....................................................................................... 16-19 Giving Clubs Directory...................................................................................................................... 20-21 Alumni Feature: Peter Kalthoff, ’23............................................................................................. 22-25 Chargers Clips...................................................................................................................................... 26-27 Alumni Spotlight: Scott Schulte, ’94........................................................................................... 28-29 Athletic Facilities Improvement.................................................................................................... 30-33 2023 Hall of Fame inductees ......................................................................................................... 34-35 Zane Barnhart, ’24 ............................................................................................................................ 36-38 Athletic Staff Directory ............................................................................................................................39

HILLSDAL E . E DU

3

HILLSDALECHARGERS.COM

4

FALL 2023

Chargers Comment If you are reading this… you care about Hillsdale College Athletics.

You know I do. As a former Charger student-athlete, I’ll cherish the memories I carry from my days on the football field (and off) forever. And in my nearly 35 years of working for my alma mater, I’ve been blessed to hear so many stories from alumni who have had similar experiences.

Now, we have a new opportunity to tell more of those stories.

I would like to introduce Aretê, our new athletic report. Aretê is Greek for “excellence,” and we believe it perfectly embodies Hillsdale College Athletics both past and present. Excellence is the ultimate goal, whether it is on the playing field, in the classroom, or when our student-athletes transition to play the “game” of life.

We will be sharing some amazing stories from our past, but also keeping people informed of the current affairs of Chargers Athletics. In fact, in this inaugural piece, we will introduce you to our new Athletic Director, John Tharp, who is transitioning from a Hall-of-Fame coaching career to be the new face of Hillsdale College Athletics.

What makes the student-athlete experience at Hillsdale unique? What role does athletics play in “developing minds and improving hearts?” Those are the questions we hope will be answered in Aretê.

And to do this, we need your support. We are embarking on a new era of Hillsdale College Athletics, and that means “raising our game” in certain areas. One of those areas is our outdoor athletic facilities. We have great needs here, and in the following pages, we will describe those needs. The College wants to support our current student-athletes at the highest level possible, and it needs your help to do it.

If you were a former Charger, we certainly need your support. Maybe it is joining one of our athletic giving clubs, coming out to watch a game, or recommending a potential student-athlete for your alma mater. Help us tie the past to the present, and the present to the future.

We hope you enjoy Aretê. I look forward to seeing you either at a Chargers game or during my travels. Hillsdale College Athletics has a fantastic story to tell; won’t you help us tell it?

Charge On! Charge On!

Jeff Lantis Athletic Department - Director of External Relations

HILLSDAL E . E DU

5

BY DOUG GOODNOUGH, ’90

Ready

John Tharp Takes the Reins of Hillsdale College Athletics

He’s coached hundreds of student-athletes, recorded more than 500 college basketball victories, and won numerous conference championships while getting his teams to national prominence at both the NCAA Division III and Division II levels. Short of winning a national championship, John Tharp has reached the pinnacle of the small-college coaching profession.

After more than 30 years of coaching the sport he loves—including the last 16 seasons at Hillsdale College— he is stepping away. But not too far. The 54-year-old Wisconsin native is trading in his coaching whistle for a metaphorical megaphone as the new Director of Athletics at Hillsdale College.

As the new voice of Hillsdale College Athletics, he said he will be loud in promoting, advancing, and supporting the program and the College that has become like family. And his role in that family now has become much, much larger.

6

FALL 2023

HILLSDAL E . E DU

7

A Family Foundation If you want to understand Tharp, you first need to go back to his Midwestern family roots. As the fifth of six children growing up on the shores of the Lake Michigan community of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Tharp learned what was important very quickly.

“There were three older brothers, an older sister, and a younger sister,” he said. “And everything at our house was about competition. Being a younger brother, I shed many tears of tough losses. And I had a mom and a dad who said, ‘Get back out there.’”

His father was the second in command at a local plastics company.

“He was in charge of sales, but if a machine broke down at 3:00 in the morning, he was going to get the phone call,” Tharp said.

His mother juggled part-time jobs while raising their six children. Tharp said that work ethic was not lost on him or his siblings.

“We never knew what we did or didn’t have because we loved each other so much. We had each other,” Tharp said of his middle-class upbringing. “The foundation of who I am was directly from my mom and dad, and from my siblings.”

And although the Tharps played whatever sports were in front of them at the time, the one that quickly became the favorite was basketball. Some of John’s fondest childhood memories were going to the local high school

on Friday nights to support his older brothers, who were members of the Sheboygan North High School varsity basketball team.

“They would circle the gym and they always had great warmups on,” Tharp recalled of those years. “The band was blasting, and I said, ‘Man, I can’t wait, someday, to do this. To play here.’”

He eventually got his chance. As a backup point guard on varsity, Tharp was part of the 1986 team that won a state championship—the school’s only state title.

He said his high school coach, Tom Desotell, had a lasting impact on his eventual coaching career.

One of Desotell’s best friends was John Wooden, who is arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time after leading UCLA to 10 national championships.

Tharp had a chance to work at Wooden’s summer basketball camp in Los Angeles.

“I had a chance to be in Coach Wooden’s apartment and sit with the ‘wizard’ and hear him speak his wisdom,” Tharp said of the late Wooden, who was known as the “Wizard of Westwood.” “It was the greatest thing.”

He still carries many of those lessons with him today.

“I had a chance to be in Coach John Wooden’s apartment and sit with the ‘wizard’ and hear him speak his wisdom.”

8

FALL 2023

The Climb Tharp had a strong senior basketball season at Sheboygan North, and drew interest from NCAA Division III Beloit College, a small liberal arts school just north of the Illinois/Wisconsin line. He cracked Beloit’s starting five as a freshman, and ended up being a four-year starter— earning All-Midwest Conference honors twice— while earning his degree in education.

As his college career was coming to a close in 1991, Tharp knew he wanted to get into coaching. He just didn’t know how. Beloit offered a one-year master’s degree in education, and when his head coach offered him an assistant coaching position, he quickly accepted.

“This was my passion and something I wanted to do,” Tharp said. “And I was fearful that if I ever left college, I would never go back to get a master’s degree.”

Tharp stayed at Beloit and completed his master’s degree while learning the coaching craft from head coach Bill Knapton, who “was a gentleman in every aspect.” Tharp also taught at a local Catholic high school and eventually met and married his wife, Jennifer, during his third year as the head assistant.

However, before his wedding, Tharp interviewed for a head coaching position at Lawrence University, a school in Beloit’s conference that had not won a men’s basketball title since the 1940s. After meeting with Athletic Director Amy Proctor and some current players, he received a call on his honeymoon.

“They offered me the job,” said Tharp, who was 24 years old at the time. “You think you have every answer in the world. I was going to turn that (program) around as fast I could, and I was going to climb the (coaching) ladder.”

THARP MEETS WITH HIS THREE CHILDREN AFTER A GAME. CHAMPIONS! THARP CUTS THE NET AFTER A WIN. THARP DISCUSSES STRATEGY WITH HIS LAWRENCE TEAM.

HILLSDAL E . E DU

9

The Dip Tharp’s head coaching career began trying to rebuild Lawrence, a program usually in the second division of the Midwest Conference. When he arrived, some people were skeptical he could succeed.

The biggest lesson came after the birth of his first child, daughter McKayla, and later his two sons, Logan and Lukas.

“Some people at Lawrence said, ‘You can’t win here because of the academics,’” Tharp said. “I’m not very good at the word ‘can’t.’ Being the short chunky guy with a chip on his shoulder, I said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to do this. And we’re not going to make excuses.’”

“Everything that I thought was so important—the climb—changed,” Tharp said. “We stayed there (at Lawrence) and took a dip. During that dip was where I really started to find myself. What does it mean to really coach? What does it mean to give these kids the experience and arm them with the things they need to be successful?”

In 1997-98, Lawrence won its first conference championship in nearly 50 years. However, Tharp said the program then took a “dip,” and it was during this period that he learned that building a successful basketball program wasn’t his only priority.

Tharp said instead of “climbing,” he kept building at Lawrence. He went on to win more titles in his 13 years with the Vikings, eventually finishing with 204 career wins, a .654 winning percentage, and four conference coach of the year honors.

“At least we’ve got a Walmart” Now with three children and comfortably established at Lawrence, Tharp ran one day into friend and local businessman Chris Hartwig, who asked him a simple question: Have you heard of Hillsdale College?

Wooden’s apartment twice. I’ve sat with (former Indiana basketball coach) Bobby Knight. I’ve been around CEOs of companies, but Dr. Arnn is the greatest leader I’ve ever been around.”

“No, I have never heard of Hillsdale College,” was Tharp’s response to the longtime Hillsdale supporter.

“Chris said, ‘I think it would be a really good spot for you.’”

Tharp said Dr. Arnn challenged him to come to Hillsdale and build a winner. In fact, he said it would be hard.

Those were the right words for Tharp, who was ready to put that chip back on his shoulder. But it wasn’t a done deal quite yet.

Tharp initially didn’t think his coaching style was cut out for NCAA Division II basketball. However, when the Hillsdale men’s basketball coaching position opened up, he received a phone call from Hillsdale President Larry Arnn.

“He just said, ‘Come on over,’” Tharp recalled. “Then I met the ‘big guy.’ I was just enthralled. His leadership, the way that he spoke. I’ve been blessed to be in

10

FALL 2023

“When I arrived home, I got a phone call that night offering me the job,” he said. “I said, ‘I’m flattered, thank you, but there’s an important piece that needs to see (Hillsdale).’”

That was his wife, Jennifer, who agreed to come to Hillsdale with their three children for his second interview.

“We’re driving to Hillsdale late at night, three kids in the back. My wife says, ‘Where in the heck are we?’ I said, ‘Sweet pea, to be honest with you, I don’t know.’ She goes, ‘At least we’ve got a Walmart.’ We laughed.”

While on campus, Dr. Arnn and his wife, Penny, hosted the Tharps at their home, and when Dr. Arnn asked if her

husband “could get it done” at Hillsdale, Jennifer had a quick answer.

“My wife chimes in and said, ‘Dr. Arnn, you don’t have anything to worry about. We’ll get people.

We’ll get recruits.’”

The Revolution Decision made, Tharp and his family moved to Hillsdale, where John immediately began the task of building a winner. With only four returning players from the previous coaching staff, Tharp called it “a revolution.”

“The message was simple when I was recruiting: This place isn’t easy,” he said of his early recruiting forays.

“Put your boots on. Are you ready for this challenge?

This degree that you’re going to get here, the life lessons you’re going to learn every single day, not only from your professors, but from everybody across campus and your teammates? These are going to be lifetime friendships and bonds. We’re trying to do something here. We’re trying to do something right. Something special.”

That first team finished 14-14 during the 2007-08 season.

It was the worst record Tharp would post during his 16 seasons with the Chargers. In his final six seasons from 2017 to 2023, Tharp put together one of the best runs in program history, winning 19 or more games in all six seasons, claiming two Great Midwest Athletic Conference titles, qualifying for four NCAA Division II Tournaments, and making the program's first NCAA DII Sweet 16 appearance in 2020-21. The next year was even better, finishing 23-8, winning the NCAA DII Midwest Regional title, and reaching the Elite Eight round for the first time since joining the DII ranks in 1990.

With a program-record 297 career wins at Hillsdale, he has done it his way. The Hillsdale way.

“We’re kind of old school,” said Tharp of his coaching style. “We play team basketball. We try to share the basketball. We’re kind of like when you go to the YMCA and there’s five old guys at the end of the floor, and you get beat 10 to 8. You’re not sure what just happened.

We’re kind of like that.”

He said the team-first approach has worked well at Hillsdale, where he has preached relationships and trusting the process over individual accomplishment.

“The beauty of the sport is when you have these guys playing for each other and sacrificing for each other,” he said. “It’s the way we thought the game should be played and why we were successful. We were fighting for our culture every day.

“This experience is more than playing time. It’s more than a win. It’s about your friends. It’s the process. What you do day to day. If you do those things, everything will take care of itself.”

HILLSDAL E . E DU

11

Team as Family A coach at Hillsdale College needs to recruit a special kind of student-athlete.

One who can handle the academic rigors. One who can succeed in the Hillsdale environment. And one who can compete at a very high level.

Tharp calls it “grit.”

“For me, it was always about great character,” Tharp said of his recruiting philosophy. “When we were recruiting these kids and we get them on campus, how did they interact with their mom and dad? Can they look me in the eye? We are always honest with them. We talked about the greatness and beauty of the school and the education they would receive. I would tell people this is the best-run family business in the country. We all know what the mission of the place is. We all care deeply about each other. We don’t want to let each other down, and ultimately we’re all here to give you the best experience we possibly can.

“I would look mom and dad right in the eyes and say, ‘We’re going to take care of your kid. It’s not going to be easy. There’s going to be some tough days.…This is not a four-year commitment. You’re going to be stuck with us, maybe forever.’ The school and the family are part of it.”

In fact, Tharp considers his players “adopted sons.”

“Our team saw me as a dad,” said Tharp, who had his players over at his house on a daily basis. “They didn’t see me just two hours at practice. They also saw me sitting on my couch on a Sunday, and my wife is baking them cookies, and we’re watching an NFL football game. They knew that I cared about them.”

His Hillsdale coaching highlights include the 2012 conference home semifinal win against Michigan Tech and the NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance. And there was that first road win at Findlay. However, it’s the lasting relationships he has with his players that are “incredibly special.”

THE THARPS: LUKAS, McKAYLA, JOHN, JENNIFER AND LOGAN

12

FALL 2023

DEPUTY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JOSH CALVER CONGRATULATES THARP ON HIS 500TH WIN.

IN THE 2021-2022 SEASON, THARP LED THE CHARGERS TO AN NCAA DIVISION II ELITE EIGHT APPEARANCE.

HILLSDAL E . E DU

13

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

14

FALL 2023

Hillsdale was off to a 12-0 start and rolling when Tharp learned that current Hillsdale College Athletic Director Don Brubacher was retiring.

He always thought he would one day leave coaching to be an athletic director.

“I never presumed it would be here (at Hillsdale),” he said.

His mind wandered a bit, then he refocused on coaching his team to another outstanding season. A few weeks later, he approached Dr. Arnn again, this time to see if he would be considered for the job. “‘ We’re going to hire the best person,’” Tharp said of Dr. Arnn’s answer. “In his own way, I received his blessing (to apply).”

Going through the interview process, Tharp thought about what becoming athletic director would mean to him and his family.

“I love this place. I love the basketball program. But this is a chance for me to serve in a different way,” he said. “To serve Dr. Arnn and the College in a different way.”

In early April, Dr. Arnn called him into his office and offered him the job. Again, Tharp went to his family to make sure he was making the right move. His three grown children and Jennifer all gave him their blessing.

Tharp officially began his new role on July 1. But the transition from coach to administrator started as soon as he accepted the job.

“I’ve had meetings with so many different people,” said Tharp of learning his new role. “It fills your spirit when you meet people and see how much they care about Hillsdale College and Hillsdale College Athletics. They

want this department to be great. They want to give the kids the best possible experience they can. They want us to win. There are a lot of people who are behind us.”

He is quick to mention his predecessors. Names like Waters, McAvoy, Kovalchik, and Brubacher.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” he said. “I have huge shoes to fill. We had some absolute legends in Hillsdale College Athletics. I don’t want to let anybody down. It’s easy for me to say yes to this. I’m excited to be working alongside some of these great coaches.”

He is developing his plan for Chargers Athletics, which will include new and improved facilities, possibly adding some sports, and definitely maintaining the quality of Chargers Athletics both on and off the playing field.

“I 100 percent agree with the academic picture. I know right now how important Hillsdale College is in shaping the lives of these young people,” Tharp said. “I believe in this place. To be around it these 16 years, my love and passion for the place have only grown.”

Forever the coach, he still views his new role as a team effort and has a message for those alumni and supporters of Hillsdale College Athletics.

“I want these teams to build on the people who have come before them,” he said. “I don’t care if you think this is a different place. It is. But in regard to the memories, friendships that were established, and the coaches they played for, those are the same things we are trying to do right now. We’re trying to teach these people lessons so they can go out there and be successful. We need the alumni back to support us. To come back and share their stories. To tell these kids what they’ve been doing. I want to tie the past and the present, the now and the future.”

“I love this place. I love the basketball program. But this is a chance for me to serve in a different way,” he said. “To serve Dr. Arnn and the College in a different way.”

– JOHN THARP

HILLSDAL E . E DU

15

BY MONICA VANDERWEIDE, ’95

A WINNING MATCH K A R O L I N E S H E LT O N , ’ 2 2 , G I V E S T H E G I F T O F L I F E

Karoline Shelton knows a few things about winning. The

the Art Department and Contact Center, and enjoying

two-time All-American competed for five seasons on

college social life as a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

the Chargers Volleyball team, contributing mightily to a

She ignored the first few calls she received from Be the

powerhouse run in which she participated in five G-MAC

Match, but when she received an email stating that she

Championships and four trips to the NCAA Tournament,

might be a potential match, she took notice.

including the Elite Eight in 2021.

“First, I had to get a blood draw to verify that I was Yet for all her athletic successes, the Kansas native’s

indeed a match,” Karoline recalled. When Be the

sweetest victory undoubtedly happened off the court

Match confirmed that she was, Karoline talked to Head

when she donated stem cells to a cancer patient during

Volleyball Coach Chris Gravel, knowing that donating

her final collegiate volleyball season. And it all began with

stem cells would temporarily take her off the team in the

a little peer pressure from her friends.

heart of the season.

“The football team holds a donor drive each spring for

“Coach asked me, ‘Is this something you really want to

Be the Match,” Karoline explained. Run by the National

do?’” Karoline said. “I told him, ‘Yes!’ I couldn’t imagine

Bone Marrow Foundation, Be the Match aims to find

not doing this if I had a family member who needed a

potential bone marrow or stem cell donors for patients.

donation and I was a match. Coach was on board and

“I had a lot of friends on the football team, including my

very supportive of my decision.”

boyfriend,” she said, “so they kind of peer pressured me to sign up!” Signing up is simple: students swab the

“There was never any question about it,” Gravel said.

inside of their cheek, and that sample, along with their

“She told me, ‘I’m a rare match for a guy in Chicago, and I

contact information, is sent to Be the Match for testing.

could save his life!’ So we figured out a window of time in which she could donate.”

Fast forward from April 2022 to the fall of 2022. As she entered her final semester at Hillsdale, Karoline had a

In the days leading up to her donation, Karoline received

full plate—completing her coursework as an economics

five injections to increase her white blood cell count.

major, searching for a job, playing volleyball, working in

16

FALL 2023

“There was never any question about it. She told me, ‘I’m a rare match for a guy in Chicago, and I could save his life!’ So we figured out a window of time in which she could donate.”

– HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH CHRIS GRAVEL

HILLSDAL E . E DU

17

Her donation day was scheduled for a Wednesday, and

and is one of only two Chargers to surpass 1,000 in

the volleyball team had a game against Northwood

those categories. She picked up G-MAC Tournament

University in Midland Tuesday evening. “I thought it

Most Valuable Player honors, along with All-American

would be a three-set game and then I could be on my

recognition for the second consecutive year.

way to the Chicago area,” Karoline recalled. However, Northwood proved to be a formidable opponent as the

“Karoline is one of the biggest personalities I’ve ever

Chargers fought through five sets, ultimately prevailing

coached,” Gravel said. “She’s entertaining, outgoing,

by a razor-thin margin. Exhausted from the intense

and wears her heart on her sleeve. She grew into an

game, Karoline then drove to the donation center in

important leader on our team.”

Zion, Illinois.

Following her December graduation, Karoline moved The donation process took eight

to Madison, Wisconsin, to begin

hours as Karoline was propped

working as a project manager at

in a bed with a needle in each of

Epic, a medical software company.

her arms. Blood flowed out from

In that capacity, she helps

one needle into a machine that

healthcare organizations implement

extracted stem cells into a bag.

the software. “I really enjoy the

The rest of the blood flowed back

people I work with and helping our

into her body through the other

customers implement the program,”

needle. Shelton’s blood cycled

she said. Joining her in Madison are

through five times, and at the

two fellow Hillsdale alumni athletes:

end of the day, there were eight

Martin Petersen, ’21, who also works

million healthy stem cells in a

at Epic, and her boyfriend John

plastic bag, ready to aid an

Pearson, ’22.

ailing patient.

Since her donation, Karoline learned that the transfer Aside from being tired from the late night of volleyball

of her stem cells was successful. “A cancer patient

and driving, Karoline said the recovery process was

received them, and this was his last option for

simple. “I took the rest of the week off from volleyball,”

treatment,” she said.

she said. “I took it easy, drinking lots of water and taking extra vitamins, but overall, it was a quick recovery.”

“I highly recommend being a stem cell donor,” Karoline said. “Be the Match makes it so easy. They take care of

Shelton didn’t miss a beat when she returned to the

expenses and are very flexible with your schedule. You

court. She wrote her name in the annals of Hillsdale

don’t have to worry about anything.” And the best part?

volleyball history, graduating with the third-most kills

The wonderful feeling of being a winning match.

(1,520) and sixth-most digs (1,634) in program history,

18

FALL 2023

“Karoline is one of the biggest personalities I’ve ever coached. She’s entertaining, outgoing, and wears her heart on her sleeve. She grew into an important leader on our team.”

- CHRIS GRAVEL, HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH – HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH CHRIS GRAVEL

HILLSDAL E . E DU

19

Giving Clubs Support your favorite team at Hillsdale College! Our giving club members supplement the athletic budget by providing funding for needs such as recruiting, equipment, and travel, and also help with special projects like facility improvements. Join at one of five levels and receive member benefits!

SCAN QR CODE TO GIVE TODAY

hillsdalechargers.com/athletics/Support-Your-Chargers

20

FALL 2023

Join A Club Today: 100 STRAIGHT CLUB—Shotgun ASSIST CLUB—Men’s Basketball CENTER COURT CLUB—Women’s Tennis CHAMPIONS CLUB—Men’s and Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country DUGOUT CLUB—Baseball GRAVEL PIT—Volleyball GRIDIRON CLUB—Football HAMMER DOWN CLUB—Action Shooting HOLE-IN-ONE CLUB—Golf RALLY CLUB—Men’s Tennis RBI CLUB—Softball SWISH CLUB—Women’s Basketball TIDAL WAVE CLUB—Swimming

HILLSDAL E . E DU

21

Standing 6 feet, 9 inches tall, it’s no secret that Peter Kalthoff, ’23, had a successful career on the Chargers basketball court.

Growing up in the Hillsdale College family as a professor’s child, as well as an accomplished violinist, the former forward was immersed in Chargers athletics and the fine arts. Basketball

BY STEPHANIE GORDON

TWO PARALLELS: ROOTED IN EXCELLENCE and the fine arts became two parallels that rooted Peter in lasting excellence during his time at Hillsdale College.

Peter’s love for basketball and the violin stemmed from his exposure to various sports and instruments when he was a child. “I am a professor’s kid, so I spent a lot of time attending Chargers athletic events,” Peter said. “It’s been in my roots and my blood. I have also been captivated by music since my childhood.”

22

FALL 2023

But there was an extra connection with basketball because Peter’s parents are both former studentathletes. His father, Hillsdale College Dean of Faculty and Professor of History Dr. Mark Kalthoff, ’84, played basketball for the Chargers, and his mother, Christy Jones Kalthoff, ’83, played volleyball and was a member of the track and field team.

Peter started playing the violin before taking on basketball. During his formative years he played the piano and eventually became interested in playing a string instrument. “I remember receiving a violin around age 8,” Peter recalled. “I hated it at first, but being the youngest of five children, I learned to stick with a craft and give it its due. Pretty quickly, playing the violin became my favorite thing to do and I soon ordered my days around it.”

Peter quit piano a year into violin lessons and said the rest was history. He began studying violin with Hillsdale Professor of Music Dr. Melissa Knecht at age 12. “That’s when my violin life took hold,” said Peter. “Three years later, I auditioned to be a part of the University of Michigan’s String Preparatory Academy. I got in and studied with an amazing teacher and attended summer string academies in Cambridge, England and Liberec, Czechia.”

As Peter peaked as a violinist, he also gained momentum and his skills began to mature as a basketball player during his high school years at Hillsdale Academy. “I made the varsity team my freshman and sophomore years,” Peter said. “I had these two divergent paths, and basketball became a competitor to music. It seemed impossible for the two worlds to coincide.”

During his junior and senior years at Hillsdale Academy, his team made it to regionals and even the Final Four. “We were 18-0 in the conference,” said Peter. “It was fun. I had been playing with some of these guys since I was a child, including my brother, so it was this combination of doing something I loved with friends.”

Although Peter was accepted into the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater, and Dance, he decided to attend Hillsdale College. “It was just a night-and-day different experience when I visited the University of Michigan and Hillsdale College,” Peter said. “I couldn’t give up the opportunity to place myself around really good people at Hillsdale College, versus people who were good at a certain craft. I was hungry to play basketball and

HILLSDAL E . E DU

23

and give back to others. “To take a Christian point of view, we’re given bodies and we have the chance to do wonderful things with them,” said Peter. “I like giving back by sharing music with others or playing on the basketball court to glorify something higher.”

I wanted to play violin, so I knew if I could keep up that level of excellence in violin and pursue my athletic endeavors while knowing so many great people…it was a triple threat, really.”

Peter described basketball and the fine arts as two rewarding parallels. “There is a habit of discipline and training that goes into any kind of craft,” explained Peter. “For example, when I am in the practice room, I need to focus and limit distractions and also understand pacing.

That’s the same thing that happens in the weight room or on the basketball court. Basketball and violin have really complemented each other. Hard work bridges the gap.”

Making it to the Elite Eight during his fourth year of basketball is Peter’s favorite Chargers basketball memory. He also made first team AllConference and was a member of the G-MAC AllDefensive team as a senior, and finished second on the team in scoring in 2022-23, while leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots.

Beyond the performance stage and the basketball court, the English major cherished his time in the classroom. “There are so many brilliant athletes and professors at Hillsdale,” Peter said. “I appreciated having a basketball coach who was going to help me flourish outside of the basketball court, and having a music teacher who was going to let me play basketball, help me make the right sacrifices, and allow me to create precedent.”

With all of Peter’s talents, though, he ultimately sees basketball and violin as a way to share with 24

FALL 2023

Shortly after graduation, Peter received an offer to play professional basketball in Europe, and at the end of June, Peter married Isabella Hedrick, ’22. “I’m still hungry to give what I have left on the court,” Peter said. “Isabella and I are heading to Europe at the end of August, and we’re looking forward to experiencing the wonderful enrichment of living overseas.”

As for violin, Peter plans to keep his skills alive by playing gigs and creating a studio wherever he lands. “I don’t just want to be a consumer, but a patron of the arts,” Peter concluded.

“That’s really important to me.”

Peter is thankful to the College for making possible what he long thought was impossible. “I will certainly take the lessons Hillsdale has taught me into the professional basketball landscape overseas,” Peter concluded. “I hope to do more than just win games but to win in arenas outside of basketball and internalize the lessons that game still has to offer me.”

“I LIKE GIVING BACK

BY SHARING MUSIC WITH OTHERS OR PLAYING ON THE BASKETBALL COURT TO GLORIFY SOMETHING HIGHER.” – PETER KALTHOFF, ’23

HILLSDAL E . E DU

25

Chargers Clips (A whirlwind look at Chargers Athletics by sport)

Baseball Lewis Beals, who graduated with a 4.0-grade point average in May and as co-valedictorian, was named the Great Midwest Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The future medical school student is the first baseball player to win the honor. The outfielder had a .308 batting average with 40 RBI last spring.

Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country Richie Johnston (steeplechase) and Sean Fagan (400 hurdles) each earned second-team All-Great Midwest Conference honors in their respective events at the conference outdoor championships. Johnston also qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships, where he placed 13th.

Softball Sophomore pitcher Joni Russell was named a secondteam All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. The Great Midwest Pitcher of the Year is only the second consensus All-American in program history after recording a 19-9 record with 268 strikeouts (a single-season record) and a minuscule 0.76 earned run average.

Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country Shura Ermakov became just the third Hillsdale College women’s track and field athlete to earn NCAA Division All-American honors in the 400-meter hurdles. The junior placed third at the NCAA Championships in Colorado, while teammate Liz Wamsley placed eighth in the 10,000-meter run to also earn AllAmerican status.

Men’s Basketball Keven Bradley becomes the 28th head coach in Charger men’s basketball history. Serving three years as an assistant to now-HC Athletic Director John Tharp, Bradley played for Tharp at Lawrence (Wisconsin), graduating in 2006. He also was an assistant at Lawrence, Upper Iowa, and Wisconsin-Parkside before joining his former mentor and coach at Hillsdale.

Volleyball The Chargers added three recruits to their program in Marcelina Gorny (Prospect Heights, Illinois), Molly Kennedy (Copley, Ohio), and Greta Wise (Green Bay, Wisconsin). Gorny and Kennedy are middle hitters, while Wise is an outside hitter. Wise will join older sister, Jaclyn, on the Chargers roster.

Women’s Basketball A former standout athlete at Gannon University, Brianna Brennan becomes the ninth head coach in Charger women’s basketball history. A two-sport standout at Gannon (basketball and volleyball), she was a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois University before joining the Chargers in 2021.

Football Head coach Keith Otterbein enters his 22nd season this fall and is inching closer to the all-time career wins mark at Hillsdale. Otterbein has 127 wins with the Chargers, trailing only Frank “Muddy” Waters (138) and Dick Lowry (134) on the career list.

26

FALL 2023

Men’s Golf Head coach Matt Thompson was voted in as a Class A member of the Professional Golfers Association of America. To be eligible for membership, golfers must have successfully completed a PGA-recognized training program, obtained an Association of Sports Qualification level two certificate in coaching golf, obtain certificates in emergency first aid and child protection, and done well enough in professional competition to meet the PGA’s standards.

Men’s Tennis Brennan Cimpeanu and Tyler Conrad each earned their third consecutive first-team All-Great Midwest Conference honor last spring. Each has more than 100

SCAN QR CODE TO READ MORE

career victories. Conrad is returning to the program as a fifth-year senior.

Women’s Tennis It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. First-year head coach Liam Fraboulet helped the Chargers turn a 3-8 start into a third-place finish in the Great Midwest Conference. Leading the way was senior Sarah Hackman, who garnered G-MAC Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season.

Swimming One All-American is good, but two are better.

Sophomores Megan Clifford and Elise Mason each earned the honor at the NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis.

Clifford finished seventh in the 200-meter butterfly, while Mason placed 12th in the 1,650-meter freestyle.

Shotgun Jordan Sapp earned silver medal honors in the Junior Men’s skeet competition at the USA Shooting National Championships at the Hillsdale College Halter Center.

Ida Brown was second in the collegiate women’s field to earn a spot on the U.S. National Team. Sapp, Josh and Madeline Corbin, Kyle Fleck, and Ava Downs represented the Chargers and the U.S. at July’s ISSF Junior World Championships in South Korea.

Action Shooting Two seasons, two national titles. Action Shooting is still developing as a program, but it captured the national championship at the Scholastic Action Shooting Program’s Collegiate Nationals in Alabama.

The Chargers were first in the Centerfire division and second in the 1911 division.

hillsdalechargers.com

Shura Ermakov received All-American honors for the third time last spring.

HILLSDAL E . E DU

27

BY DOUG GOODNOUGH, ’90

SCOTT SCHULTE, ’94

HISTORY OFSUCCESS FROM A STANDOUT GRIDIRON ATHLETE TO AN OUTSTANDING HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND COACH

28

FALL 2023

WORK HARD. PREPARE WELL. TREAT PEOPLE RIGHT. Those are the guiding principles Scott Schulte, ’94, learned as a student at Hillsdale College.

One of the all-time great running backs in Chargers football history is now a high school coach and teacher, and he said those are qualities he is now trying to instill in others.

“The thing I always think about when I think of Hillsdale College is just great people,” said Schulte, who is currently a world history teacher and offensive coordinator at Oak Harbor (Ohio) High School on the east side of Toledo.

“People treat you the right way. That is how I try to go about being an educator. I am trying to help people become what they want to become.”

“The thing I always think about when I think of Hillsdale College is just great people.”

– SCOTT SCHULTE, ’94

He finished his career with 4,495 yards, still second in program history. Schulte was inducted into Hillsdale’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

After attempting a professional football career with the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Rough Riders, he served as an assistant football coach at the University of Indianapolis, working for former Chargers coach Joe Polizzi, ’76, who recruited Schulte to the Hillsdale campus. He then went into high school teaching and coaching.

Schulte said former Hillsdale history professors like the late Arlan Gilbert and Dr. John Willson were educational role models.

“They had a huge impact on me wanting to teach history,” he said. “They were great people and great professors.”

Schulte met his wife, Amy (Colwell), ’96, at Hillsdale, and they have four children. Their oldest son, Clayton, is a member of the Indianapolis football team, while their daughter, Hannah, attends Wheeling University and plays soccer. Daughter Effie and son Isaac are still in high school.

“I played with a lot of good guys,” Schulte said of his football experience. “Going to Hillsdale was definitely the right choice.”

When Schulte was a high school senior in Delphos, Ohio, he wanted to become a successful college football player. Only Hillsdale and Bowling Green showed serious interest, and when Schulte visited the Hillsdale campus, he was sold on the College. “The campus was great and the facilities were great,” Schulte said. “Once I got up there, I thought it was awesome.”

However, the fact that he was lightly recruited was also a driving force in his success with the Chargers.

“I wanted to use the opportunity I was given at Hillsdale to show people what they were missing out on,” he said. “I tried to play extremely hard and with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”

Making an instant impact as a freshman, Schulte became a dominating running force during his final three years, collecting three 1,000-yard seasons and all-conference accolades. During Hillsdale’s conference championship season in 1992, he rushed for 1,582 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“That was a great season,” said Schulte, who noted a win over rival Grand Valley. “That was a pretty good memory.”

SCOTT SCHULTE TEACHES HISTORY AND COACHES FOOTBALL AT OAK HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL IN OHIO.

HILLSDAL E . E DU

29

BY MONICA VANDERWEIDE, ’95

Athletic Facility Improvements to Help Hillsdale Lead the Charge!

The mountains of dirt that overtook Hayden Park and Simpson Field this past spring and summer can mean only one thing—construction! It’s all a part of the Lead the Charge outdoor athletic facility improvement plan launched in 2021 for the College’s track and field, baseball, and softball programs. Soon, those programs will enjoy impressive new facilities that will elevate all aspects of the sport, from recruiting to practicing, and from competing to spectating.

It's no secret that the existing track and ball fields have been in need of renovation for quite some time.

The oldest of these facilities—the baseball field—was constructed in 1964. Sixty years later, in spring 2024, the baseball field will be open for competition after a major renovation—and boast a new name.

The centerpiece of the facility is the Lenda and Glenda Hill Baseballl Stadium, a covered, 300-seat stadium funded by twin sisters, Hillsdale supporters, and baseball superfans Lenda and Glenda Hill. The stadium

30

FALL 2023

will include the new TFO Partners Field. Cleves Delp, ’86, Hillsdale trustee, parent, and former Chargers baseball player, provided the leadership gift for the field. Notable features include synthetic turf and lighting for evening play.

“The Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium and TFO Partners Field will be great tools for recruiting and will show Hillsdale’s serious commitment to athletics,” said Athletic Director John Tharp. “The lighted field will allow play into the evening, which will reduce missed class time. And the stadium will offer a much better venue for watching a game.”

The track and field team will now hold competitions at Hayden Park, with the new track expected to open this fall. The facility will feature a Mondo track surface, a synthetic turf infield, field lighting, a video scoreboard, grandstands, and expanded areas for field events. The state-of-the-art facility also puts Hillsdale back in the game for hosting large-scale meets.

“We’ll host the G-MAC track championships in spring 2024, and the Gina Relays will be back in spring 2025,” said Director of External Relations for Athletics Jeff Lantis, ’86.

Moving the track to Hayden Park means some adjustments to existing features. The cross country course will be rerouted, and the driving range will be relocated and accessible from Mauck Road. The sand volleyball courts, mountain bike trails, and existing buildings will remain in their current locations. The existing soccer field at Hayden Park has received new turf and will be available for the College’s club and intramural soccer teams, as well as for Hillsdale Academy’s soccer team.

The softball field, currently tucked behind Muddy Waters Stadium, will relocate to the northeast of the baseball field. This new location will provide more stable ground and expanded space for a synthetic turf field, a 100-seat covered grandstand, stadium lighting, and more. The

LENDA & GLENDA HILL STADIUM TFO PARTNERS FIELD

FEATURES:

Baseball Softball

• SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD • NEW AND RELOCATED SCOREBOARD • NEW COVERED 300-SEAT GRANDSTAND

• NEW PRESS BOX • CONCESSIONS AND RESTROOMS IN STADIUM • STADIUM LIGHTING FOR EVENING PLAY

FEATURES: • SYNTHETIC TURF FIELD • NEW COVERED 100-SEAT GRANDSTAND AND 200-SEAT EXPANSION • NEW PRESS BOX

• CONCESSIONS AND RESTROOMS IN STADIUM • NEW SCOREBOARD • STADIUM LIGHTING FOR EVENING PLAY

“The plans for our new athletic facility are very exciting. They will give us a fantastic surface on which to play, and the beauty of a new facility will match the beauty of Hillsdale’s campus.”

—KYLE GROSS, HEAD SOFTBALL COACH

HILLSDAL E . E DU

31

LONG JUMP & TRIPLE JUMP

project has been delayed, however, due to rising construction costs. Tharp and Lantis hope that alumni will step forward to fill in the funding gap.

5-ROW 100-SEAT BLEACHER

“We need alumni support,” Lantis said. “We want to foster connections between alumni and the College through athletics, and this is a great way to do so, to pay it forward for future student-athletes so they can have the same great experience that our alumni athletes had.”

BUS LOOP & PARKING

FUTURE CROSS COUNTRY STARTING LINE, 80M

—R. P. WHITE HEAD TRACK AND FIELD/ CROSS-COUNTRY COACH

5-ROW 200-SEAT BLEACHER

PROTECTIVE NETTING

“Lifelong friendships are established and character development happens on the field and on the track,” Tharp said. “These are going to be amazing facilities for our students.”

“We are filled with gratitude and excitement as we unveil our new track and field facility.

This state-of-the-art addition to our Athletic Department opens up a world of possibilities for our program. The opportunity to provide our athletes with the ability to compete and train at a world-class facility will only propel us to new levels of growth and excellence.”

185 CAR PARKING LOT BUILDING FOR: • CONCESSION • RESTROOM • TRAINER • REFEREE EXISTING DRIVING RANGE

EXISTING BUILDING

EXISTING VOLLEYBALL COURTS

TO BARBER DRIVE

32

FALL 2023

10-ROW 450-SEAT BLEACHER

14 BUS PARKING LOT

With these improvements, Hillsdale Athletics will cement its standing as a leader in Division II collegiate athletics by offering the best possible facilities that, in turn, will provide the best possible experience for student-athletes. And the studentathlete experience is one that endures as students grow in character and virtue through sport.

50M MAX 9-LANE W/48” LANES

JAVELIN 5-ROW 100-SEAT BLEACHER

STEEPLE CHASE HIGH JUMP

DISCUS HAMMER 5-ROW 100-SEAT BLEACHER

JAVELIN

NEW SCOREBOARD

SHOT

SHOT

EXISTING INTRAMURAL FIELD

FEATURES:

Track & Field

• STATE-OF-THE-ART MONDOTRACK SURFACE • SYNTHETIC TURF INFIELD, EXCELLENT FOR MOST OUTDOOR SPORTS • GRANDSTANDS

• FIELD LIGHTING • VIDEO SCOREBOARD • EXPANDED AND STATEOF-THE-ART FIELD EVENT COMPETITION AREAS

HILLSDAL E . E DU

33

2023 Hall of Fame Inductees Hillsdale College’s 24th Hall of Fame Class represents four different sports and four different decades, and comprises a group of athletes who both had unprecedented individual success and also helped lift up their teams and respective sports to new heights during their time at Hillsdale. They will be honored on September 22 at the Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet during Homecoming Weekend.

Here’s a closer look at this year’s inductees:

Silvia Siqueira, Tennis Class of 1993

Troy Salvior, Baseball Class of 1990

Kenneth Moorehead, Basketball Class of 1971

Silvia Siqueira, ’93, came to Hillsdale as a Brazilian foreign exchange student, and turned down several NCAA Division I offers to sign with the Chargers.

Troy Salvior, ’90, enrolled at Hillsdale as a lightly recruited pitcher from nearby Michigan Center High School. A raw talent who possessed a strong right arm, Salvior matured into one of the best pitchers in Hillsdale College baseball history.

Kenneth Moorehead, ’71, led the Chargers to unprecedented success as a three-year starter and team captain from 1965 to 1968. He became just the second Charger in program history at the time to surpass 1,000 points for his career, finishing with 1,043. He still has the program’s single-season rebounding mark of 508 set in 1967-68, and the single-game rebounding mark of 30 set in a win over Bluffton in 1967. His 1,141 career rebounds still rank second all-time.

On the tennis court, Siqueira made an instant impact.

She was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player as a freshman, and won multiple conference honors during her career. In fact, she never lost a regular-season conference match.

After graduating from Hillsdale, she worked as an auditor and consultant for Arthur Anderson in her native Brazil. Siqueira started in August of 2022 as the assistant vice president of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Federal Reserve’s 11th District Bank of Dallas.

Now living in the Dallas area with her husband and two grown children, she recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas.

Salvior had a historic senior season in 1990, leading the nation at the NCAA Division II level in earned run average (1.43) while earning first-team All-GLIAC and Team MVP honors. Salvior finished with a 6-2 record in 1990, including wins over NCAA Division I Toledo and NCAA Division III nationally ranked Southern Maine.

For his career, Salvior ranks sixth all-time in Hillsdale history in strikeouts (180) and tied for fifth in wins (18). He was one of just a handful of players in program history to be selected in the MLB Draft, taken in the 21st round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990, and reached AA ball in the Minor Leagues before injuries cut his promising pro career short.

He and his wife, Stacy, have two grown children. They reside in Tampa, Florida.

34

FALL 2023

Moorehead was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1968, one of just two Chargers to be selected in the NBA Draft, and played professional ball overseas in Europe, as well as for three years in the EPBL, an NBA developmental league, with the Allentown Jets and Sunbury Mercuries.

He was a longtime teacher and coach in Illinois and Michigan. He and his wife currently reside in Jackson, Michigan.

Scan the QR Code to access past Hall of Fame Inductees

Mike Broome, Football Class of 1982

Ralph Perriello, Football Class of 1964 (posthumous)

Mike Broome, ’82, started for four seasons at guard, missing just two games in his career despite suffering a series of injuries in multiple years that would have ended most players’ seasons. A consensus first-team NAIA All-American in 1981, Broome played a key role as both a leader and one of the best players on both the 1980 GLIAC Championship team and the 1981 NAIA National Semifinalist team.

A gifted guard who played his final two seasons at Hillsdale after transferring from the University of Michigan, Ralph Perriello, ’64, was a standout for the Chargers under head coach Frank “Muddy” Waters, earning NAIA All-State honors as well as the team’s most valuable lineman award in both 1962 and 1963, as well as Team MVP honors in 1963. A respected leader, Perriello served as co-captain of the 1963 team.

He was named the Chargers’ Offensive Lineman of the Year three times, twice earning All-GLIAC and NAIA AllDistrict honors and serving as a co-captain in 1981.

Broome and his wife, Debra, have five grown children and reside in Livonia, Michigan. His son, Nick, is entering his junior season as a linebacker for the Chargers this fall.

After graduation, he became a legendary coach at Ypsilanti High School in southeastern Michigan, becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach during a 13-year stint and sending several football players to Hillsdale. He moved to Florida and continued to coach and teach at Lely High School in Naples, Florida, until 2000.

Know a former Charger who may be worthy of the Athletic Hall of Fame?

Visit hillsdalechargers.com/ athletics/HOF/AthleticHallofFame Complete the nomination form by December 1, 2023, to be considered for the 2024 class.

He passed away in 2021, survived by two grown children, three stepchildren, and 10 grandchildren.

HILLSDAL E . E DU

35

RD 17

PICK 511

BY JAMES GENSTERBLUM, ’12

Zane Barnhart Goes from Underdog Pitcher to Major League Baseball In July, a lifelong dream came true for righthanded pitcher Zane Barnhart, as the Hillsdale College star became just the fourth player in Chargers baseball history to be selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

But while Barnhart’s overnight transformation from a recruiting afterthought to one of just 11 NCAA DII baseball players to be drafted in 2023 might have been unexpected, it certainly didn’t happen by accident.

Barnhart was picked in the 17th round by the Baltimore Orioles with the 511th pick, and reported this summer to Sarasota, Florida, at the Baltimore Orioles’ spring training facility after accepting the Orioles’ contract offer.

In his freshman season at Hillsdale in the spring of 2021, Barnhart flashed potential in eight appearances but also finished the season with a 10.80 ERA. In the midst of that uneven season, Barnhart’s March 27 appearance in a 10-7 victory over Malone stands out as foreshadowing for the rest of his career in two ways.

Although he leaves Hillsdale College as one of the best small college pitchers in the country, when Barnhart first arrived on the Hillsdale College campus in the fall of 2020 to begin his collegiate baseball career, he wasn’t seen as a game-changing recruit.

In fact, according to Prep Baseball Report, the Chargers had been the only NCAA DII program to offer a scholarship to the 387th-ranked player in Ohio in his class, coming out of Highland High School in Medina throwing in the mid-80s.

To say that there was little indication at the time that just three years later, Barnhart would be on the cusp of beginning a pro career while regularly touching 97 or 98 miles per hour, is an understatement.

36

FALL 2023

“I think (the win over Malone) was big for me because it was my first career save, and it really gave me confidence that I could come through in situations like that,” said Barnhart, who struck out the side to clinch the victory.

The second reason that win stands out, however, might be even more important. “That game was the first time I threw a pitch at 90 miles per hour in my career,” Barnhart added.

It’s impossible to tell Zane Barnhart’s story without talking about pitch velocity. It is, perhaps, the most coveted trait for MLB teams in today’s scouting environment for a simple reason: in general, the harder a

“I was blessed to get great coaching, first from (former Hillsdale baseball coaches) Eric and Gordie Theisen, who recruited me and believed in me when no one else did, and then from Tom Vessella and Ryan Van Amburg, who helped me develop a plan and make the adjustments I needed to become the player I am today.”

– ZANE BARNHART

HILLSDAL E . E DU

37

pitcher can throw for strikes, the harder it is for a batter to get hits off him.

confidence in him that he was going to make the best of it and come back to Hillsdale much stronger than he was when he left.”

Barnhart’s dream of hearing his name called in the MLB Draft steadily moved from fantasy to reality with each upward tick of his fastball speed throughout his career at Hillsdale.

Things played out exactly how Vessella hoped, as Barnhart returned to Hillsdale in the fall of 2022 a transformed pitcher. Armed with a fastball that was touching speeds rarely seen at the NCAA DII level paired with credible off-speed options, Barnhart announced himself to the national scene in a four-inning-long relief appearance against nationally ranked Lee University on the 2023 season opener, striking out seven batters to record the upset win for the Chargers in extra innings.

The tipping point came at the end of his sophomore season, during which Barnhart had gone from one of several relievers to the team’s top closer, putting together a season that earned him second team allconference honors.

“I had a really good year in 2022; my hard work felt like it was really paying off,” Barnhart said. “My fastball was up to 93 and I realized then that if I made the same leap in velocity heading into my junior year that I’d made from my freshman to sophomore year, I’d be throwing with the kind of speed that really gets you on the major league radar. That became my focus.”

To add nearly 15 miles per hour to your fastball in three years takes grueling effort.

“It’s a lot of weight training, just building as much strength and explosiveness as possible, but it’s more than that,” Barnhart said. “It came down to just being intentional, looking at every aspect of my life, and working with my coaches and the people in my life to figure out what I can do in every one of those areas to make me the best pitcher I can be.”

Barnhart’s detail-oriented focus was the key to unlocking his potential, said Hillsdale College baseball coach Tom Vessella. Vessella took over as Hillsdale’s head coach in the summer of 2021, before Barnhart’s sophomore year, and immediately saw potential in the young pitcher.

“When I first met Zane, I don’t think anyone would have expected he’d become a draft pick two years later, but it was clear he had two important physical traits in his athleticism and his live arm,” Vessella said. “The more our coaching staff got to know him, the more we realized that he had important mental traits as well in his determination, his work ethic, and his coachability.”

Vessella and assistant coach Ryan Van Amburg put together a training plan that led to Barnhart’s breakout sophomore year in 2022. But with the junior’s bigger goals in mind for 2023, all three pushed even harder in the summer before.

“We got him placed in the Alaska Baseball League, which is one of the premier summer leagues for college players,” Vessella said. “We had

38

FALL 2023

That kicked off a dominant season for the junior, who won five games and recorded six saves with a 2.06 ERA and 61 strikeouts to 10 walks with a .150 opponent batting average against, numbers that led Barnhart to become the first Chargers pitcher to earn consensus All-Region honors since Andy Lovell in 2005.

It didn’t take long for the MLB to catch on. Scouts became a regular presence at Chargers games, and Barnhart also scored an invite to the prestigious Prospect League at the conclusion of the season, marking him as a player likely to be drafted in 2023.

In being selected by the Orioles in July, Barnhart joins Troy Salvior (St. Louis Cardinals, 1990) as just the second Chargers pitcher to be drafted by the MLB, and the fourth overall along with Tommy Martin (Baltimore Orioles, 1997) and Jake Hoover (Texas Rangers, 2019). Barnhart now is set to begin his journey to become Hillsdale’s first player to appear in a Major League game since Wayne Schurr played a season with the Chicago Cubs in 1964.

As Barnhart moves on to the next level, he carries with him fond memories from his time at Hillsdale.

“I was blessed to get great coaching, first from (former Hillsdale baseball coaches) Eric and Gordie Theisen, who recruited me and believed in me when no one else did, and then from Tom Vessella and Ryan Van Amburg, who helped me develop a plan and make the adjustments I needed to become the player I am today,” Barnhart said. “I owe so much to my teammates as well, who really created an incredible culture for our team and bonds that I will treasure the rest of my life.”

Barnhart’s contributions to Hillsdale won’t be soon forgotten, either.

“Not every kid we’re going to recruit is going to become Zane Barnhart and get drafted, but Zane shows what you can become when you really dedicate yourself to something and do everything you can to achieve it,” Vessella said. “We wish Zane the best and know that this accomplishment is only the beginning of the great things he’s going to do.”

Fall

Chargers Athletic Staff Directory John Tharp Director of Athletics (517) 607-3130 jtharp@hillsdale.edu

Brianna Brennan Head Coach, Women’s Basketball (517) 607-3170 bbrennan@hillsdale.edu

Keith Otterbein Head Football Coach (517) 607-3138 kotterbein@hillsdale.edu

Josh Calver Deputy Athletic Director— Business Management and Compliance (517) 607-3140 jcalver@hillsdale.edu

Adam Burlew Head Action Shooting Coach (517) 610-5593 aburlew@hillsdale.edu

Matt Thompson Head Men’s Golf Coach (517) 607-3149 mthompson@hillsdale.edu

Liam Fraboulet Head Women’s Tennis Coach (517) 607-3168 lfraboulet@hillsdale.edu

Keith Turner Head Men’s Tennis Coach (517) 607-3180 kturner@hillsdale.edu

Chris Gravel Head Volleyball Coach/ Assistant Athletic Director (517) 607-3162 cgravel@hillsdale.edu

Tom Vessella Head Baseball Coach (517) 607-3137 tvessella@hillsdale.edu

Jeff Lantis Director of External Relations (517) 607-3182 jlantis@hillsdale.edu James Gensterblum Director of Athletic Communications (517) 607-3172 jgensterblum@hillsdale.edu Ted Matko Director of Sports Broadcasting (517) 607-2351 tmatko@hillsdale.edu Regan Meyer Director of Athletic Marketing and Community Relations (517) 607-3132 rmeyer@hillsdale.edu Keven Bradley Head Coach, Men’s Basketball (517) 607-3148 kbradley@hillsdale.edu

Kyle Gross Head Softball Coach (517) 607-3191 kgross@hillsdale.edu

R.P. White Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country Coach (517) 607-3161 rwhite@hillsdale.edu

Jordan Hintz Head Shotgun Coach (262) 930-9718 jhintz@hillsdale.edu Kurt Kirner Head Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach (517) 607-3142 kkirner@hillsdale.edu

Scan the QR Code to access entire Athletic Staff Directory

HILLSDAL E . E DU

39

G E T R E A DY T O C H A R G E O N W I T H A P PA R E L F R O M O U R T E A M S T O R E !

SCAN HERE TO GET YOUR CHARGERS GEAR!

hillsdalechargers.com