Athletic Outfield Poised to Continue Baseball’s Success This Spring

A Georgia Gwinnett College outfielder has posted a historic season during the past two springs, with dramatic performances that no NAIA baseball player has ever accomplished – paving the way for the Grizzlies’ remarkable regional and national successes. 

In 2023, Ajay Sczepkowski became the first NAIA player to post a season with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases and was the second player among all collegiate divisions to accomplish that 30/30 offensive feat.

Then last spring, Blaze O’Saben became the first player in the history of college baseball to hit 10 home runs, post 10 doubles and 10 triples, while stealing 50 bases in a season.

Both of those achievements brought forth NAIA Player of the Year honors.

On the cusp of the 2025 season, GGCAthletics.com begins its baseball preseason position preview series by examining the team’s outfield group – a significant part of a team striving to make its seventh straight trip to the Avista NAIA World Series. The 2024 team advanced to the semifinal round of the world series, the program’s deepest postseason run since winning the national title in 2021.

GGC returns a trio of experienced players, including two starters, who could continue the linage of standout players that have roamed the outfield in Lawrenceville.

Senior Jon Ponder returns from a one-year absence after earning first NAIA All-America team honors in 2023. That spring, the center fielder was the Continental Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year after batting .421, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 37 bases from the top of the batting order.

The Lawrenceville native started all 52 games in 2023, helping the team post 50 victories.

Another quality outfield returnee is senior Joe Quelch, who is preparing for his third season with the Green and Gold as a corner outfielder. He has 98 starts and earned first-team all-conference honors last spring after hitting 11 homers and having 51 RBI in 62 games.

Quelch also had 45 stolen bases and scored 85 runs in 2024. 

“Joe brings back a ton of experience and maturity. I love the fact that he is helping the new players get acclimated to our program and its expectations,” stated Sheetinger, who begins his sixth season in the GGC dugout.

Senior Peyton Peoples is healthy this spring after being limited to a pinch running role in 2024, his first season as a Grizzly. His 42 stolen bases ranked fourth on the team and he scored 86 runs in 54 games.

Peoples came in to tally five hits in eight at-bats, with two doubles, after being medically cleared for the final month of the 2024 campaign.

The Grizzlies welcome four talented newcomers to compete for starting roles and provide quality depth in the outfield this spring. This group, with senior Sam Seeker and juniors Alex Harrell, Angelo Luna, Joe Mrowiec, and Daniel Stephens, bring collegiate experience from the junior college and NCAA Division I ranks.

“Alex is a big bat who projects to be the middle of our (batting) order, but what I’m most excited about is that he’s the type of kid who wants to get better every day. Sam was an all-conference Division I player (hitting .301 at the University of Akron) who we expect to make an impact,” noted Sheetinger.

The coach added, “Our new faces are really going to make an impact in the outfield. Daniel Stephens came to us as an infielder and brings the athletic skills to contribute in many different ways for us this season.”

The No. 3-ranked Grizzlies are scheduled to begin the season by hosting Huntington University (Indiana) and Midway University (Kentucky) in games on Friday, January 31 at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.