By Blake Meacham–Coach Brian Drent’s baseball team started the 2015 season with 20 wins in its first 27 games. He was very pleased with the start.
However, an 11-9 conference record to end the season left Drent and his squad wanting more.
In the 2016 GPAC Pre-Season Coach’s Poll, Morningside claims the second spot with 86 votes, just missing the number one ranking by a single vote to Doane. In fact, they led the conference in first place votes with five, while third place Briar Cliff had four, and Doane following with three. The Mustangs finished with a 35-18 record last season.
“This is the most talented team I’ve had in my five years here,” explained Drent. “We are deep at every position, and we have an experienced line-up. I think the other coaches in the conference realize that, thus the five first place votes.”
The baseball team only had three seniors graduate at the end of last season. One didn’t play due to an injury. However, the other two were every day starters who hit in the middle of the line-up. Mike Thompson, the starting catcher, and Nate Clark, a two-time all-conference third baseman, have to be replaced this year.
Drent isn’t too worried about the losses, though. Nate DeChaine, a sophomore this year who was a second-team all-conference utility player in his freshman season, will replace Clark at third base. Drent also has a handful of experienced catchers in junior Eric Salmonson, junior Blake Rogers, and senior Mitch Kellogg.
Besides third base and catcher, the Mustangs have returning starters at every position, including the pitching staff. Sophomore Cody Selig, who tied the school record in wins last season, returns to his opening-day starter role. He is supported by an experienced bullpen, led by seniors Doug Vancek, Lance Spongberg, Ross Ackerman, and Chris Eckstaine.
“We have a lot of depth,” said sophomore first baseman Joe Genoways. “Last year, we had more pressure on less people because of our lack of depth. This year, the opposite is true.”
Jake Lamoreux, a two-time all-conference center fielder who finished 12th in the conference in batting average and tied for 3rd in total hits in the GPAC last season, is equally as optimistic.
“We’ve gone through a lot of adversity together. We know the expectations now, and what it takes to be a good ball club,” explains Lamoreux.
The Mustangs open their season with double headers against Ashford University on February 13 and 14, in Joplin, Missouri.
Statistics Credit to DakStats.com
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