2021 Baseball Notebook (Week 1)

COMING UP: at Coach Calderone Invitational (Mesa, Ariz.) – Wednesday vs. Midland (Neb.), 2 p.m.; Thursday at Arizona Christian, 6 p.m.; Friday vs. San Diego Christian, 2 p.m.; Saturday vs. St. Katherine, 10 a.m.

COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES
 
LIVE LINKS (STATS / VIDEO): Live Video and Live Stats for games Wednesday and Friday will be available through Benedictine Mesa's You Tube Page, (no live stats), while games Thursday and Saturday will be available through Arizona Christian's Stretch Internet Portal.
 
COYOTES TO OPEN 2021 IN ARIZONA: The Coyotes head south this week to open the 2021 baseball season, competing in the Coach Calderone Invitational, co-hosted by Taylor (Ind.) and Arizona Christian. C of I will play at two separate venues – Gene Autry Park (Wednesday/Friday) and Apollo High School (Thursday/Saturday) – with spectators prohibited due to local COVID-19 guidelines.
 
HISTORY IN THE DESERT: This week marks C of I's seventh trip to Arizona in program history, with the Coyotes recording a combined 12-16 record in the desert. The squad ventured south for the first time in 2012, competing in Anthem at a 5-team tournament hosted by Lewis-Clark State – going 2-2 at the event – before sweeping a 2016 series at Arizona Christian. In 2017 the Yotes returned to Phoenix, splitting a series with ACU, before making two trips south in 2018, including a four-game series split at Ottawa. In 2019, C of I dropped 3-of-4 at Benedictine Mesa, before losing four games last year at a neutral site vs. Taylor (Ind.).
 
JANUARY GAMES: It will be the fifth straight season that C of I has opened the year in January, recording a combined 9-13 record in the early games. The Yotes posted a perfect 4-0 record in 2016 – sweeping a series at Arizona Christian, before splitting games against the same ACU club in 2017. In 2018, the Yotes competed in the 4-Him Classic, co-hosted by ACU and Benedictine Mesa, going 1-3, while dropped 3-of-4 to Benedictine Mesa in 2019. The January 23 season opener in 2020 was the earliest start date in program history, the first of four January losses to Taylor (Ind.), before returning home to close the month with a split against William Jessup – the first January games at Wolfe Field.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Yotes open the season Wednesday against Midland of Fremont, Neb., members of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The Warriors (6-10 in 2020) played a pair of games in the fall, splitting a doubleheader with rival Bellevue. MU returns top hitter Matt Abdelnour (.417 1 HR 15 RBI), along with top pitchers Tyler Seebaum (1-1 2.28 ERA) and James Scurto (2-0 4.30 ERA). Thursday, C of I meets host Arizona Christian, as the Firestorm (18-9) return the bulk of their squad, including outfielder D'Marcus Guillory (.370 1 HR 20 RBI) and top pitcher Trevor McGee (3-1 2.13 ERA). Friday, it's a rematch with San Diego Christian, as the Yotes look to rebound after a pair of 1-run losses to the Hawks (13-14) in 2019. SDCC returns slugger Johnny Radomskiy (.390 4 HR 20 RBI), but have to replace their top-two arms from a staff that posted a 6.39 team ERA. The trip concludes Saturday morning with the first-ever match-up vs. St. Katherine of California (C of I and USK scrimmaged in 2014), as the Firebirds are coming off a 19-9 season in 2020. Outfielder Dylan Jacob (.411 8 HR 26 RBI) led the squad in both homers and RBI, as USK posted a .345 team batting average and averaged nine runs per game.
 
BIG HOME SCHEDULE / NEW LOOK AT WOLFE FIELD: The Coyotes are set to play a 48-game regular-season schedule, which includes 26 games at Wolfe Field. Following their trip to Arizona, the Yotes will play 10 of their next 12 non-conference games on their home diamond, including their first games vs. Northwest Nazarene since 2015. A big change will be noticeable at the stadium, as state-of-the-art lighting has been installed, allowing for the Yotes to play night games - with the lights expected to take effect during Game 2 of the February 5 doubleheader with Oregon Tech.
 
WELCOME BACK CASCADE CONFERENCE: 2021 marks the return of the Cascade Conference as a baseball league for the first time since 2009, when the circuit rebranded as the NAIA West Grouping. Longtime rival, Lewis-Clark State, has joined the league in all sports, while Eastern Oregon returns to the diamond for the first time in 16 years. Oregon Tech and Corban round out the league this year, as British Columbia has opted out for the season due to travel restrictions due to COVID-19. The Top-3 teams in the league will advance to the CCC Championships, with the league champ earning a bid to the NAIA National Championships Opening Round.
 
POSITIONAL PREVIEW – CATCHERS/INFIELDERS: First base is a position that is up for the taking, as eight different returners all saw action at the bag last spring. Both Anthony Pannullo and Ben Dudley saw plenty of time at first base after transferring into the C of I program in 2020. Pannullo led the group with four doubles and 10 RBI, while Dudley had a home run and six RBI. Fellow returners Drew Ochsner, Caden Leiblein, Tobey Summers and Cameron Goetz also worked hard during the fall season with hopes of winning the job. Ochsner has the most experience of the group, starting 19 games at first during the 2019 season; Leiblein had a pair of doubles in his limited action last season; while Goetz and Summers were utilized primarily as pinch hitters. The rest of the infield looks to be interchangeable, as five players with loads of collegiate experience, will be slotted into the second base, shortstop and third base positions. Austin Van Horne returns for a fifth season after having his senior season ended prematurely due to COVID-19. The Caldwell native has been a mainstay in the Coyote order throughout his career – playing nearly every position on the diamond – while building off a tremendous 2020 season on the mound.  Van Horne heads into the year with 46 career extra base hits and 79 career RBI. Joining Van Horne is Ryan Nolan, who had a tremendous 2020 at the plate and in the field – seeing action at second base, shortstop and third base. The transfer from the College of Southern Idaho ranked second on the squad with a .337 batting average, leading the team with 20 runs scored, while adding nine stolen bases, 13 RBI and a .412 on-base percentage. Also back up-the-middle is Ben Hansen, who started 20 games as a true freshman – and at least one game at every infield position. Hansen, who hit in the Yotes leadoff spot 11 teams, posted a .269 average with six RBI, while committing just three errors in 85 defensive chances. Jake Denison won the third base position as a true freshman early last season, starting 19 of the 29 games at the hot corner – finishing the season with a .244 batting average and six RBI. Third-year Coyote Alec Hopkins looks for a bounce-back year in 2021 after starting 31 games at third base as a freshman, finishing the season with 15 RBI. Three others look to crack the infield line-up, third-year sophomore Gerardo Madera, along with true freshmen Elliot Blais and Ashton Rhodes. Behind the plate, two returners and two newcomers are vying for the spot – including a pair of left-handed bats. Weston Miller split time between the catcher spot and the outfield last season and had his best offensive season as a Coyote. The fourth-year player hit .250 with four doubles and 10 RBI, but was among the team leaders with a .402 on-base percentage. Along with Miller, second-year Coyote Tanner McGrath and freshmen Dillon Danner and Hunter Kirkpatrick all look to make an impact behind the plate. The left-hand hitting McGrath was limited to just 12 games last season due to injuries; Danner, also a lefty, had an outstanding prep career in California, earning All-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League honors; while Kirkpatrick, who will also pitch for the Yotes, is a 2-time Under Armour Preseason High School All-American in Montana.
 
POSITIONAL PREVIEW – OUTFIELDERS: Five returners – including everyday players at all three positions – along with three true freshmen, look to increase production and improve C of I's defense from foul line to foul line. Headlining the group is Jonah Hultberg, who would have been in the mix for CCC Freshman of the Year honors after an outstanding rookie campaign. The local product was a thorn in the side of opposing pitchers, hitting a team-best .362 with eight doubles, eight stolen bases and 18 RBI – finishing the season with 12 multi-hit games and a .467 on-base percentage. Matthew Clay took advantage of an opportunity for an extra year of eligibility and returns for his third season in the program. The senior was the Yotes everyday left fielder in 2020, finishing the year hitting .247 with five doubles, nine stolen bases and 13 RBI, recording five multi-hit games in C of I's final 10 contests. C of I also returns their center fielder, Carter Vieira, who posted his best offensive season in his three years with the Yotes. The fourth-year player hit .259 with six doubles, with his 15 RBI ranking second on the club. He will also see time on the mound in 2021. Returners Nick Mooney and Avery Rambur both look to try to crack the outfield line-up. Mooney, in his fourth season in the program, was used primarily as a pinch runner last season and has 16 career stolen bases, while Rambur saw action in 11 games as a true freshman. Of the newcomers, true freshman Tanner Leaf stands out to the Coyote skipper. The Capital High product had a banner junior season, hitting .436 with 26 RBI, leading his team to the 5A state title game, before his senior season was stopped after three games. Also in the mix are freshmen Tyler Lehnertz, a 3-sport athlete at Ridgefield High in Washington, along with Damon Ruesch, a 2-year starter at Copper Hills High in Utah.
 
POSITIONAL PREVIEW – PITCHERS: The Coyotes return five pitchers who threw 30 or more innings in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, along with four others who made at least two appearances out of the bullpen. That group will be joined by four transfers and five true freshmen – all who have the potential to see time on the mound. All four pitchers who started the final series of the 2020 season are back – each who made huge strides during the seven-week campaign. Two-way player Austin Van Horne had a breakout season, making the move from a back-end bullpen arm to a Friday starter. The senior finished 2020 with a 1-1 record and a team-best 2.08 ERA, striking out 42 men in 30.1 innings, holding opponents to a mere .143 batting average. The Caldwell product posted three games with at least eight strikeouts – including a season-high 11 punch outs against Simpson. A trio of sophomores made the leap to the rotation in 2020, with COVID stopping what was a great run by the underclassmen. Connor Root, who had injuries derail his freshman season, bounced back from a rough start to 2020 to finish with a 3-3 mark – tossing at least seven innings in each of his final three starts – including an 8-inning, 2-run effort at Lewis-Clark State. Jared Bowman served as the long reliever out of the pen to start 2020 and joined the rotation in late February, finishing the season with a 1-1 record and a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings. Silas Shumate made the move from a reliever to a starter at the start of league play, finishing with a 1-1 mark and a 4.75 ERA, striking out 23 batters in 30 innings. Two other returners started 2020 in the rotation and became key members of the bullpen. Dimick Wood had 30 strikeouts in 36 innings of work – including a 1-hit shutout of William Jessup, while Ben Tighe made a team-best 12 appearances, picking up a win and a save in the final series of the year against Park Gilbert. Three other returners will fight for innings – as Luke Brewer, John Duffy and Carter Vieira all are squarely in the mix. Brewer, a second-year player, is the lone left-hander on the staff, will be key to the Yotes success after an up-and-down freshman season. Duffy made just three relief appearances as a freshman, while Vieira, a 2-way player, looks to be a potential late inning reliever. Of the new pitchers, freshman Hunter Kirkpatrick and transfer Erik Wisenor have the potential to be in the mix for a starter role. Kirkpatrick, who didn't get to play his senior season at Crescent Valley High in Oregon, was a 2-time Under Armour Preseason All-American while living in Montana – starring for the Helena Senators American Legion Program – and has an upper 80s fastball. Wisenor spent the last two seasons at Division II Concordia-Portland, serving as the top bullpen arm for the Cavs – logging a 2.89 ERA and averaging a strikeout per inning pitched in 2020. Three transfers and a freshmen all look to battle for key innings in 2021 – whether in a starter or reliever role. Junior transfer Brendan Boily went a combined 5-0 in his two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho and was a starter last season at Division II Southern Nazarene. Sophomore Kyle McPeak heads to C of I after two seasons at Big Bend CC; freshman Wyatt Hankard had 10 strikeouts in 15 innings last season at Hartnell CC; with true freshman Colby Durski earning 4A All-Northern Nevada honors at Spanish Springs High. Rounding out the staff are three true freshmen – Jaden Trueblood from Spanish Springs High in Nevada, Nat Nimmer from Shorewood High in Washington and local product Jack Stewart of Centennial High.