ATLANTIC – At the end of Atlantic’s Iowa Class 3A substate baseball game vs. Bondurant-Farrar a year ago, head coach Nathan Block met with his team.
The Trojans had lost just 10-0 to the Bluejays in a game – a 1-23 team vs. a state-ranked No. 1 seed – that went longer and perhaps was closer than a lot of observers had predicted.
Still, the Trojans felt they left something on the field last season, and Block made note of it.
“I told the guys after the Bondurant-Farrar playoff game that it was my goal to make sure that experience doesn’t happen again, and that we were a lot better ballclub than what we put on the field last year,” he said. “We put in a lot of time in the offseason pitching and hitting, and I think the guys we have out this year have really bought in and we’ll have a really successful season.”
The offseason has seen improvements, with pitchers throwing better and seeing different pitches, and improvements in the hitting with different drills. Both were areas that the Trojans tended to struggle with a year ago, and Block said he was happy with the progress made.
This season has 37 players out program-wide, with freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels all. Johnny Bullock and Tristan Hayes return as the lone seniors, but the sophomore and junior classes are large and have plenty of experience already under their belts.
Block is a co-head coach, along with veteran coach Gaylord Shelling. Bodie Johnson is the junior varsity head coach, with Andy Mitchell at the freshman level. Returning as volunteer coaches are Darby McLaren and Josh McLaren.
Bullock is coming off arm surgery from a year ago and didn’t get much time a year ago, but it’s hoped he’ll be ready and when he is, he’ll probably be one of the outfielders. Hayes saw time in both the outfield, primarily left field, and pitching, and since he’s finishing up his golf season at the state meet, he hasn’t been as available.
The pitching staff is mainly intact, and Block called it “deep,” with three potential aces: junior Kale Jensen, a transfer from Lincoln (Neb.) Pius X, and
Jensen played Legion ball in Carroll this spring and has been trying out for the Iowa 16 team. Block, noting Jensen has a good slider and solid mid-80s fastball, said he’s been committed with bullpen and weight room sessions.
Hudson McLaren (7.52 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 31-1/3 innings) was all-conference a year ago, and returns with his solid changeup. Jack Muller (6.65 ERA, 15 strikeouts in 20 innings) fell just short of all-conference honors, but he’s a lefty and the different angle could give the Trojans a solid different look to opposing batters.
The bullpen – relievers, closers, situational pitchers and potential starters – are guys like Hayes, Keston Schmitt, Grant Petty, Gavin McLaren, Sawyer Tarrell, Zander Killion.
“We’re like eight or nine deep,” said Block.
Gavin McLaren will see most of his time at catcher, and Killion and Keaton Schroeder could back him up behind the dish.
“At the plate, he hit .240 last year but he’s hitting the ball really hard. His catching work and footwork has gotten better as well,” said Block. “He’s going to be our rock back there.
The infield will normally be either Muller or Petty at first base, Schmitt and Collin Harris at second, Tarrell and Kalvin Hayes at shortstop and Hudson McLaren and Cooper Woolsey at third. The lineup will of course change depending on pitching and who’s playing well.
Outfielders on any given night will probably include either Hayes or Jensen in centerfield, Zayden Parker – “probably the best swing on the team right now and putting the ball in play,” according to Block – in right and then Brock Goodrich, Collin Rudy, Corbin Ritter, Carter Hadley and Bullock.
So a lot of potential pieces to the puzzle.
Rudy gave the Trojan offense a much-needed lift at the end of the year. The Trojans hit just .187 as a team, but in nine games, the Trojan junior hit .353 with six hits and an RBI. Beyond that, Hudson McLaren hit a .278 with 15 hits (including four doubles) and four RBI.
Gavin McLaren returns a team-best eight RBI and had the team’s lone triple. Jensen, at Pius IX, was a pitcher a year ago only, but in pre-season scrimmages was in the No. 2 spot and was putting the ball into the outfield.
“We bring a good corps back, which is good to have, and especially with the pitching depth, we hope to be solid fundamentally and put the bat on the ball,” said Block.
Harlan appears to have the most players back and was one of the favorites to win the Hawkeye Ten Conference championship, with defending champion Clarinda and Council Bluffs Lewis Central right behind.
But several teams that were at the upper echelon of the conference are dealing with graduation losses, but Atlantic – with just one senior a year ago, while a couple key underclassmen didn’t come out – having many of their players back and that could work to their advantage as they seek to climb the standings.
Just three non-conference games for the time being on the schedule: Mount Pleasant, Griswold and Panorama.
“Having fun and bringing positive energy every day,” said Block. “Toward the end of the year last year you could see the demeanor in their faces that this isn’t fun for us and we’re not winning any games. We’re trying to turn the tide on that and we’re getting these kids experience and competing hard night in and night out.”