Outlaws baseball swings into season

The boys baseball team is hard at work preparing for the season ahead. Eight players will return to the varsity squad with high hopes of repeating as league champs.

Four seniors, including Shane Groth, Bryce Alderman, Aaron Selig and Lucas Stovall will bring leadership and experience to the team.

Groth has made major contributions to the Outlaws' squad the past three years and is expected to make a big impact this year. Shane is Sisters' best pitcher and will see lots of time on the mound. When Groth isn't pitching you'll find him at third base. Shane has a strong arm and can easily make the longest throw in the infield, which will be a great asset to the team. The coaching staff expects Groth will also make big contributions at the plate.

"Shane is our No.1 pitcher," said Coach Steve Hodges. "He has good velocity, has developed a slider and at times overpowers hitters."

Alderman was injured all of last year and played with a cast on his hand. This year the team is excited he's back at 100 percent. Bryce has played at first, third, catcher, and outfield for the Outlaws, but is a natural at first base.

"Bryce brings leadership, fun and enthusiasm to our baseball team," stated Hodges. "He's got power potential at the plate and will be a great addition to our line-up, being injury free."

Selig has shown that he can hit for power and Hodges stated that the coaching staff will be looking for Aaron to contribute on the defensive side at first base.

Stovall rounds out the group of seniors. Lucas will see time in the outfield and at catcher. Hodges stated that Lucas can run down balls in the gap and also has some pop in his bat.

Also back for another season are juniors Nicky Blumm and Sam Calarco, and sophomores Joey Morgan and Jardon Weems.

Blumm will play at either shortstop or second base and is a sure-handed defensive player.

Of Blumm Hodges said, "Nicky showed good range and poise last year. He will be one of our infield captains and be in on a lot of plays. His communication with the outfielders will be critical, and he'll be relied on heavily. Nicky can also do a lot with the bat. He's a pretty good bunter and can place his hits to many parts of the field."

Calarco will see time behind the plate and also at third base. Hodges told The Nugget that Calarco's bat will be critical in the Outlaws' line-up.

"Sam has got some pop and power in his bat and we look for him to do some big things at the plate," said Hodges. "As a third-baseman he's tough and willing to put his nose in front of a lot of baseballs. That's the kind of mentality you want at third base."

Joey Morgan and Jardon Weems both made the varsity squad as freshman and are expected to be big contributors this year.

As a freshman, Morgan was one of the better catchers in the state and was a third-team all-league selection. Hodges believes that this year Morgan will be one of the top catchers in the state. Joey has an excellent throwing arm and plays stellar defense behind the plate. Morgan will also see some time on the mound.

"Joey will have to pitch more than last year due to the loss of our senior pitching staff," said Hodges. "We'll have to be careful and not overuse his arm. It's not easy when you have a player that is a pitching/catching combination. Joey will also hit in the first half of our line-up. He's bigger and stronger this year and will hit for power."

Weems has a strong arm and will play in the outfield, but will also be a part of the pitching rotation.

"Playing as a freshman, the learning curve was steep," said Hodges, "and so this year I expect positive results from that experience. We're also looking for more contact from Jardon at the

plate."

All of the returnees played on a team last year that had a tremendous amount of success. The Outlaws were crowned league champs and finished with an overall record of 23-5.

"All these guys have played in high-pressure games and games of significance," said Hodges. "I'm relying on them to pass that on to the younger players."

Five new additions will round out the Outlaws' roster. Senior John Erickson joins the team for the first year and will play outfield. Juniors Eli Boettner (outfielder, pitcher), Ryan Pollard (outfielder), Dillon Witt (infield), and freshman Justin Harrer (infield/outfield) will complete the team.

"We're excited to have Eli (Boettner) as one of our pitchers," stated Hodges. "He's a left-handed pitcher, and it's been a long time since the Outlaws have had a left-handed player on varsity."

The Outlaws have big expectations for the coming season.

"Our big goal is to defend the league crown," said Hodges. "We need to develop younger players to replace some all-state athletes we lost last year. Our first goal is to make league playoffs."

Sisters will kick off their season on Thursday, March 15, in a home game against Summit.