College Baseball: Raiders ready to tackle season with 15 players

BRAINERD — In his third season, Central Lakes College head coach Blaine Hardy is excited about his team.

It is a relatively small roster with just 15 players, so playing time will not be an issue.

“There is a lot more time that can go into each individual with a smaller group,” Hardy said. “It’s been nice to get a bunch of one-on-one time, where last year that wasn’t as much the case. With a smaller team, there’s been a lot more potential playing time and guys needing to play more than one position. We have a lot of guys that are versatile. There’s been a lot of progress as of late.”

The Raiders have six sophomores in Taevyn Brown, Eli Owen, Quincy Janyz, Justin Walters, Daniel Miller and Sebastian Bark.

Walters highlights the returners with a .417 batting average last year, which was best on the team. He recorded 30 hits in 72 at-bats with nine doubles, 13 RBIs, 15 runs and eight walks.

Brown, a Pequot Lakes native, hit .284 last year in 81 at-bats. He tallied 23 hits, 18 runs and 12 RBIs. He led the team in stolen bases with 14 and walked five times.

Jantz hit .250 in 24 at-bats last year with six hits and three runs. He pitched five innings and compiled a 10.80 ERA with three strikeouts.

Bark pitched in nine games last year and posted a 12.00 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 33 innings. He started three games and finished with a 1-6 record.

Miller pitched 9.2 innings with a 6.52 ERA. He struck out four and allowed 13 hits.

“Sebastian Bark showed a lot of promise last year,” Hardy said. “I think the mental toughness is there. He’s put in quite a bit of time getting stronger and tuning his craft as a pitcher and also kind of a utility player as well. Quincy Jantz was a catcher for us last year, but stepped away from that and is going to be an infielder. His bat is going to be a useful piece for us in the lineup. He has swung it fairly well. Eli Owen provides good speed in the outfield. Justin Walters was a force for us in the outfield last year. He was in the top 10 in average last year in our conference. He is continuing to grow with his ability to swing the bat. Taevyn Brown was one of the biggest surprises from last year. He was slotted as our No. 3 shortstop, but got his opportunity and proved to be a solid shortstop with a really good arm. He also puts the ball in play and utilizes his speed. Daniel Miller is our catcher.”

Freshman corner infielders John Cromwell and Ethan Guck are players Hardy is excited to put in the lineup.

“Both of them have shown they can handle the bat,” Hardy said. “On top of that, they have the knowledge and ability to play the infield. Those hot corner guys have to have something that’s really trainable and that’s reaction time. They’ve both proven that.”

Freshman Isaiah Usher is a left-handed pitcher who Hardy says has a lot of potential.

“With him being my lefty, he’s probably going to be one of my starters,” Hardy said. “There are some mechanical things that need to be adjusted, but even with those flaws, he competes. I think there’s some velocity to unlock there and time will tell if some of these adjustments translate.”

Asher Borle and Atreyu Marcelo are two freshmen from Brainerd High School

“Borle is a kid with a lot of power and a lot of potential,” Hardy said. “Marcelo has been a Swiss Army Knife. He can play anywhere and is extremely athletic.”

With just 15 players, handling a pitching staff is difficult. Hardy, who pitched seven seasons in the majors, is going to try to keep the Raiders’ arms as healthy as possible.

“It’s going to be tough juggling things,” he said. “You only have so many options. I don’t have a giant list to stare at. It’s going to be based on arm health and how everyone is feeling. We have a lot of guys built up to go more than one inning. That is going to be key to our success.”

The Raiders finished last season 9-24 and 7-13 in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Central Division. Alexandria won the Central Division last season.

“As long as we stay healthy, we will be in good shape,” Hardy said. “I think we’re going to be very competitive and hold our own.”

CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.

Raiders baseball
Head coach: Blaine Hardy, third year
2024 record: 9-24 overall, 7-13 Central Division
Returning players: Taevyn Brown, Eli Owen, Quincy Jantz, Justin Walters, Daniel Miller, Sebastian Bark
Assistant coaches: Ian Wilson, Keith Peterson

Raiders Roster
Sophomores: Taevyn Brown, Eli Owen, Quincy Jantz, Justin Walters, Daniel Miller, Sebastian Bark
Freshmen: Logan Huss, James Essery, John Cromwell, Aaron Kallstrom, Atreyu Marcelo, Kadin Bellinger, Isaiah Usher, Asher Borle, Ethan Guck

Raiders Schedule
March 22: at Vermilion (2), 1 p.m.
March 23: at Mesabi Range (2), 1 p.m.
March 31: hosts Itasca, (2), 1 p.m.
April 5: hosts Anoka-Ramsey (2), 1 p.m.
April 6: at Anoka-Ramsey (2), 1 p.m.
April 9: hosts Rainy River (2), 1 p.m.
April 12: at Ridgewater (2), 1 p.m.
April 13: hosts Ridgewater (2), 1 p.m.
April 15: at Itasca (2), 2 p.m.
April 16: at Rainy River (2), 1 p.m.
April 18: hosts Alexandria (2), 1 p.m.
April 19: at Alexandria (2), 1 p.m.
April 26: hosts Minnesota State (2), 1 p.m.
April 27: at Minnesota State (2), 1 p.m.
May 2: hosts St. Cloud (2), 1 p.m.
May 3: at St. Cloud (2), 1 p.m.

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.