Coach: Jared Mounts, 11th year
Last year: 11-10, 6-6 Northwestern
Key losses: Neal Cybulski, Jordan Iden, Kyle Hevner, Zach Webster, Scott Zerull and A.J. Eubank.
Top returning players: Addison Barber, Sr. P; Colin Benner, Soph. P; Nick Goode, Jr. SS; Dakota Orndorff, Jr. P/1b; Russell Repasky, Sr. 2b; Andy Kennedy, Sr. OF; Dan Malsch, Sr. C/P; Joey Eubank, Sr. C; Mark Villareal, Sr. OF
Key newcomers: Brady Hepner, Soph. CF; Kacee Duggan, Soph. OF; Justin McDonald, Sr. P; Canon Cochran, Jr. OF; Noah Keller, Jr. P; Carder Smith, Jr. P; Christian Malsch, Soph. 3b.
Outlook: The Colonels opened the season with a 6-0 win at Tuscarora on Monday. Barber, who went 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA with 39 strikeouts last year, threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out seven. Wood (1-1) lost to Clarke 9-8 Thursday night.
Mounts said pitching should be a strength.
“With Addison and Colin [Benner] back as our 1-2 along with Justin [McDonald], who saw some time out of the bullpen last year, having those guys back with varsity experience is important,” Mounts said. “We feel like we’re going to get good pitching and hope to get good defense. We just have to find a way to manufacture some runs.”
Kennedy, who returns as the team’s top hitter after batting .325 last year, had a two-run single in the season-opening win over Tuscarora.
Mounts said his team hopes to continue to build off a strong finish last year when the team won five of its last six to end the year with a winning record before losing to Millbrook in the district tournament.
“The past two years we’ve been digging out of a hole,” Mounts said. “We want to try to be competitive with the top teams this year.
“I still think Sherando is going to be tough to beat.”
In addition to Kennedy, the Colonels also have added experience with Orndorff, a second team all-district selection last year.
Next game: Tonight, vs. Musselman (W.Va.), 7