Viking baseball team looks to improve on overall record from last season
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
THE COLFAX BASEBALL TEAM finally took to the field last Thursday, April 6 when it opened the season and conference play in Mondovi. Front row (L to R): Braden Kiekhafer, Drew Buchner, Mitch Medin, Brison Tuschl , Dylyn Hiitola, Kade Anderson, Grant Palewicz and Zach Hiitola. Back row (L to R): Mason Yarrington, Elijah Entzminger, Brodee Everson, Brian Tuschl, Eli Ralph, Ben Bailey, Micah Bailey, Ashton Greenwell and Orion Nichols. Missing are Tyce Thiry and Grant Paulus. —photo submitted
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
COLFAX — After finishing with an overall record of 6-12 a year ago, Colfax head baseball coach Kirk Secraw hopes his team can improve on that record as well as their 5-9 Dunn-St. Croix Conference record in the upcoming season.
Secraw lost a ton of pitching from last season when Jamison Flatland and Bryce Sikora graduated. Flatland was a first-team all conference pick while doing most of the mound work and Sikora was a second team all conference selection playing shortstop and pitching. Also gone are reserves Austin Swanson and Josiah Harder.
Senior returning letter winners include catcher Dylyn Hiitola, a second team all conference pick as a junior, Mitch Medin who should be the pitching ace for the Vikings, first baseman and pitcher Ashton Greenwell, left fielder Brian Tuschl who is a good contact hitter and Brodee Everson, an outfielder and possibly a designated hitter. Other seniors looking for playing time are Brison Tuschl, Braden Kiekhafer and Micah Bailey.
Junior letter winners back are Mason Yarrington, an all around great player who can play anywhere in the infield and will do some pitching, according to Secraw, Kade Anderson, a great center fielder and Elijah Entzminger, an excellent outfielder with great eye-hand coordination. Eli Ralph will compete for a spot as well.
Filling out the roster are sophomores Drew Buchner, Zach Hiitola, Ben Bailey and Tyce Thiry along with freshmen Orion Nichols, Grant Paulus and Grant Palewicz.
Secraw believes having experienced players should be a team strength but their weakness may be difficulty in putting the ball in play offensively. Goals for the team are to finish at .500 in conference play, lowering the number of walks by the pitching staff and lowering the team era and playing their best ball at regional tournament time.
Elk Mound and Mondovi are expected to be top contenders for a conference title, according to Secraw who begins his eighth season leading the Vikings.
The Vikings were blanked 18-0 in their season opener in Mondovi last Thursday.
2023 Roster
Seniors: Mitch Medin, Dylyn Hiitola, Ashton Greenwell, Brian Tuschl, Brodee Everson, Brison Tuschl, Braden Kiekhafer and Micah Bailey.
Juniors: Mason Yarrington, Kade Anderson, Elijah Entzminger and Eli Ralph.
Sophomores: Drew Buchner, Zach Hiitola, Ben Bailey and Tyce Thiry.
Freshmen: Orion Nichols, Grant Paulus and Grant Palewicz.