Colfax baseball team prepares for 2025 season with new head coach, Ben Anderson
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THE 2025 COLFAX baseball team is under the direction of first-year head coach Ben Anderson. The Vikings look to improve this season. Colfax players are pictured above. Front row (L to R): Caleb Bailey, Mason Smith, Drew Buchner, Connor Arntson, Jace Hintzmen and Rob Holmen. Middle row (L to R): Zach Hiitola, Cole Parzyck, Wyatt Flatland, Brayden Hiitola and Evan Cook. Back row (L to R): Brady Elmer, Grant Cook, Orion Nichols, Grant Paulus, Austin Coates and Grant Palewicz. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
COLFAX — Under the direction of first-year head coach, Ben Anderson, members of the Colfax baseball team began practice for the 2025 season March 24.
Anderson replaces Kirk Secraw who led the Vikings for nine seasons. The Vikings finished 5-10 overall last year and 5-9 in Dunn-St. Croix Conference action for fifth place. They ended the season with a 3-0 regional loss to Neillsville-Granton.
Gone via graduation are a couple of key players including Mason Yarrington and Kade Anderson. Both were four-year varsity starters with Yarrington leading the pitching staff with five wins last year while Anderson patrolled center field four seasons and was second on the team in RBIs with eight a year ago.
Returning are seniors Zach Hiitola and Drew Buchner, both All-Conference selections last year. Buchner led the Vikings in batting with a .310 average while Hiitola was second at .263. Both will be key contributors to the team this season.
Other returning letter winners include Orion Nichols, who led the team in RBIs with 12, along with Grant Cook, Brady Elmer, Connor Arntson and Austin Coates. Coach Anderson expects Arntson, Cook and Caleb Bailey, all underclassmen, to take bigger roles on the team this season.
Strengths of the team should be pitching and defense while consistent hitting may be the team weakness this year. Anderson would like to see all the kids improve at the plate this season and bump up their consistency in the hitting department.
Defending conference champions Elk Mound along with Boyceville are expected to finish near the top of the conference this year, according to coach Anderson.