By Chris Parker
Warsaw baseball finished 15-10 last year with a district title and a state quarterfinal appearance. The Wildcats also won the Ozark Highlands Conference title. They will be looking to repeat that success with a strong core of returning players.
Senior Brady Slaves returns after earning all-conference and all-district honors last year. He plays shortstop and hits in the middle of the lineup. Slavens, an all-state quarterback on the football field, hit .412 with a .505 on-base percentage last spring. As a pitcher, he threw 12 innings with 19 strikeouts.
James Kellner is another senior who brings a wealth of experience. He played every position on the field except pitcher and catcher last year hitting .240 with a .378 on-base percentage and 17 RBI.
Gaven Cunningham gives Warsaw a third senior to lean on. The outfielder hit .333 with a.458 on-base percentage.
Junior catcher Nick Bagley returns to run the pitching staff. He hit .278 with a .381 on-base percentage last season to go with 15 RBI. He also had 20 strikeouts in 14 innings on the mound.
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Juniors Tayten Boyer (outfield), Gage Whitaker (outfield) and Alec Frost (infield/outfield) all contributed as sophomores and look to expand their roles.
Devon Boul, Colton Harding, Dakota Steinhoff, and Bryan Coffey are looking to earn spots this spring.
Freshmen could also make an impact for Warsaw.
“We have a big freshman group this spring that will provide good pitching depth and will be looking to try and find a spot in the lineup,” Warsaw head coach John Eierman said.
Many of Warsaw’s players are two- and three-sport stars, which means Eierman will have an athletic team at his disposal this year.
“Strength of our team will be our athleticism and depth. Most every guy on our team plays multiple sports,” Eierman said. “We’re going to look to be aggressive on the base paths and take advantage of our team speed.”
Warsaw opens the season on Mar. 18 at home against Sherwood.
