Experience leads the Central baseball team as it prepares for a new season
PELLA- After improving its win total the past two years the Central College baseball team is looking to continue to build on its momentum.
The Dutch return seven seniors, 11 juniors, 12 sophomores, while also welcoming 18 freshmen. Seven of the starters from last season’s team are returning
“A strength of this team is the players are returning with experience,” Carey said. “A lot of our junior class made starts as freshman and then carved regular roles as sophomores. This season they know what to expect.”
The leading returning hitter is Dom DeLaPaz (senior, Davenport, West HS) who hit .272 with a .857 OPS in 39 starts at catcher. The team also returns two-way player Max Steinlage (junior, Cedar Falls) who had a 5.01 ERA on the mound in 46.2 innings, while also hitting .239 with a .703 OPS.
“Steinlage has carved out a role in center field while also pitching,” Carey said. “He is fantastic defensively while also improving at the plate.”
The Dutch also returns catcher and utility player Caleb Douglass (senior, Windsor, Colo.) who had a batting average of .264 and an OPS of .866 in conference games. The lone returning American Rivers all-conference player is pitcher Mark Kenney (junior, Fennimore, Wis.) who threw 35.1 innings over five starts and had a 2.80 ERA and one complete game in conference games.
Other returning starters are Brayden Sawyer (junior, Grundy Center), Jaden Kramer (junior, Cedar Falls), and Chance Dreyer (junior, Davenport, Assumption HS).
The team has improved both its overall win total and its conference win total in the first year under coach Adam Carey. The Dutch have finished seventh in the A-R-C the past two years and are picked eighth in the preseason poll this season.
Central starts its season February 23 when it travels to Fulton, Missouri to play a doubleheader against Westminster University at 1 and 4 p.m. The squad also travel to play in the RussMat Central Florida Invitational in Auburndale, Florida when the team will play single games against Bethany College (W. Va.) on March 9 at 3:45 p.m. and Greenville University (Ill.) on March 10 at 9:30 a.m. Central will play doubleheaders against Oneonta State University (N.Y.) on March 11 at starting at 9 a.m., St. Joseph’s (Maine) March 13 starting at 2:45 p.m. and St. Scholastica (Minn.) March 14 starting at 2:45 p.m.
“I really like our nonconference schedule this year, we have a mix of teams we know well and have a lot of respect for and teams we haven’t seen before,” Carey said.
Central starts American Rivers play on March 21 when it goes on the road and takes on Dubuque. The Dutch will host Coe College (March 28-29), Buena Vista University (April 1), Nebraska Wesleyan (April 19-20), Simpson (April 25-26) and finishes up with Loras College (May 1-2). The first home game of the season will be against Coe on March 28 at 3 p.m.
“There is a lot of parody in the conference this season,” Carey said. “There is a lot of talent and depth, but every weekend is up for grabs.”
Despite not having any big picture goals or expectations, the team understands what they need to do to achieve success.
“We need to embody our core values of energy and creating an environment of excellence. Our job is to create better people and if they are doing these things on and off the field we will see success on the field and get the results we want.”
