Wildcats baseball is back and they are looking to build off of a 29-23 season. The team has already begun play as they started the year off against Kansas Wesleyan, 18 ranked team, and got swept.
While getting swept isn’t ideal to start a season, the Wildcats are introducing a ton of new faces as the team returned zero starters in the field and three pitchers. Head Coach Ryan Goodwin knows his team is inexperienced, but has a hopeful outlook for the future of this season.
“We will spend the whole month of February figuring out who we are as a team while playing tough competition,” Goodwin said. “In March and April I expect this team to click and have a very nice season.”
Goodwin went on to explain that his expectations of the season are in parts. The first part being gelling together and adjusting to the level of competition on a national scale. The second part is to win or split series when Heart of America Conference play starts and make it to the conference tourney.
“Finally the third part is the conference tourney, as we proved in 2019, it doesn’t matter where you seed just get in and anything can happen,” Goodwin said. “I firmly believe we will be playing our best baseball of the year in April & May and look forward to finishing the job from last year.”
The Wildcats made it to the semifinal game last season before losing to MidAmerica Nazarene. Even with the new faces on the team, Goodwin looks to compete in any way possible. As noted, the first month or so for the Wildcats will be tough as the team gets more chemistry together, but Junior infielder Savon Battle has some insight.
“I feel great about our team and we have great chemistry and I believe that’s the first part of being a successful ball club,” Battle said. “The team dynamic is definitely interesting with guys coming from all over the country, but as a team, we just have to focus on one game, pitch and at bat at a time.”
Battle goes on to explain that returning players like Junior pitcher Caden Pogue have stepped into leadership roles and are showing the new players the Baker way. Pogue agrees with this statement but also adds that working towards a goal has built the chemistry.
“I believe we have the right pieces on this team to start building good team chemistry and work towards our goal of getting to the [NAIA] National championship,” Pogue said. “I would say that it has just been a matter of holding everyone to the accountability we look to have at this level of baseball.”
Pogue adds that the team has become a collective unit working towards that goal as well. He also adds that working on the smaller things will help the team out as the season goes along.
“I expect us to go out and compete each and every day whether it be in games or practice. We have a goal to get better and better every day,” Pogue said.
The team looks to overcome all the changes in the offseason to do something that hasn’t happened at Baker since 1997 through 1999.
“1997-1999 was the last stretch our program has had three consecutive winning seasons,” Goodwin said. “It would be a nice feat for us to accomplish as we build up our national profile.”
While Goodwin has that goal in mind, he also explains that getting to the tourney is just as important to give his team experience in that environment. Goodwin also discussed a goal if things go right during the conference schedule.
“Finally, if we can get hot I do think our conference schedule gives us a chance to make a run at our first regular season title since 1993,” Goodwin said.
The Wildcats season is starting to ramp up as they are beginning play in the Southeast Rumble from Feb. 8 through Feb. 11 in Waleska, GA against Taylor (IN), Reinhardt (Ga), and Tennessee Southern.
