Baseball: Seneca hopes to again be a tough out for opponents in ’23

The Seneca baseball team hopes to build off a solid season last spring and looks to have plenty of talented players to do so.

The Fighting Irish finished 15-7 overall and were second in the Tri-County Conference with an 11-3 mark under now fourth-year coach Tim Brungard.

“We lost a couple of key players from last season, including [TCC Pitcher of the Year and Times All-Area two-time first-team selection] Matt Cruise to graduation, but I feel we have a solid returning core of players that are going to give it everything they have each time we take the field,” Brungard said. “After Matt, we were somewhat inexperienced on the mound going into last year, but many of our returning pitchers now know what pitching at the varsity level is all about.

“We have many leaders on the roster, guys that love playing the game of baseball. I think we’ll progress and be a solid ballclub as the year moves on. We’re going to compete, that’s for sure.”

“Even with a number of things still up in the air, I’m excited to see what this group can do.”

—  Seneca baseball coach Tim Brungard

Despite the loss of last year’s ace, Brungard feels he will have a solid pitching core to begin the season and plenty of other arms that, hopefully, will work into the key roles of fourth starter or relief.

“We have three of our top four pitchers back from last season in senior Calvin Maierhofer, junior Austin Aldridge and sophomore Paxton Giertz,” Brungard said. “We have three of four weeks in the start of the season where we have four games in four days, so we are going to be looking for someone to step up and fill that role.

“We have a lot of arms that we can use, but the key will be who can get outs and stay consistent.”

Maierhofer was 2-2 with a 3.14 ERA in 29 innings last season, Aldridge went 3-1 with a 4.01 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 29 2/3, while Giertz was 3-2 with a 3.87 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings.

The pitching staff will be rounded out by seniors Dalton Degrush and David Hatz, as well as juniors Chase Buis, Casey Clennon, Kenny Daggett, Nate Neal, Nate Othon and Aiden Vilcek.

When not on the hill, Giertz (.373 AVG, 23 R) will patrol center field, but other than that, Brungard said, the corner outfield spots are “up for grabs” between senior Zack Sulzberger, Degrush, Daggett, Neal, Othon and Vilcek.

Clennon will be a mainstay at first base, as will Maierhofer (.295, 14 R) at shortstop, while the battle for the third- and second-base spots is a competition between seniors Aiden Wood and Bardy Barla, as well as Aldridge, Buis, Othon, Vilcek and Hatz

Aldridge, who knocked in 12 runs last year, is a three-year starting catcher and will be there when not on the mound. Sulzberger and Othon have looked pretty good back there, Brungard said, and he’s excited to have three players he can count on behind the plate.

Senior Bryce Roe, who shared time with Aldridge at catcher last season and hit .291 with 21 RBIs, tore an ACL at the end of the football season and may be available only toward the end of the season – then only as an infielder.

“If I had to make up a lineup 1 to 9 right now, I’m not sure who would be where, to be honest,” Brungard said. “That has been sorting itself out with every practice, and guys like Giertz, Aldridge and Maierhofer will more than likely be one of those top four guys, but after that there are still a lot of unknowns until we get to our opening game.

“Even with a number of things still up in the air, I’m excited to see what this group can do.”

Seneca is scheduled to open the season with a pair of road games, at Ottawa on Wednesday and at Gardner-South Wilmington on Thursday, before hosting Lexington on Saturday. The Irish will open the TCC schedule at Woodland on March 28.