Marquette Academy baseball coach Todd Hopkins is always a little close-mouthed about what the Crusaders faithful can expect from his team from year to year.
However, this spring he’s being 100% honest when he says he’s not sure what kind of team he’s got and how it will do.
Hopkins has been having a few indoor and outdoor workouts, but with only eight players. The rest of his squad, many of them still playing football, will join them Saturday for the first official practice as a full team, and from there he will determine exactly how the Cru will go about defending their 2019 Class 1A state championship.
“Anytime you’re able to do something like that season, it’s pretty special. It’s something we’ll cherish, but it’s not something we’re gonna sit around and talk about right now. That’s for when we get older. Right now, we’re trying to win each day, each game, each inning, each out, each at-bat, each pitch.”
— Marquette baseball coach Todd Hopkins
It may seem like such a long time ago for many, when Marquette defeated Waterloo Gibault, 11-5, for the title, way back on June 1, 2019. However, there are six players – three of them starters – from that team ready to suit up this spring and go for the repeat, albeit a year late.
Then sophomores now seniors back are Luke Couch, Nick Melvin and Shane Reynolds, plus seniors Jake Thomas, Grant Waldron and junior Hayden McKenna return from the squad that rolled to a 31-1 mark, with titles in the Tri-County Conference, Dwight Regional and the sectional and supersectional at Illinois Wesleyan University.
“Anytime you’re able to do something like that season, it’s pretty special,” Hopkins said. “It’s something we’ll cherish, but it’s not something we’re gonna sit around and talk about right now. That’s for when we get older. Right now, we’re trying to win each day, each game, each inning, each out, each at-bat, each pitch. That’s the mentality we’ve had, and that’s what we have to continue to do.
“People ask if we have goals. I don’t believe in goals. If you set up 10 goals and don’t achieve them, it’s a letdown. We all know what we want to do, and we want to get there one moment at a time.”
Up the middle, the Cru are set. When not pitching, Couch will man short, bringing with him a .328 average, 40 runs and 26 RBIs, with Melvin (.352, 26,R, 20 RBIs) in center field. McKenna (.400 in 10 ABs) will be behind the plate, and sophomore Logan Nelson will play second.
Reynolds (.378, 16 R, 16 RBIs) will man third and Waldron (.333 in 12 ABs) first, though twins Beau and Brady Ewers could see action at those spots, in the outfield or behind the plate. Thomas will man one of the outfield spots, taking center when Melvin pitches.
In addition to Couch, Melvin and Reynolds, seeing duty on the mound will be Waldron, who has hopefully overcome the injury bug that’s bitten him in recent years, as well as the Ewers twins and a trio of sophomores in Taylor Waldron, Aiden Thompson and Logan Nelson.
Hopkins is not concerned about the arms as much as he is the fundamentals like bunt coverages, rundowns, etc. with only three practices to prepare for the opener next Wednesday at Masinelli Field against Hiawatha.
“The first couple weeks, it is what it is,” Hopkins said. “Most of the kids have been doing stuff on their own, but it will be a little trial and error at first. Chances are the things we do the first game will not be how things are at the end. We’ll baby the arms like we always do early, build them up gradually so when it comes to regional time, we can stretch guys out some. A lot depends on what kind of condition they come to us in on Saturday [after the last football game at Mid-County].
“The thing that worries we is that in the past, we’ve always seen the opposition’s best and we were never awed, not even in the championship game. I don’t know if we’ll get to that point this year the way the schedule is set up with the conference ... but I know our guys will compete, no matter what.”