By Chris Parker
Morrisville baseball took full advantage of an 18-game fall schedule to get acquainted with new coach Jason Grose by going 15-3 overall.
“It (the fall season) meant a lot for our group, especially with me in my first year as the head coach here,” Grose said. “We got the chance to get to know each other early, rather than waiting basically all school year. They learned my coaching style and I learned a lot about their personalities and baseball abilities.”
Seniors Dylan Blehm (pitcher/first base/designated hitter) and John Presley (first base/pitcher) were the team captains in the fall.
“They were chosen as captains because of their quiet leadership. Both of them come to practice each day with the goal of getting better,” Grose said.
Blehm hit .441 with three home runs and a team-high 31 RBI in the fall. Presley was an on-base machine with a .492 OBP. He also threw nine innings with six strikeouts allowing just one unearned run.
Blehm along with senior Ty Haynes and sophomore Triston Bruegman will be Morrisville’s top pitchers. Junior Hadan Madewell along with freshman Jacob Presley and John Presley will be the top relievers.
“Dylan is a lefty with great stuff with above average velocity and is a strike thrower. He was dominant this fall,” Grose said. “Ty is another strike thrower who is extremely competitive on the mound. He also has above average velocity. Triston probably throws the hardest but also struggles the most with command. As he continues to work and get better with control, he has the ability to become one of the best pitchers in the area.”
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Haynes will be at third base when he isn’t pitching. He threw 19.1 innings in the fall with 29 strikeouts and a 2.90 ERA. He also hit .429 with 18 RBI. Bruegman, who will play right field when not pitching, threw 23 innings with 29 strikeouts and a 1.52 ERA in the fall. He is also one of the team’s top hitters after he led the team in batting average at .455 with three home runs and 25 RBI.
Senior Cam Pyle will see a lot of time behind the plate. Bruegman is also a candidate for time at catcher.
The rest of the infield will feature Garret Trantham at second base, Madewell at shortstop, and John Presley at first base when Blehm is pitching. Trantham led the team in on-base percentage in the fall at .557 while hitting in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Madewell posted a .286 batting average with 16 RBI. He also threw 13 innings with 15 strikeouts and a 3.23 ERA.
The outfield will feature Chance Hampton in left with some time at second base depending on pitching matchups. Isaac Francka will be in center field. Landon Burrow will play in left or right field depending on who is pitching.
Hampton gets things started for Morrisville offensively as the lead-off hitter. He hit .340 with a .534 on-base percentage. Francka is a strong defender who hit .282 in the fall. Burrow hit .356 with one home run and 12 RBI in the fall.
Overall, Grose has a talented team to work with entering his first spring as head coach.
“I think all three areas (offense, defense, pitching) will be strong points for us. I feel very confident in our pitching staff, however. Our top three are all very good pitchers, especially for Class 2,” Grose said. “We need to improve mentally. We are bothered too much by things that we cannot control. I love our energy and passion – a lot of the boys play with a chip on their shoulder. But, we need to learn to channel that energy the right way.”
Staying healthy will be key for Morrisville this season.
“We all have high expectations this season,” Grose said. “We need to stay healthy because we’re not very deep, but if we do, we have a chance to make a good postseason run.”
Morrisville opens the season on Mar. 20 at SBU against Crocker and Belle.
