By Chris Parker
College Heights baseball will have a young team this year with just one senior on the roster. The Cougars are coming off an 8-11 finish last spring.
“We will have a very young team,” College Heights head coach Phillip Jordan said. “I expect 18-20 out with 12-13 of those being freshman. While we are young we have a chance to be very competitive by the time districts roll around.”
That lone senior is Nick Brueggemann who is a three-year varsity starter. Brueggemann is a pitcher and outfielder. He is the No. 1 pitcher on the staff with good velocity and accuracy. Last year, Brueggemann was 3-1 with 44 strikeouts and a 4.82 ERA on the mound while hitting .302 with 8 RBI at the plate.
Junior pitcher/third baseman Ben Thomas and infielder Kelton Welch will also be leaders for College Heights.
“Ben will also be looked to for leadership. He is a hard working young man and brings great experience to our team,” Jordan said. “Kelton was our best offensive weapon in 2021, and has a great glove and arm playing SS. His baseball IQ is high and he will be looked to for leadership in the infield.”
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Thomas was 1-2 with 18 strikeouts and a 3.42 ERA on the mound last year. He hit .370 with 10 RBI. Welch hit .407 with 15 RBI as a freshman. He and Thomas were both named Second-Team All-Ozark 7 last year.
Freshmen Liam Nelson and Josh Anderson are expected to contribute innings on the mound with Brueggemann and Thomas.
“Liam Nelson is a freshman who is a strong left handed arm. He will need to continue to work on consistency in the strike zone, but he has a chance to be a starter for our team,” Jordan said. “Josh Anderson is a freshman with strong accuracy. He is confident in his pitches and will do a good job of keeping hitters guessing.”
The rest of the lineup is up for an open competition.
“Having not coached this team last year it is tough to project who will play and where they will play,” Jordan said. “Every position is open for competition and ultimately the kids who show us they deserve a chance will get the chance to play.”
College Heights opens the regular season Mar. 19-24 at the Purdy Invitational.
“While we are going to be young, we have a lot of players with a high understanding of the game. The key will be progressively improving throughout the season,” Jordan said. “Pitching and defense win games. We have to throw more strikes, and defend at a high level. If we can improve our consistency defensively I believe we can be a solid team.”
