By Chris Parker
Verona baseball finished 6-12 overall last year, but the Wildcats have a strong core of returning players looking to get back to competing for conference and district titles.
Colton Hillhouse (senior), Seth Freiburger (senior), Westin Shrum (junior), Noah Freiburger (sophomore) and Jake Stellwagen (sophomore) will be team leaders this year according to head coach Brad Longley.
Longley on Hillhouse: “Colton is our silent leader on the Wildcat team. His competitive nature, maturity, and work ethic gives everyone the desire to get better. Colton moved from first base to P/SS on a regular basis. His willingness to play any position makes him valuable to the team. He has led the team in innings pitched over the last three seasons and we’re looking for him to have a great senior season.”
Longley on Seth Freiburger: “Seth is our “tough man” on the team. Seth’s toughness and willingness to compete has propelled him into an unsolicited leadership role. Seth is always quick to encourage the underclassmen and is a great liaison between the coaching staff and the players. His hard work on and off the field has earned him the respect of his peers. Seth can play multiple positions including third base, catcher and pitcher. We expect him to be a major contributor on the mound this spring.”
Longley on Shrum: “Westin has grown into a great teammate and is a vocal leader during practices and games. Westin’s teammates have watched him mature and get better week in and week out. He will provide us depth in the middle infield, on the mound, or any outfield position we need to fill.”
Longley on Noah Freiburger: “Noah is a hard-nosed sophomore who leads the team from behind the plate. His intelligence and work ethic are highlighted on the field. Often times he’s in the leadoff spot and once on base, he can be very disruptive to the opposing pitchers. Noah leads by example and brings maturity to practices and games. Primary position is catcher but will play third and pitch some.”
Longley on Stellwagen: “Jake is also a part of the up and coming sophomore class that provides leadership and talent from underclassmen. Jake is a huge encourager to teammates during the tough times. He encourages everyone and his baseball knowledge is growing every day. We look for Jake to give the Wildcats quality starts from the mound and when he’s not pitching. He plays shortstop and can roam the outfield in any position.”
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Hillhouse and Noah Freiburger both earned first-team all-conference honors last season.
Pitching will be a strength for Verona while Longley will look for more from the offense.
“We’re going to be able to pitch it pretty well. We stress pitching to our strengths and velocity is second. With Noah behind the plate, he makes our pitchers better. We will have great speed in the outfield as well. Everyone will see a Wildcat team that has learned to be tough and compete over the last three seasons,” Longley said. “As a team, we’re always looking to improve our hitting. We have guys that can absolutely crush the ball and we can lay down a bunt if needed. We’re hoping to spend a lot of time with a bat in our hands to get better and more consistent throughout the year.”
Verona opens the season on Mar. 18 at Pierce City.
“My overall expectation for the team is to win the next pitch,” Longley said. “If we win enough of the next pitches, the games will take care of themselves. When we walk off the field for the last time, I can assure you that our players have competed to the best of their ability and will have given maximum effort. Beyond that, we have no expectations other than ‘Building Better People Through Baseball’.”
