By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Last season proved to be challenging for New Covenant Academy baseball.
The Warriors finished the season with an 8-20 record, falling to Springfield Catholic in the district tournament.
Heading into the spring campaign, first-year head coach David Anderlik is looking to make strides in the areas of player and program development – particularly after losing eight players and six starters to graduation.
“2022 was a rough year for the program,” Anderlik said. “We had three different head coaches, and consequently, we saw a talented team underachieve. I took over with about three weeks left in the season and am hoping to bring some consistency to the program.”
A trio of returning seniors return to lead New Covenant in Jared Jackson, Cameron Welker and Colton Vorst.
“Jared, Cameron and Colton are all looking to play huge roles for us this year and fill a leadership void left behind,” Anderlik said. “They do a great job of leading the younger players and setting an example of how to play the game and how to put the work in to get better.”
Jackson, a pitcher and infielder, hit .284 last season. On the mound, the Evangel University commit notched 32 strikeouts in 28 innings.
“Jared slots in as our No. 1 starter and will be our starting SS when not on the hill,” Anderlik said.
Welker will play both in the outfield and on the mound.
“Cameron Welker is a spark plug to our offense and slots in as our leadoff hitter. He has tremendous speed and will be a catalyst for our offense this year.
CLICK HERE TO FIND LINKS TO ALL OF OUR SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Vorst will handle the pitching staff from his spot behind the plate.
“Colton Vorst brings a lot of experience to the catching position, starting most games behind the plate last year,” Anderlik said. “He has improved offensively and has excellent throwing and receiving skills. He will also get some time in the infield and on the hill.”
Juniors Connor McCarley, Braden Blake, Lane Richardson and Elijah Dauber also return for the Warriors.
McCarley, a pitcher and infielder, hit .284 last season with 1 home run and 20 runs batted in.
“Connor McCarley has shown the ability to pitch in big games, and we will need him to take the next step into No. 1 starter territory,” Anderlik said. “He has a live fastball and a solid mix of off-speed stuff, and competes very well on the mound. His power has improved and he looks to be a strong power source for us.”
Blake will see time in the outfield and on the mound for New Covenant.
“Braden saw a lot of action last year in the outfield,” Anderlik said. “He is a smooth fielder who will have a chance this year to show off his speed and athleticism. He has a good sense of the strike zone and he will be on base a lot this year. He will also see a lot of time on the mound for us.”
Richardson will see time at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions this year in the field.
“Lane continues to improve daily and will see lots of time behind the plate,” Anderlik said. “He is very smart behind the dish and leads the team well from the catcher position. He also has a great eye and strikes out very little. He also throws a ton of strikes and we will be relying on him to fill the vacancy our outgoing seniors left on the mound.”
Dauber will man first base for the Warriors and may seem time in the outfield, as well.
Sophomores include infielder Nate Martin, Luke Burlingame, Nick Ingle and Braden Keener.
“All four of these players are looking to step up into more expanded roles to help the team,” Anderlik said.
In addition to its returning core, New Covenant welcomes several newcomers to the varsity roster in transfer Gavin Berry, Sam Dauber, Easton Gifford and Brycen Hembree.
While New Covenant has plenty of talent on the roster, Anderlik believes his young team’s success will depend on how quickly that talent adjusts to the varsity level of competition.
“After a disappointing season last year, the players are ready to take the next step into competing for a division championship,” Anderlik said. “It will mostly depend on how well our young pitching develops. We have a lot of talent but not much varsity experience on the mound, so we will need to advance quickly there.”
While the Warriors have a pair of experienced starters in Jackson and McCarley, Anderlik realizes the back end of the rotation will be a work in progress early on in the season.
“With six senior starters leaving, a majority of our 2022 innings went with them, so we will have to overcome that lack of experience,” Anderlik said. “We are relying on Colton Vorst and Lane Richardson to be great staff leaders from behind the plate, but we are excited about the overall talent level on the mound. I know that by the time district play rolls around, our inexperienced guys will be tough veterans ready to give us quality innings.”
Following a March 9 jamboree at Sparta with Greenwood and the host school, New Covenant opens its regular season March 21 at home against Humansville.
