By Chris Parker
Liberal baseball returns five starters and six lettermen from last season’s 10-win team.
The Bulldogs will have a young team, but all the players have shown improvement over the off-season.
“Our kids work too hard not to improve,” Liberal Head Coach Travis Walton said. “This is a very driven bunch that have specific goals and show up and show out to the best of their ability to achieve those goals. Collectively you see the improvement from all of them which makes my job easy and hard at the same time. They are naturally improving and becoming capable ball players, but that leaves us with very capable players sitting on the bench. They push each other and root for each other no matter the circumstance though. They are just a really great group of kids.”
Senior Kole Wiles will be the No. 1 pitcher.
“Kole Wiles was at the top of our rotation last year and we will look for him to be our go-to guy this year,” Walton said. “He is a big lefty that has a great presence on the mound.”
Sophomore Ben Dingman, juniors Adam Collier and Cody Suschnick and freshman Jack Goodell will all be in the mix for time on the mound.
The Bulldogs have to replace a three-year starter behind the plate and are looking at Dingman, Anson Chargois and Maddox Miller as potential replacements.
“We are hoping someone can step up and fill Kaleb’s void in that spot and be solid back there for us,” Walton said. “All of these kids have the potential to do that so we will see what happens or if someone else jumps into that position.”
Around the infield, Wiles will be the shortstop when not pitching. Dingman, Degan Swarnes, Collier, Goodell and Suschnick are all in the mix for spots on the infield.
Junior Cooper Trout will be in the outfield along with Kaidon Simpson (junior) and Hector Cruz (junior) along with some of the players mentioned on the infield could also see outfield time.
Wiles and Trout will be looked to for senior leadership.
“Both our seniors Kole Wiles and Cooper Trout will be great leaders and mentors to our younger kids,” Walton said. “They have both done great things for our program and are motivated to continue our success. We have a great group of kids coming through right now that are the type of kids that are capable of doing great things and do it the right way. They all lead by example type of kids and just a lot of fun to be around.”
Details will be key for Liberal.
“Hopefully as in year’s past, we will continue to have success in the little things,” Walton said. “Our focus is always paying attention to detail and focusing on the little things and not trying to do too much. We hope to put the ball in play, not swing at bad pitches, and find a way on base on offense and we hope to fill up the zone from the mound and be solid behind our pitchers. We try to be tough outs on offense and not give up easy ones on defense.”
Liberal opens the season on Mar. 25 at Southeast-Cherokee (Kan.).
“The kids have very high expectations,” Walton said. “Our expectation at Liberal is always geared to make a deep postseason run. We talk a lot about the process and what it takes. The kids understand throughout the year it is not about the results that you put together, but the process that it takes to get there. I expect us to focus on the process every single day and continue improving and be in the mix at the end.”
