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| Spencer Merle hit a team-leading .435 last spring (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
Most of the returnees saw valuable time as underclassmen and Winters feels they should form a solid nucleus as the Tigers try to improve on last season's 4-10 Missota Conference finish.
"The conference is tough like it was in basketball," Winters said. "But we know we have the talent to compete with every team and we'll strive for the the upper division of the conference."
Returning lettermen include seniors Spencer Merle, Kyle Mayer, Jared Lipinski, Jordan Lugowski, Kevin Olund, Zachary Huber, Jared Lipinksi, Turner Olson, Caleb Eiffert and Isaac Toenjes and juniors Jordan Decroock, Johnny Dittman and Jonathan Hinks.
Merle, an all-Missota Conference performer as a junior, was the team's leading hitter last spring with a .435 batting average and Lugowski, who hit .271, was the 2012 Rookie of the Year.
Newcomers expected to vie for varsity playing time this spring include juniors Jordan Beschorner, Nick Schoening, Landon Neilson, Buck Lester, Ryan Geibel, Kyle Johnson, Tyler Clayton, Nick Hessa, Trent Seal and Edgar Espino and sophomores Bobby Eckert, Parker Holmstrom, Zach Speikers and Austin Martinsen.
Winters said there should be some good individual competition for playing time at all positions with the big early concerns centered around the starting pitching rotation and his team's overall lack of experience at the varsity level.
"We should be deep and athletic and have good team speed," he said. "We would like to be in the top three in the conference and make the Final Four in the section. Of course, getting to state is always a goal."
Winters pegged Red Wing and Shakopee as his pre-season favorites in the Missota with Owatonna, Red Wing and the Rochester schools all given contender status in the Section 1AAA race.
The Tigers return a veteran coaching staff with Jon Graff handling the varsity assistant chores and Brent Grengs coaching the junior varsity squad. Jason Kohlbeck is back as the sophomore coach while Matt Groves and Brian Louis share the ninth grade chores.
Tom Auge, Jared Rowan, Brent Mahlstedt and Brandon Chant will work with the middle school teams.
