Baseball preview: Surprises ruled the 4A SIC last year. Who are this season’s sleepers?
The preseason predictions didn’t mean a whole lot in last season’s 4A Southern Idaho Conference baseball race.
Columbia, picked sixth out of eight teams, made it to the state final. And Ridgevue, the No. 7 pick, won the district title. (Of course, the preseason favorite, Bishop Kelly, won the state title.)
So who starts this spring on top? And who just received a chip on their shoulder?
We surveyed the league’s coaches to get their thoughts. These were the top teams and players they identified.
THE FAVORITE
BISHOP KELLY
Last season: 22-5, 11-3 4A SIC
Coach: Jeff Cammann, seventh season
Players to watch: Caden Casagrande, sr., SS/P; AJ Jones, sr., C; Jack Heffner, sr., 2B; Carter Vandenberg, sr., 1B/OF
The reigning state champs have all the tools to contend again. Six starters return, including a host of decorated ones.
Casagrande is the reigning 4A SIC Player of the Year after hitting .400 with three home runs, 32 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. There’s little on the diamond he can’t do. And he strapped the Knights on his back at state last year, driving in the winning run in all three victories.
But he’s not alone. Jones (.380, 22 RBIs, 20 stolen bases), Heffner (.352, 27 stolen bases) and Vandenberg (.417, 18 stolen bases) are all returning first-team all-conference members. Their collective speed will allow the Knights to continue to run opponents into submission.
Ace pitcher Colin Dempsey (8-2, 2.09 ERA) also returns. But Cammann said the Knights will need some young arms to step up in the bullpen.
THE CONTENDERS
COLUMBIA
Last season: 15-12, 9-5 4A SIC
Coach: Phil Diplock, 14th season
Players to watch: Mario DeLeon, jr., P/OF; Isaiah Capetillo, jr., SS; Isaac Antunes, jr., C; Caden Campa, jr., P/UTIL
The Wildcats arrived a year early last season. Picked sixth in the eight-team league’s preseason poll, Columbia’s sophomore-heavy lineup made a run all the way to the state finals. Now it brings back eight starters looking to make some more noise.
DeLeon (.302, 5-4, 4.80 ERA) remains one of the league’s top two-way threats, and Capetillo (.375, 17 stolen bases) is a threat for conference player of the year honors. Both were first-team picks last year.
Diplock said he’s focused on cutting down on strikeouts and baserunning miscues, the small mistakes that stand out when competing for a championship.
MIDDLETON
Last season: 15-9, 11-3 4A SIC
Coach: Bryan Swygart, first season
Players to watch: Robert Orloski, jr., P/CF; Nathanael Warwick, sr., P; Caden Recla, jr., C/OF; Treyton Swygart, so., 3B/P/C
The reigning regular-season conference champ has the deep pitching staff, next-level talent and experience (five returning starters) to threaten again.
Orloski (.329, 13 RBIs) leads the group. The junior has already committed to a Division I scholarship from Texas-San Antonio. And Warwick (4-1, 2.53 ERA) headlines a three-deep starting rotation after first-team all-conference honors last year.
But to play deep into May, Swygart said the Vikings will have to become more aggressive at the plate. An offseason dedicated to honing their approach should start to pay dividends.
THE DARK HORSES
RIDGEVUE
Last season: 17-11, 6-8 4A SIC
Coach: Jason Wonderlich, second season
Players to watch: Luke Nelson, sr., C/UTIL; Jake Nelson, sr., 1B/OF; Isaac Mercer, sr., CF; Colt Bowman, sr., C/OF
The Warhawks won the district title last year after finishing seventh in a preseason coaches’ poll. But even with six starters returning, the reigning champ still finds itself with little outside respect to start the season.
The graduation of Easton Amundson leaves big shoes to fill. But Wonderlich said Ridgevue owns a deeper pitching staff and a more athletic defense this year. And an experienced lineup led by the Nelson twins ought to pick up where it left off last season.
VALLIVUE
Last season: 13-15, 6-8 4A SIC
Coach: Tim Bourner, first season
Players to watch: Zac Garner, sr., P; Owen Bowers, sr., P/INF; Eli Hernandez, sr., C; Jerry Hernandez, sr., SS
Bourner inherits a senior-heavy squad with seven returning starters. That includes Vallivue’s top two pitchers from a year ago, Garner (2-3, 3.74 ERA) and Bowers (2-3, 2.45 ERA). Both were second-team all-conference picks, and Garner has committed to Treasure Valley Community College.
But the Falcons only mustered 3.7 runs per game last year, and graduation cost them their top bats. Finding timely hitting will be the key to contending.
NAMPA
Last season: 7-17, 3-11 4A SIC
Coach: Greg Carpenter, first season
Players to watch: Dante Avjian, jr., OF; Dallin Walker, jr., 1B; Carson Rich, sr., P; Zack Lerdall, jr., UTIL
The Bulldogs hit the reset button with a new coaching staff led by the school’s athletic director and just four returning starters. Carpenter cautioned he’s installing a new philosophy, which could take time to sink in.
But the cupboards aren’t totally bare. Avjian (.333) covers a ton of territory in center field, Walker hit .431 as a sophomore last year and Rich has committed to play at Skagit Valley College next year. So a first state tournament berth since 2009 is not out of the question in a league full of surprises.
THE UNDERDOGS
EMMETT
Last season: 18-7, 10-4 4A SIC
Coach: Joseph Jones, first season
Players to watch: Jose Contreras, sr., INF/OF; Caseyn Pearson, sr., C/INF; Trace Tucker, jr., P/INF
A team expected to contend for its first 4A district title fell short of the state tournament last year. Now the Huskies must rebuild on the fly with just two starters, Contreras and Pearson, back.
Those two will assume leadership roles. A lack of varsity experience will be an obstacle, Jones said. But he said the team has plenty of speed to pressure opponents, a style the Huskies will rely on as they grow up on the diamond and eye a late-season run.
CALDWELL
Last season: 2-23, 0-14 4A SIC
Coach: John Rezendes, sixth season
Players to watch: Kaden Scott, sr., P/3B; Auggie Pena, sr., CF/P; Ezyah Ruiz, so., SS
The Cougars struggled during a youth movement last year. But they return every player who started a game, leading to an enviable amount of varsity experience.
Cole Harvey (.339), Scott (.328) and Pena (.305) return to boost an offense that only scored 2.7 runs per game. Their experience and an offseason spent overhauling Caldwell’s offensive approach could lead to a quick turnaround.
