The Kaskaskia College Athletic Department held their Spring Sports Media Day this week. Coaches from softball, baseball as well as men’s and women’s tennis talked about their early starts to their seasons and how they look heading into the heart of their seasons.
Baseball coach Mitch Koester is entering his 15th year in the dugout for KC. His roster features the last 2 Class A player of the year’s in North Clay’s Donnie Zimmermann as well as South Central grad Chase Dodson. They also feature Nashville’s Gavin Baldwin, Matthew Hunzinger of Dieterich, Connor Riggs of Wesclin, Jaydon Lotz of Vandalia, Nile Adcock of Pinckneyville, Mason Harmon and Hunter Sample of Breese Central. KC is off to a good start at the plate as a team as they are hitting .308 in their first 14 games that have seen them go 9-5. In a recent trip down south, KC threw 14 pitchers in 14 innings and coach Koester likes his team’s depth in the staff they will need to compete in an always tough GRAC.
Coach John Barnes and the Blue Angels softball program is coming off winning 40+ games a year ago and Barnes does not expect a drop off this season. Led by 3rd year sophomore’s Josie Gunloh of Newton and Ivy Smart of Marion, the Angels offer a good mix of freshmen/sophomores for their year. Along with the “Super” sophomores, the Angels also have area high school standouts Macey Lentz of Carterville, Kadee Milligan of Carmi and Sydnee Garrett of South Central. The Angels have strong pitching to go with aggressive base running and the hitting they will need that should see them compete with the top of the GRAC this season. The Angels have played 4 games traveling to Booneville, Mississippi in late February, and will head to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Viera, Florida over Spring Break for games.
Coach Joe Basch talked about his tennis teams. The Blue Angels feature a roster of 7 that include Mount Vernon grad Carlie Barban and Emma Walden of Flora. They join Carmi’s Jasmine Smith and Kadee Milligan, Madison Kreiner of Benton, Jessilyn Hall of Newton and Brooklynn Belford of Massac County.
The Blue Devils Tennis team is loaded with area talent. They include Salem grad Brendan Phillips, Centralia trio Reed Dearing, Ethan Dobbs and Brock Milburn, Greenville’s Dima Powell and Mattoon’s Pierce Farmer and Tejas Zala. The men’s team has been to a pair of National Tournaments, and coach Basch thinks with the depth in the middle of his rotation, they have the chance to get there again.
