Strong pitching and defense will be the backbone of MFL MarMac baseball team
Members of the MFL MarMac baseball team include (front, left to right) Austin Schlee, Parker Kuehl, Jacob Schellhorn, Cole Allert, Bryce Radloff; (middle) Ben Miene, Carver Blietz-Bentien, Ben Krambeer, Chauncy Drahn, Elias Hatt, Landon Johnson; (back) head coach Brandon Burke, assistant coach Paul Gordon, Max Havlicek, Logan Engelhardt, Kaden Stocker, Cullen McShane and assistant coach Collin Stubbs. Not pictured is Karter Decker. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac baseball team is more inexperienced this season, but head coach Brandon Burke said the Bulldogs certainly don’t lack talent.
The pitching staff and defense will be the backbone of the team, with eight or nine players who can take the mound in a varsity game.
“Our defense has a high number of interchangeable parts, allowing us lots of lineup flexibility to put a top notch defense behind each pitcher,” said Burke.
Senior Max Havlicek, a five-year starter for the program, will be the “heart and soul of the team,” according to Burke. Havlicek will patrol center field and be the Bulldogs’ ace on the mound, filling the void of five-year starter Cedrick Drahn.
Burke said junior Cullen McShane is another key returner. He’ll play both left and center field and also pitch.
“Cullen will look to be a major contributor for our offense,” Burke added.
Additionally, junior Kaden Stocker returns as a key member of the pitching staff and will look to fill many roles on the defense.
Fellow junior Chauncy Drahn will serve as the team’s first baseman, taking over for five-year starter Kaleb Tilson.
“He will be a big bat in the middle of our lineup,” Burke noted.
Ben Krambeer, an eighth grader, should also be an important member of the pitching staff and batting lineup, and will have multiple roles defensively. Senior Logan Engelhardt, sophomores Austin Schlee and Landon Johnson, freshmen Bryce Radloff and Elias Hatt and eighth grader Jacob Schellhorn will be contributors in all three phases of the game too.
Burke said MFL MarMac’s offense will look to improve throughout the season.
“We have shown flashes of an explosive offense throughout the first three weeks,” he said, “and we hope some philosophical changes will take our offense to the next level.”
Burke expects the team to grow each day.
“We will look much different on July 10, in the postseason, than we looked on May 24 in our first game,” he explained. “With the talent we have, we expect to compete at the top of the conference and make another tournament run.”
