West baseball is more versatile, but will need top players to produce offense and pitching

A year ago they were underclassmen trying to find their way on the varsity, but they continued to find success as the baseball season wore on.

A talented group of returning starters helped Belleville West win six of its final eight games and last season could be laying the foundation for an even stronger 2016 baseball season.

The Maroons are off to a 2-0 start after winning just four of their first 18 games a year ago. They turned things around in the second half and finished 17-19.

“They seem so much comfortable and have a better idea of what they have to do, have a better approach overall,” said Belleville West coach Todd Baltz, entering his second season. “The seniors can really stand out a little bit more and the junior class is a good one. Our juniors are going to have to step up.

“They got a little taste of it last year when they were sophomores, so now they kind of have an idea of what it takes. We’re still a work in progress.”

The Maroons’ next game is 4:30 p.m. Friday against Centralia.

Season outlook

No matter where he’s playing, senior Cal Kossina always looks just as good with a bat in his hands. Kossina’s .442 batting average was the highest among the starters last spring and he also contributed eight doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs. He also had a team-leading 10 stolen bases and was 3-1 on the mound with a 2.13 earned-run average.

“He hit his stride about midseason and really took off after that,” Baltz said of Kossina, who had five hits in his first six at-bats this season with several RBIs.

Baltz said Kossina will see time at catcher, pitcher and shortstop depending on the game situation.

“He’s solid, a good contact hitter,” Baltz said of Kossina, who has a lot of interest from Southwestern Illinois College. “He doesn’t hit for a ton of power but also doesn’t strike out very often and puts pressure on the defense.”

Junior Jack Lanxon (.298, three homers, 18 RBIs, nine stolen bases) was one of the top center fielders in the Southwestern Conference a year ago and has added strength and speed.

Senior Wyatt Parker (.239, six RBIs) will see time at first base and as designated hitter along with senior Tai Kezirian (.268, three RBIs).

Maroons look for pitchers to fill key roles

Junior Luke Vallandingham (1-0, 1.58 ERA) will serve as one of the top starting pitchers and also starting in the outfield. Kossina, Vallandingham and the left-handed Lanxon all will comprise the top of the rotation with with junior Jake Jenkins and Parker (3-1, 2.63 ERA) also available.

The Maroons’ most significant graduation loss was pitcher-shortstop Matt Klosterman, the ace of the staff who now is playing for SWIC.

“He pitched all of our big games,” Baltz said. “We may have to do more pitching by committee, but that would be OK. We have some potential there, but it’s still early in the season. We like what we see so far.”

Baltz said junior Logan Betz (.391, two RBIs) will see time at second base and third base with senior Nick Oglesby (.238, two RBIs) at third.

Junior Matt Sisk, who hit .545 in a handful of at-bats as a sophomore, is also pushing for another outfield spot along with seniors Austin Guetterman and T.J. Cole.

Baltz said West’s strength may be its versatility.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that can play different positions,” he said. “We’re pretty athletic to where we feel comfortable moving guys around. That’s some flexibility that we haven’t had recently.”

Speaking of flexibility, Maroons’ sophomore Hunter Grupe is ambidextrous and just as comfortable pitching left-handed as he is right-handed.

“To be able to change it like that is amazing,” Baltz said of the intriguing Grupe, who spent last season with a select team instead of playing for West. “He actually switches depending on the hitter. He’s someone we think has a lot of upside because we think he can grow into his body a little bit.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 2:53 PM with the headline "West baseball is more versatile, but will need top players to produce offense and pitching."