By Ethan Moore, Sports Editor.
It’s no secret that the constant turnover of players at the junior college level can affect teams in both positive and negative ways. It affects who and how you recruit, along with development of the players you do get. As baseball Head Coach Daniel Smith explains, the team has a specific way they deal with recruiting.
“We handle the high rate of turnover by abiding by one constant, know the philosophy and execute it,” says Smith. “We recruit players that fit that philosophy, and we seldom stray from it. Player development at two-year schools is truly a 50/50 effort. Our coaches provide as much information and coaching as possible during those two seasons, but the players themselves must commit to getting better on their own.”
If most of your team was made up of sophomores last year, then you’re in for more of a rebuilding year. If your team was mostly freshman, then this is your year to really compete. The second scenario is where we see the Pioneers baseball team this year as they gear up for a title chase.
“On paper, this is the most talented team we’ve had here at Delta,” says Smith. “And it’s not just because of the returning sophomores that all saw a ton of time last year, but because of the talent we were able to attract for this season.”
Last year the team finished 31-22-1, but struggled to close out the season
“We were sitting at 30-12 and dropped nine of our last 10 games to end the season in 2015,” explains Smith. “We need to finish strong and not stray from our ultimate goal and that’s a national championship.”
The starting rotation for the Pioneers is bringing back four starters from last season, including league All-Freshman team member, Matt Sahr.
“[Sahr] collected wins over two teams [Frederick CC and Kellogg CC] that both… ranked in the top 10 in the country as well as… made appearances in the college World Series,” says Smith. “Cody Orban, one of our team captains, was our closer last year and moves into the rotation this season while Austin Dingee has thrown lights out thus far, as has Colin Meacham.”
The offense is anchored by returning sophomores, but with an infusion of talent from this year’s freshmen class.
“Derek Clyde is our other captain and was the shortstop on the league All-Freshman team, and is back to lead our offense,” says Smith. “Brady Marwede is a returning starter that hit over .300 and played great defensively in the outfield. Also back is Dean Marais, one of the best hitters we’ve had here at Delta.”
Smith had nothing but high praise for the incoming freshmen.
“Tyler Robbins and Ty Jones will both be in the lineup with their power from the plate while Zach Booth and Justin Jachens are both tough outs as well,” explains Smith. “I’m most excited, overall though, to see how Justin Jurek performs from the freshmen class.”
Smith says that, “If we had to pick a team from just our freshmen class, I believe we would still contend for another post-season berth and 30 win season, that’s how highly I think of them.”
Smtih’s coaching philosophy comes down to one basic phrase that the team uses as motivation.
“Our motto is ‘Nine Guys Named Joe’ because we never want to rely on just one or two ‘names’ to lead us, but constantly take an approach that everything we do is for the team,” explains Smith.
The team obviously has goals on the field, but they’re all about academics first.
“Our number one goal is to have a team GPA of 3.00 or higher, also, we want our sophomores to matriculate to a four-year program and continue their academic careers if possible, ” explains Smith. “We’ve had 29 players sign at four-year institutions to play baseball over the past four seasons while many other players have graduated with their associate in a program that has instantly placed them in their career field.”
As always, the team is here to win titles and represent Delta College
“On the baseball field, our goals are unwavering from one year to the next,” says Smith. “Win an MCCAA title, qualify for the post-season and win a national championship.”
