Marshall Looks to Take the Next Step
By Seth Lay, staff writer
Despite having fairly high hopes for the 2014 spring season, things didn’t go exactly as planned for the Marshall baseball team. Even though people expected a little bit more from the team, they finished with a record of 11-12 (10-6 in conference). Despite the average overall record, the Cardinals finished tied for 2nd place in the Capitol South conference, only behind the eventual Division 3 state champions Wisconsin Heights. After receiving a 5 seed in the playoffs, the Cardinals lost in the regional quarterfinals to 4th seeded Madison Edgewood, 7-2.
This year, Marshall will be looking for a new coach. On the field, they have 6 returning starters, including 5 all-conference players. The outfield will be strong, with 1st team all-Capitol South outfielders Kigen Mares and Seth Lay (Rock Valley College commit) back. The left side of the infield also returns two all-conference players, Jordon Gomez and UW-Oshkosh commit Sam Schwenn. Last year’s starting catcher, Adam Wheking, is also back for his sophomore year after playing every inning behind the dish as a freshman last spring. Bryce Reige, a 2nd team all-Capitol South pitcher, will lead the Cards on the mound, where they’ll have 4 pitchers returning overall.
Marshall will have to play well if they are to achieve their goal of winning a conference title. The past two years, the Capitol South has been a very competitive, dark horse kind of conference. In the spring of 2014 there was a four way tie for first place. Last season, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place teams were only separated by one game.
This spring, the conference will have 4 strong title challengers: Cambridge, Marshall, Wisconsin Heights, and Waterloo. It should be an interesting year for the conference.
Marshall is hoping that it has the tools to take home the conference championship this time around. They’ll have speed, good bats, and a good pitching rotation that will make them competitive and potentially allow them to improve on last year’s season.
