By Bud Milroy
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
For Hall of Fame coach Tom O’Connell, the 2012 Catholic Central High School baseball team is just what he likes.
“I’ve got a good group of athletes that are eager to work,” said O’Connell. “I love to teach and they are eager to learn.
“This is a great opportunity to do that.”
Last year’s senior class at CCHS left big shoes to fill, having won three of the last four WIAA Division 4 state titles. This year’s squad will be a work in progress and only time will tell whether they can reach the lofty standards of the tradition-rich program.
“Defensively, I think we’ll be fine,” O’Connell said. “We have a number of kids who can play. We’ll just have to work to see who fills what spot best.”
Senior Rayce Wadsworth will be back to anchor the infield at shortstop, while Zach Mehring, a junior, will get a shot at second base after playing in the outfield last year. Sophomore Tegan Miles and junior Matt Heiligenthal will battle for playing time at first base, with Jake Kaider returning to third base.
An impressive group of newcomers will also battle for playing time in the infield. Sophomore Alec Wegge and freshman Austin Hayes will push for time at third, freshman Nick Seib and Kross Krueger will compete for first base, while sophomores Nolan McCourt and Jake Surges will take a run at second base.
Senior T.J. Walkington will return in center field, with sophomore Aaron Sobbe and senior Abel Wagner looking at the other two spots. Freshmen Jobe Wagner, Jeff Paruskiewicz and Aaron Morse will also be in the hunt for playing time.
Behind the plate, junior Brandon Hoffman and freshman Nolan Girard are in a battle for the catcher spt.
Krueger has earned himself a spot in the CCHS pitching rotation, and the depth of the staff includes Oehlers, Miles and Wegge. The Hilltopper offense will also get a lift when junior Grant Alderman returns from an off-season injury and will be able to DH for Catholic Central.
The Hilltoppers stumbled in their season opener Tuesday, losing 11-5 at Beaumont Field to Kenosha Christian Life.
However, O’Connell said he wasn’t disappointed.
“It’s early, everything that we did wrong tonight is very correctable,” he said. “If we’re still making these mistakes in a few weeks, then I’ll have a problem.”
Krueger toss two innings of scoreless relief.
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