Hitting a concern
After losing six players from graduation, the International Falls baseball team enters the 2012 season with a young squad deep in pitching and questions about how this year’s team will perform at the plate.
Vic Heinlen is beginning his 13th year as the Broncos’ head coach with not only some new players, but also a new standard for non-wood bats being implemented this season.
“Due to our young team I am concerned about the effect of the new BBCOR bats on our ability to hit the ball hard and deep,” said Heinlen. “As we face the more mature pitchers in our league and Section, we will need to learn what our individual strengths and weaknesses are at the plate and adjust our hitting and game plan accordingly.
“Base running and ability to read pitchers is also a concern with a young team. I believe we will be fairly quick on the base paths, but we will need to learn when to run and when not to run.”
The list of graduation losses includes catcher Jordan Walls, first baseman/pitcher Andy Jespersen, third baseman/pitcher Ames Bryant and outfielders Dominic Casareto, Mike Misner and Bill Bright.
Last year’s team placed second in the Arrowhead Conference with a 6-1 record. Against Section 7AA teams, the Broncos went 3-3. Falls went two games into the Section 7AA Tournament, winning the opening game at home against Greenway and then losing a road game to Proctor to end the season 12-6 overall.
Last season, Walls and Bryant, along with Gunnar Anderson, who enters his junior season in 2012, were named to the Arrowhead All-Conference Team. Anderson led the team in hitting with a .500 average.
In addition to Anderson, a pitcher/infielder/outfielder, Heinlen’s list of top returning players includes two seniors — catcher/center fielder Christian Kittelson and outfielder John Bartkowski — and two other juniors — pitcher/ second baseman Caleb Dahlin and pitcher/first baseman Josh Potter.
Other returning players include sophomore Wyatt Ulrich and freshmen Jackson Vollom and Jack Mellstrom. New players include sophomore Luke Spilde and freshmen Kevin Kilbride and Ben Humbert. Those six also saw action last summer playing for Falls’ Junior League and VFW baseball teams.
“The 2012 Broncos should be strong on the mound with Caleb Dahlin, Gunnar Anderson, Christian Kittelson and Josh Potter all returning to the pitching staff,” Heinlen said. “Ben Humbert, Jackson Vollom and Luke Spilde could also see some mound time.
“Defensively, we are expecting to be strong as Josh Potter (first base), Caleb Dahlin (second base), Jackson Vollom (shortstop), Gunnar Anderson (center field) and Christian Kittelson (catcher) all saw varsity action last season.”
Heinlen said the Broncos’ challenge this season will be at the plate.
“With the new bats and a young team, we will need to work hard at the plate and take advantage of our opportunities, including moving runners with the bunt and the hit and run,” he said.
Heinlen said Falls’ team goals this season include winning the Arrowhead Conference, being in the top four of the Section 7AA North and making it into the double-elimination portion of the Section 7AA tournament.
To fulfill the latter goal, the Broncos would have to at win least the first two playoff games.
“I am looking forward to watching this team mature as the season progresses,” Heinlen said. “This season we will play our Section opponents twice in a home-and-away series.
“Hopefully this will allow us some growth time early in the season without impacting our playoff seeding negatively.”
In the Arrowhead Conference, Heinlen said the teams to watch are Ely, Cherry and Eveleth-Gilbert.
In Section 7AA, he said “Hermantown and Proctor are always strong,” while “Greenway, Hibbing and Virginia should have mature squads this year” and Eveleth-Gilbert and Duluth Marshall “always play us tough.”
While the Falls has taken advantage of the recent unseasonably warm weather to already begin practicing outside, the Broncos’ first regular season game has been scheduled for April 10 at Hibbing, two days prior to their home opener April 12 against Cherry.
