Newman, Friends return plenty of hitters
If returning players are any indication, this baseball season should be a big hit for both Newman and Friends.
Newman returns seven of its top 11 hitters from last season, and Friends has eight of its top 11 batters back.
Tyler Bugner (.362), Newman’s top hitter last season, returns. Friends also has its top hitter back in Matt Burke (.394).
In fact, Friends has its top seven hitters back, and Newman has four of its top five.
Besides Bugner, the Jets have back Alex Lator (.321), Andrew Standish (.306), Mitchell Beaudreau (.301), Jarrod Flax (.275), Garrett Thomas (.275), Ben Wagner (.224), Nick Middleton (.200) and Tyler Evans (.162). Beaudreau broke his ankle in the fall and will not be ready until March 1.
“I don’t recall having this many good hitters returning,’’ Newman coach Zane Ehling said.
Newman has Cody Frederickson (4-4) back and reliever Joe Cannady. Frederickson allowed 81 hits in 65 innings and Cannady gave up 36 hits in 19 2/3 innings. Also returning are Kevin Luman (7.04 ERA), Ryan Skoubo (7.64) and Tanner Lee (22.85).
“Frederickson, Lucas Schauer and Dylan Porter will start for us,’’ said Ehling. “We will need another starter, but I haven’t decided who it will be.’’
Asked about the bullpen, Ehling said, “Joe Cannady and Corey Mondello will definitely see innings. We don’t have a closer right now, but Cannady and Mondello could close.”
Besides Burke, Friends has Garrett Heath (.390), Danny Topps (.361), Troy Williams (.344), Taylor Douglas (.325), Dalton Dreifurst (.313), Charlie Aznavoorian (.306) and Zach Ashford (.277) returning.
“Since I’ve been here, our depth has never been this good,’’ Friends fifth-year coach Adam Neisius said. “We have our entire outfield back in Topps, Douglas and Williams. Also, we have back a starter from two years ago, A.J. Borja, who was injured last season.”
Although Friends returns the top two pitchers (according to ERA), neither staff is loaded with veterans.
The Falcons return Brady Bowen (1.33 ERA) and Brandon McMillin (2.53). Bowen allowed 19 hits in 27 innings last season while McMillin yielded 78 hits in 89 innings.
Neisius says he will pick his four starters from Bowen, McMillin, Brett Clarki, Bernardi, Cale Russell and Ryan Householder. Roby Romero will close.
Area junior colleges – Butler and Cowley also have good hitters returning. Butler gets back five of its top 11 hitters.
Back for Butler are Zack Baker (.276), Alex Weiss (.380), Cameron Knight (.288), Ty Redington (.284) and Jake Huscroft (.280).
Cowley returns Butch Rea, an All-Jayhawk first-teamer. He batted .393 and will move from second base to shortstop this season. He also had 51 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
Others returning for the Tigers are Bobby Bassler (.341) and Matt Elliott (.308).
The Tigers return their top pitcher in Parker Rigler, the Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year who was 9-0 and compiled a 2.85 ERA. He fanned 57 and walked 17 in 66 innings. Other pitchers returning are Maverick Macy (3.77 ERA), Nathan Gieber (25 strikeouts in 32 innings) and Brennan Rollin (2.85).
One of the top newcomers for Cowley is Bishop Carroll outfielder Bryce Fischer, the Class 5A Player of the Year.
The top two pitchers returning for Butler are Brady Holcomb (5.51 ERA) and Austin Dubsky (7.95).
Area college baseball schedules
Newman
February
7 — vs. Colorado Mines at Goodwell, Okla., noon, and Oklahoma Panhandle, 3 p.m. 8 — at Oklahoma Panhandle. 13 — at Texas A&M Kingsville (2), 3 p.m. 14 — at Texas A&M Kingsville, 1 p.m. 21 — vs. Wayne State (2) noon. 22 — vs. Wayne State (2), 1 p.m. 27 — vs. Minnesota State-Mankato (2), 3 p.m. 28 — vs. Minnesota State-<Mankato (2),. 1 p.m.
March
3 — vs. Washburn, 3 p.m. 6 — at Lubbock Christian (2), TBA. 7 — at Lubbock Christian, TBA. 11 — vs. Fort Hays State, 3 p.m. 13 — vs. Oklahoma Panhandle (2), 3 p.m. 14 — vs. Oklahoma Panhandle, 1 p.m. 17 — at William Jewell, 2 p.m. 20 — at Texas-Permian Basin (2), 1 p.m. 21 — at Texas-Permian Basin, 1 p.m. 24 — vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State, 6 p.m. 27 — Oklahoma Christian 92), 3 p.m. 28 — Oklahoma Christian, 1 p.m. 31 — at Washburn, TBA.
April
2 — at St. Mary’s (Texas) (2), 1 p.m. 3 — at St. Mary’s, noon. 7 — at Northwestern Oklahoma State, TBA. 10 — at Arkansas-Fort Smith (2), TBA. 11 — at Arkansas-Fort Smith, TBA. 15 — at Fort Hays State, 5 p.m. 17 — vs. Texas A&M International (2), 3 p.m. 18 — vs. Texas A&M International, 1 p.m. 24 — at Rogers State (2), 2 p.m. 25 — at Rogers State, 1 p.m. 29 — vs. William Jewell, 3 p.m.
May
1 — vs. St. Edward’s (2), 3 p.m. 2 — vs. St. Edward’s, 1 p.m.
Friends
February
6 — at St. Gregory’s, 2 p.m. 7 — at St. Gregory’s, (2), noon. 13 — Central Christian, 2 p.m. 14 — vs. Central Christian (2), noon. 17 — at Oklahoma Wesleyan , noon. 20 — at Oklahoma Science and Arts (Bethany, Okla.), 1 p.m.. 21 — at Oklahoma Science and Arts (2), 1 p.m. 24 — vs. Bacone, 2 p.m. 28 — vs. Briar Cliff (2), 1 p.m.
March
1 — vs. Briar Cliff (2), noon. 4 — vs. Robert Morris, 3 p.m. 7 — vs. Hastings (2), 1 p.m. 8 — vs. Hastings, 1 p.m. 10 — vs. Benedictine, 4 p.m. 13 — vs. Sterling (2), 1 p.m. 14 — at Sterling (2), 1 p.m. 17 — vs. Oklahoma Science and Arts, 3 p.m. 21 — vs. St. Mary (2), 1 p.m. 22 — at St. Mary (2), 1 p.m. 24 — at Mid America Christian, 3 p.m. 27 — at Tabor (2), 1 p.m. 28 — vs. Tabor (2), 1 p.m. 31 — vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan, 3 p.m.
April
3 — vs. McPherson (2), 1 p.m. 4 — at McPherson (2), 1 p.m. 7 — vs. Mid American Christian, 6 p.m. 10 — vs. Ottawa (2), 1 p.m. 11 — at Ottawa (2), 1 p.m. 16 — at Kansas Wesleyan (2), 1 p.m. 18 — vs. Kansas Wesleyan (2), 1 p.m. 24 — vs. Bethany (2), 1 p.m. 25 — at Bethany (2), 1 p.m.
Butler
February
7 — vs. Independence, 1 p.m. 8 — at Independence, 1 p.m. 14 — vs. North Iowa (2), 1 p.m. 15 — vs. North Iowa (2), noon. 17 — vs. Brown Mackie, 2 p.m. 20 — vs. Southeast (Neb.), 1 p.m. 21 — vs. Southeast, 1 p.m. 22 — vs. Southeast, 1 p.m. 24 — at Emporia State JV, 3 p.m. 28 — at Cloud (2), 1 p.m.
March
1 — at Cloud (2), 1 p.m. 4 — at Northern (Okla., Enid), 2 p.m. 7 — at Longview (Mo.) (2), 1 p.m. 8 — at Longview (2), 1 p.m. 10 — at Coffeyville, 5 p.m. 14 — vs. Barton (2), 1 p.m. 15 — vs. Barton (2), 1 p.m. 17 — at Cowley, 2 p.m. 21 — at Dodge City (2), 1 p.m. 22 — at Dodge City (2), 1 p.m. 25 — vs. Northern (Okla., Enid), 2 p.m. 28 — vs. Garden City (2), 3 p.m. 29 — vs. Garden City (2), 1 p.m. 31 — vs. Cowley, 3 p.m.
April
2 — at Hutchinson, 6 p.m. 3 — at Hutchinson (2), 2 p.m. 4 — at Hutchinson, 1 p.m. 7 — vs. Seminole State at Edmond, Okla., 1 p.m. 11 — vs. Pratt (2), 2 p.m. 12 — vs. Pratt (2), 1 p.m. 18 — at Seward (2), 1 p.m. 19 — at Seward (2), 1 p.m. 22 — vs. Brown Mackie, 4 p.m. 25 — vs. Colby (2), 3 p.m. 26 — vs. Colby (1 p.m.). 28 — vs. Coffeyville, 6 p.m.
Cowley
February
6 — at Redlands, 1 p.m. 7 — vs. Redlands, 1 p.m. 13 — at Paris (Texas), 1 p.m. 14 — at Paris (2), 1 p.m. 17 — at Seminole, 2 p.m. 20 — Eastern Oklahoma, 2 p.m. 21 — at Eastern (2), 1 p.m. 24 — at Rose State, 2 p.m. 26 — vs. Allen (2), 2 p.m. 28 — at Allen (2), 2 p.m.
March
3 — vs. Crowder, 2 p.m. 5 — vs. Fort Scott (2), 2 p.m. 7 — at Fort Scott (7), 2 p.m. 10 — at Hutchinson, 3 p.m. 12 — at Kansas City (2), 2 p.m. 14 — vs. Kansas City (2), 2 p.m. 17 — vs. Butler, 2 p.m. 19 — vs. Johnson (2), 2 p.m. 21 — at Johnson (2), 2 p.m. 24 — vs. Hutchinson, 3 p.m. 26 — at Neosho (2), 2 p.m. 28 — vs. Neosho (2), 2 p.m. 31 — at Butler, 2 p.m.
April
2 — at Coffeyville (2), 2 p.m. 4 — vs. Coffeyville (2), 2 p.m. 6 — at Pratt, 4 p.m. 7 — vs. Southeast (Neb.), 3 p.m. 9 — vs. Independence (2), 2 p.m. 11 — at Independence 92), 2 p.m. 14 — vs. Seminole, 4 p.m. 16 — at Labette (2), 2 p.m. 18 — vs. Labette (2), 2 p.m. 21 — at Crowder, 3 p.m. 23 — at Highland (2), 2 p.m. 25 — vs. Highland (2), 2 p.m. 28 — vs. Rose State, 2 p.m.
Hutchinson
February
Saturday — vs. Coffeyville (2), 1 p.m. Sunday — vs. Coffeyville, 1 p.m. 13 — at Rose State, 2 p.m. 14 — at Rose State, 2 p.m. 15 — at Rose State, 1 p.m. 17 — vs. Northern-Okla.-Tonkawa, TBA, 20 — at Northeast Texas, TBA. 21 — at Northeast Texas, TBA. 22 — at Northeast Texas, TBA. 25 — vs. Brown Mackie, TBA. 28 — vs. Longview (2), 2 p.m.
March
1 — vs. Longview, 1 p.m. 4 — at Hesston, 5:30 p.m. 6 — vs. Pratt, 3 p.m. 7 — vs. Pratt (2), 2 p.m. 8 — vs. Pratt, 2 p.m. 10 — vs. Cowley, 3 p.m. 14 — at Seward (2), TBA. 15 — at Seward (2), TBA. 18 — at Pratt, 3 p.m. 21 — vs. Colby (2), TBA. 22 — vs. Colby (2), TBA. 24 — at Cowley, 3 p.m. 28 — at Cloud (2), TBA. 29 — at Cloud (2), TBA. 31 — vs. Seminole at Edmond, Okla., 1 p.m.
April
2 — vs. Butler, 6 p.m. 3 — vs. Butler (2), 2 p.m. 4 — vs. Butler, 1 p.m. 8 — vs. Hesstopn, 5:30 p.m. 10 — at Barton, TBA. 11 — at Barton (2), TBA. 12 — at Barton, TBA. 15 — at Butler, 6 p.m. 18 — vs. Dodge City (2), TBA. 19 — vs. Dodge City (2), TBA. 22 — vs. Barton, TBA. 25 — at Garden City (2), TBA. 26 — at Garden City (2), TBA. 28 — vs. Pratt, 3 p.m.
This story was originally published February 5, 2015 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Newman, Friends return plenty of hitters."