After losing seven starters and graduating its entire outfield, the Oxford Varsity baseball squad has got a tough road ahead this season, but Coach Kurt Nuss is confident his players will rise to the occasion.
‘My guess is we’re probably going to have some adventures early and then by the end of the year, we’ll be dangerous,? he said. ‘Our schedule’s very, very tough. It doesn’t do any good to play people you know you can beat. You want to be challenged every single day.?
Where the 15-member team goes this season will be determined by how well the seniors lead and how well the younger players grow and develop in critical positions once occupied by last year’s stars.
‘You win with seniors,? Nuss said. ‘These guys are going to have to rely on more youth than we have in the past the last couple years.?
Four returning senior starters are expected to form the squad’s core this year.
‘All four of those guys are very important,? Nuss said. ‘All they’ve got to do is play within their capabilities. We’re not asking them to do anything that they’re not capable of doing.?
Senior Kyle Teague is expected to lead the team on the mound as well as behind the plate. As a pitcher, Nuss said Teague, who was named all-state last year, is ‘one of the best I’ve been able to coach.? Last year, he had a 1.11 ERA.
With 27 hits, 23 RBIs, two home runs and a batting average of .500, Teague is ‘probably one of our best hitters,? according to Nuss. ‘He hits for average. He hits for power.?
For the third straight year, Russell Luxton will start at third base. He will also be counted on to be one of the team’s ‘aces? on the mound.
Last year, Luxton had 17 hits, 14 RBIs and .395 batting average. He also had a 2.80 ERA.
Of Luxton and Teague, Nuss said, ‘They have the ability. Now, they have to step up and be leaders.?
Senior Eric Turk, who was named all-league and all-region last year, will return as catcher. ‘He shuts the running game down behind the plate,? Nuss said. As a leadoff hitter, Nuss said Turk is ‘tremendous.? Last year, he batted .531 with 26 hits and 12 RBIs.
‘He’s a patient contact-hitter? with ‘good speed on the bases,? according to Nuss. ‘We’re expecting him to have another big year.?
Senior James McLean will mainly be playing first base, but also do some pitching.
‘He’s got a very good defensive glove,? Nuss said. As a hitter, he ‘drives the ball to all fields.? He batted .378 last year with 17 hits and eight RBIs.
Seniors Justin Ziegelbaur and Don Pohl are returning for their second year on the varsity squad. Nuss said Ziegelbaur is a ‘very smart player and does everything you ask him to do.?
Ziegelbaur is expected to play right field, first base and be a ‘critical? force on the mound as the team’s only left-handed pitcher. ‘He will do a lot of things for us,? the coach said.
Pohl is the team’s backup catcher. Nuss said he will see more playing time this season as a designated hitter and third baseman.
‘He has made huge strides,? Nuss said. ‘He just works his butt off at practice.?
Two seniors new to the team this year are Brandon Newberry, who transferred from Harbor Beach, and Mark Harrison, who transferred from Rochester Hills Christian.
Newberry’s got a ‘pretty lively arm? and is expected to help Oxford on the mound ‘quite a bit,? while Harrison offers versatility.
‘He plays four or five different things, but he’s mainly a pitcher,? Nuss noted.
Juniors Matt Peterson, Eric Meyer, Nick Tombrella and Geoff Charles are an unknown variable right now. ‘Our juniors are a question mark,? Nuss explained. ‘They don’t have varsity experience so until you see kids play at the varsity level in any capacity, it’s really difficult to transfer what they do as a JV.?
Nuss hopes Peterson can ‘fill one of those holes? in the outfield. Charles, one of the team’s ‘speed guys,? is going to anchor the outfield by starting in center field.
Tombrella will be pitching, but he can also play first and outfield.
‘He’s a smart player,? Nuss said. ‘His main value to us at this point is on the mound and then we’ll see what he can do after that.?
As for the team’s three sophomores ? Mitch Stefanski, Jordan Macocha and Alex Seinar ? Nuss said, ‘We’re asking them to do big things.?
‘All three of them have good speed, good baseball instincts and they all put the bat on the ball,? according to the coach.
Nuss said he knows the sophomores have some ‘big shoes? to fill, but ‘we have no doubt that they can do it.?
‘They don’t have to be those guys (referring to last year’s stars), they just have to play within themselves,? the coach noted.
Nuss said the team will once again be focused on being ‘competitive on every pitch.?
The team hopes to repeat last year’s success by winning the Flint Metro League, then ‘go a step above that.? ‘We always want to take it to the next step,? Nuss said.