By RYAN WALKER
Southern Wells had a rough go-around on the baseball diamond last year, and will lose significant pieces to the team this year.
The Raiders finished 5-18 on the season, falling to a top-ranked Wes-Del squad in the opening round of the sectional tournament.
This will be year No. 2 for head coach Evan Huffman, leading his alma mater, and will have some adjustments to make on the field with recent graduates.
The first were his top two pitchers, Cody Perdue and Kedrik Sonnigsen. Perdue more than doubled Sonnigsen in innings pitched for the top spot, tossing 55.2 innings of work, while Sonnigsen finished second with 23 innings.
Sonnigsen will be missed most with his bat, hitting .339 with six extra base hits. He tied with fellow graduate Jenson Nusbaumer as the team’s batting champion.
The graduating class wasn’t large, but more significant for what the players offered. The team will be also losing junior Bryar Gearheart, who would have been a leading candidate in the dugout with his hitting ability.
For returners, the Raiders will bring back eight players with 20 or more at-bats. The top returners are Carson Smith and Wyatt Yoder.
Smith, who leads all returners with a .238 batting average, scored the second most runs for the Raiders and drove in six. Smith can play the outfield and third base, and will get time on the mound.
Yoder is the only other player to hit over .200 for Southern Wells that returns this rear. He drove in five runs and hit .225 and will play in the outfield and pitch.
Other starters in the field will include Case Boxell, Caleb Johnson, Rugar Holmes, Trey Slusher, Peyton Miner and Sebastian Couch.
Smith and Yoder are also the top returners on the mound in terms of innings pitched. Smith finished the season with 15 innings of work, and Smith 7.1.
Another name to watch out for was Holmes, who threw 5.1 innings and compiled a 2.62 ERA.
ryan@news-banner.com
