Bulldogs hoping to 'catch on fire' and make run to state
SANDPOINT — Despite winning just two games last season, the Bulldog baseball team laid a lot of groundwork for a better future under first year coach Scott Fitchett.
Heading into his second season at the helm, Fitchett is excited about the potential for continued improvement, so much so that he didn’t shy away from setting a lofty goal.
“Going to the state tourney,” said Fitchett of the team’s goal. “This year it’s an attainable goal.”
The confidence is buoyed by a deep batting order and a couple of strong arms atop the rotation. The Bulldogs are relatively young, but deep in talent, and seem primed to sneak up on some teams this year.
“All the work we did last year was foundation,” said Fitchett. “This year we’ve laid the foundation, now we need to catch on fire.”
Leading the way will be a trio of power bats in the middle of the order in junior catcher Paul Sundquist, and seniors Quinn Pearlstein and Nate Stangel. All three are sizable players who can hurt a fastball.
“Paul is developing into a guy who can hit with power to either gap, and he wants to get better,” described Fitchett. “Quinn and Nate are big and strong, and when they’re on, they’re tough to beat.”
Setting the table atop the order will be junior Caiden Oliver and sophomore Talon Dewey, each of whom will be aggressive on the base paths. Twin sophomores Wes and Nick Holland, senior Jackson Russo and sophomore Caleb Edlund also have some pop in their bats, giving the Bulldogs a deep lineup.
“We’ll be a strong offensive club. We’ll be solid all the way through the lineup,” predicted Fitchett. “We’ll be athletic and aggressive on the bases.”
The Bulldogs ace will be Dewey, a lefty with a live arm and strong command who missed much of last season with an injury. Dewey has what coaches like to call sneaky heat, along with a splitter and breaking ball to keep hitters honest.
“He’s got a real firm fastball that sneaks up on hitters,” described Fitchett. “He’s got a good mindset to go with the physical gifts.”
Senior Malaki Smith, one of the Bulldogs’ best starters last year, will bolster the rotation. Fitchett said he’s got good arm action, and when he throws strikes, he’s tough to beat. Sophomore Patrick Kummer, a confident thrower with a Bulldog mentality, will also eat some innings on what Fitchett hopes is a much improved rotation.
“The pitching, in terms of arm health, that could be one of our biggest strengths, but right now, it’s an unknown,” admitted Fitchett, noting both Lakeland and Moscow boast strong teams. “The 4A will be very competitive. I think we’ll surprise some people in terms of the improvements we’ve made.”
Jeff Logan will coach the JV team and Ken Oler will coach a rare freshman team, as the program had numbers for three teams.
Sandpoint will celebrate opening day on Thursday, when Coeur d’Alene comes to town. First pitch is at 4 p.m. at venerable War Memorial Field.