SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW: Sandpoint baseball is young, talented, and are a force to be reckoned with

Last season:10-13 record with key wins over Lakeland (4), Moscow (3), Timberlake.

Coach: Ricky Klontz, second season

Athletes to watch: INF/RHP, Jesse Turner, jr; SS/RHP, Drew Lehman, jr.; 1B/3B, Finn Mellander, sr.; OF/RHP, Lucas Hansen, sr.; INF/C/RHP, Jorden Tyler, jr.; INF/RHP, Mason Little, so.; OF/RHP, Dallen Williams, so.; 2B/RHP, Parker Reichart, so.; OF/LHP, Brent Campbell, so.

The Bulldogs lost nine seniors to graduation, but there's still a plethora of young talent on the team this year. Having beaten Coeur d’Alene already, for the first time since 2009 at that, Sandpoint has proved that despite their youthfulness, they’re ready to battle. With a strong fleet of arms and some powerful bats, the Bulldogs show a lot of promise for the 2024 season that lies ahead.

Junior Drew Lehman, is expected to lead the Bulldogs at the plate. In the first two games against CDA, Lehman went a combined 4-for-5 with five RBIs, a triple, a double, and three walks. Last year, he was an all-conference selection and led the Bulldogs with nine stolen bases, four triples, 14 RBIs, and owned a .391 batting average.

“From an impact perspective, everything kind of starts with Drew," head coach Ricky Klontz said. "He's our impact player and we expect a lot out of him."

Sandpoint has four seniors this year, Finn Mellander, Lucas Hansen, Jacob Hansen, and Greyson Johnson, all of whom are expected to be contributing factors both on and off the field.

“All four of them are baseball-first guys who love the sport," Klontz said. "They lead by example. They're not necessarily outward leaders; they just show up, do what they're supposed to do, and work hard. They really help set the tone for the younger guys."

Last season, Lucas Hansen was another big contributor on the base path, batting .258 to go along with three doubles and six RBIs. Mellander also had nine RBIs for the Bulldogs during the 2023 campaign.

Overall, the Bulldogs are a sophomore heavy-squad. If you followed the North Idaho Lakers legion baseball team around this past summer, you would know that these sophomores have all played together and are unstoppable when on the same page.

Sophomore Mason Little is already off to a hot start this season, going 3-for-4 with two singles, a double, and a stolen base in the Bulldogs’ season-opening win against Coeur d’Alene; he also crossed the plate a team-high five times in the first two games of the season. Dallen Williams is also a player to watch out for. Williams went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs during the CDA doubleheader; he also looked sharp on the mound.

"Dallen is going to be our lockdown center fielder; he is a great defender, has a good bat, and runs well" Klontz said. "He definitely has all the things you want in a player."

Sophomores Parker Reichart, Sage Medeiros, and Brent Campbell will be some of the go-to pitching options this year. In Game 1 against CDA, Reichart was key, throwing four clean innings, giving up just four hits, one walk, and striking out five. Campbell also played a big part in keeping the Bulldogs close as they attempted to come back in Game 2; he threw two innings in relief, giving up one hit, one walk, and one earned run.

“Parker came in during Game 1 and was super efficient; he was great," Klontz said. "Brent will also be a guy we rely on a lot. He's going to be a big piece for us on the mound. He has a look that's pretty tough from the left side. Sage is one if not thee hardest thrower we have."

Juniors Jorden Tyler and Jesse Turner are also expected to see lots of time this year. Last year, Tyler batted .250 over 21 plate appearances; he also posted a 3.82 ERA over 11 innings on the mound. Turner batted just .179 over 54 plate appearances, something he will look to improve upon, but his pitching makes up for it. Turner held a 4.04 ERA after 26 innings of work last year, striking out 20 batters in the process. Turner received all-conference pitching honors and had a team-high four wins during his sophomore campaign.

"We have a lot of arms and a lot of depth, and I feel good about all of them," Klontz said. "I feel confident knowing that they're at least going to be in the strike zone and keep us in the game."

Klontz said despite the teams' youthfulness, there is a lot to look forward to this season.

"They have already proven that they belong and hopefully we just continue to get better from this point on," Klontz said. "I'm super excited for this year. We're in a good spot to build upon. We have a tougher schedule up front with a lot of the 5A schools early and then we'll head into conference play, which will be competitive as usual."

    From left, Sandpoint's Jesse Turner, Drew Lehman, and Jorden Tyler celebrate after a win last season. All three players return to the diamond for the Bulldogs in 2024.

Sandpoint Baseball Schedule

3/12 – vs. Coeur d’Alene 4 p.m.

3/16 – vs. Post Falls 11 a.m.

3/21 – vs. West Valley 6 p.m.

3/28 — @ Bonners Ferry 4 p.m.

4/9 – vs. Lake City 4 p.m.

4/11 – vs. Timberlake 4 p.m.

4/18 – @ Lakeland 2 p.m.

4/20 – vs. Lewiston 12 p.m.

4/22 – vs. Moscow 4 p.m.

4/26 – vs. Lakeland 5 p.m.

4/29 – @ Moscow 2 p.m.

*All matchups are doubleheaders*

    Sandpoint's Finn Mellander slides into third base for a triple in a game last season against Lakeland at War Memorial Field.