Bruins off to 2-2 baseball start, 1-0 in Trico

“We have a very busy week this week,” said second-year head Coach William Gross. “[With] two very important league games against Castle Rock, a team we finished right behind in league standings last year.

“Starting 1-0 in league, especially in the fashion that we did, was huge for our boys’ confidence as the season is starting to speed up.”

Gross said he’s excited and hopeful for his team this season.

“After last year, the addition of our summer ball team, the Bandits, was pivotal for the development of our players, especially with the anticipation of a big senior class this season,” Gross said.

The seniors include Ben Borton, Bryce Wang, Deegan Bryan, Dylan Landgren, Jack Vosika, Jaden Wang, Kai Brasuell, Seth White, and Wyatt Stelma. They are joined by sophomores Brody Landgren and Kellen Olson, and juniors Landyn Patnode and Falkner Grabb.

“The goal this season is much different from last year. We fully expect to make the playoffs and compete in a very competitive Trico League,” Gross said.

Class 1A Columbia went 1-2 in non-league games, with a 6-5 win over 2A Woodland on March 13, and losses to 3A Heritage (7-5, March 14) and 3A Evergreen (10-9, March 21). Gross was not discouraged by the losses, as the Bruins held the lead in each game.

Gross said the team’s strength thus far has been its pitching, with a team ERA of 4.42 — much improved over last year. The pitching staff is led by Jaden Wang and Kai Brasuell, who have a 3.23 ERA and a 0.95 ERA, respectively.

“These two seniors have worked incredibly hard over the summer and fall to improve their game and it’s showing in our early contests,” Gross said.

The offense has been led by Seth White, Ben Borton, and Wyatt Stelma. White is hitting .500 with a .625 on-base percentage; Borton is hitting .375 with a .706 OBP, and Stelma is at .333 with a .444 OBP. White is also the team leader with seven RBIs.