By Michael Moreci
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After going 23-6 last season, winning conference and sectional, South Ripley has enough talent returning to replicate last year’s success—and possibly more. Coach Rod Hite welcomes back six starters and three pitchers to his team; it’s enough to allow Hite to feel confident heading into the season, though he has some sources of worry: the realignment of Hauser not only from 1A to 2A, and the tough competition stacked from top to bottom in South Ripley’s sectional.
“Hauser’s a really strong team in 1A,” Hite said. “We’re trying to get them on our schedule so we can see them during the season.”
While Hauser is a tough team that’ll present 2A teams with a new challenge, the Raiders can hold their own—especially on the mound. Returning to lead the pitching staff is St. Joseph-bound RHP-SS BJ Sieverding (pictured right), who went 9-0 with a 1.75 ERA last season. He’ll be supplemented in the rotation by a pair of juniors: RHP-1B Thomas Welch and RHP-3B Jerad Keck.
Anchoring the offense will be senior CF Russ Steinhauer, who enters his fourth year as the Raiders’ leadoff man. Last season, Steinhauer hit .411 with 5 homers and 25 stolen bases. Also in the mix is Welch (.400 BA, .733 SLG) and Keck (.383 BA). Sieverding will add his capable bat to the lineup’s five-hole.
The Raiders also hope to see an increase in contribution from sophomore 2B Brian Thomas. Last season, Thomas’ tenacious play forced Hite to remove a senior from of his position in order to get his emerging talent the necessary at-bats.
“He’s an aggressive, hard-nosed player,” Hite said. “He’s got the confidence and swagger of a senior.”
What impresses Hite most isn’t what his top players do on the field, it’s what they do away from the diamond. Thomas carries a 4.1 GPA and is No.1 in his class; Welch is No. 4 in the junior class, and Steinhauer carries a 3.5 GPA.
According to Hite, the Raiders’ biggest challenge in 2008 will be finding an every day catcher to replace Josh Cumberworth, who is currently a member of the U.S. Army stationed in Iraq.
“We need someone like Josh, someone the pitchers can be comfortable with,” Hite said.