Team Outlook

The Skyhawks baseball team features a strong roster of 31 players. Twenty are freshmen with 11 returning sophomores. The team includes a pitching staff of nine that includes seven right-handers and two left-handers. The pitching staff includes the experience of only four returning sophomores who will be starters. Assistant Coach Mitch McCoy says he will have a dual focus of having pitchers have quality starts and throw a lof of strikes.

Defensively the Skyhawks will have 12 players to take care of business on the infield while seven all-new freshmen will rotate patrolling the outfield.

Head Coach Rene Valdez says his philosophy of team unity is especially important with a roster that has more freshmen than experienced sophomores.

"We're using a slightly new system and it will take these younger players time to learn that system," Valdez said.

Valdez says that while this is a young team, they have two things going for them. The first is depth in most all areas. The second is the experience of the coaching staff that brings with each of them a winning tradition. In addition to Valdez, he is backed up by assistant coaches Brandon Good, Nick Miller, Mitch McCoy. All have played on Sauk teams that won conference and/or sectional crowns.

At the plate the Skyhawks will have many of the same powerhouse hitters from last season. Valdez expects to see the same leaders be a big part of the batting order.

This season's schedule includes a new double header to Southeastern and the Skyhawks will also play Dakota Technical College, a team from Minnesota.