By Morgan Miller

On February 3, The Well Church hosted the Huntington University men’s baseball team for their preseason banquet. Many people from the community gathered for the event to help celebrate the beginning of a new season at Forest Glen Park. With an amazing 2017 season ending with a trip to Nationals in Alabama, the men are faced with a pressure that they have never faced before.

The last season had the field stacked with seniors Shea Beauchamp, Dylan Hendrick, Dalton Combs and Michael Crowley, who had been leaders on the team since they were freshman. Despite the loss of most of the field players, junior pitcher DJ Moore sounds positive about their future season.

“Losing last years seniors does not define how our team is now,” Moore said. “We are ready and prepared to face challenges.”

A new season means new players. The team brought in multiple transfers and freshman during the offseason.

Donovan Clark, a sophomore transfer from Indiana University, said he is “so proud” to be part of the team’s brotherhood.

Returning players and upperclassmen have always been important, but now the transfers and freshman will be contributors of leading this team to victory.

“We have all three league players,” Coach Mike Frame said. “We will need them to be solid again this year.”

Adam Roser, a middle infield player, is one of the few upperclassmen who have experience playing against teams like Taylor University and Indiana Tech. DJ Moore and Mason Shinabery are both pitchers who share the highest stats for the number of innings pitched. In the 2017 season, Moore pitched 65 innings and Shinabery pitched the second highest at 60 innings.

With the first game of the season quickly approaching, Coach Frame has been working with his players to bring out the best of their abilities.

“We have tried to work hard to get better offensively,” he said. “If we can do this and stay healthy, we should have a solid team.”

The team hosts the Spartans of Missouri Baptist University on March 6, hoping to defend the Glen once again.