The State Fair Community College baseball team has been busy preparing for the upcoming season. This season will be the eighth season since the resumption of the program. Head Coach Jud Kindle likes what he has seen from his team so far in practice.

"The weather has not really cooperated for us to be outside much," said Kindle. "We have seen some good things and gotten a lot accomplished. I think we'll be ready in a couple of weeks. I've seen a lot of improvement since our fall season. Our pitchers got stronger; their velocity as a group went up. Our pitching staff is probably the deepest it has been. We have multiple options of guys who can get us outs this year. The hitters have been working hard on getting stronger in the weight room and being more fundamental on the infield. I think we've had a good off-season for sure."

Coach Kindle hopes to see a more balanced style of play from his team this season.

"Our style of play will be a mixture of different skill sets this season," said Kindle. "We have guys who can really run. We also have guys who can hit the ball over the wall. When we brought the program back, we were a team who played a lot of small ball. Over the last two or three years, we've been more of a power hitting team. I think we will be more balanced this year. You are going to see some running but, you are also going to see some guys who can drive balls in the gaps."

SFCC will be led by a core group of sophomore hitters who return with a lot of experience from their freshman campaign. Coach Kindle expects to see leadership from guys like Sam Russo, Carter Jenkins, and Logan Miller.

"Those three guys have good leadership skills to show our younger players," said Kindle. "They were all at the top of our lineup last year. We also have a good mixture of younger players who can really hit. Dayne Wimberly had a phenomenal fall. He will be right in the middle of that mix. Will Muench and Sam Paule are both good defensive players in the middle infield who will be battling for the shortstop position. Tanner Grant and Tripp Johns have both had good fall seasons at first base. There's definitely a lot of competitiveness, because we had such a good fall and early spring so far."

Coach Kindle believes his team is a lot deeper on the mound this season. The Roadrunners have a lot of pitchers still battling for those four spots in the weekend rotation.

"Carter DeGondea is a transfer from Missouri State," said Kindle. "He had a good fall for us. His numbers have really spiked over the winter break and the early spring when it comes to velocity. He is going to be a leader on our staff. Andrew Brakensiek is a returner who pitched a ton of innings for us last year. He will play a big role on our pitching staff. Tait Robertson has done a good job. I don't know what his role is going to be yet. He could be a starter, or he could be a guy that we bring out of the bullpen. Keith Piepmeier is coming back for us. He was a guy who just found a way to get outs for us last year. Jaden Kolb is another returner who is coming on strong for us. Our freshman class has also done well. Chase Schnieders will also be fighting for one of those four spots in the weekend rotation. Chase has shown us that he can do that. He is a competitor with a good three pitch mix. Chade Noble is another freshman to keep an eye on. He is a guy with a powerful arm who could be used late in games."

SFCC will open a tough season with nine games on the road. The Roadrunners will open the season against Gadsden State Community College in Alabama on Friday Feb. 9. This will be the first game of a four-game series. SFCC will also travel to East Central College. The Roadrunners will close the season opening road trip with a four-game series at Dallas College North Lake on Friday Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 with a pair of doubleheaders.

"Our guys did a very good job fundraising this year to go on two trips," said Kindle. "Those trips allow us to play in some warmer weather before we start playing in cooler weather. We have a competitive schedule. Our region is stronger than it has ever been. This is one of the strongest regions in the country. Our schedule is never easy."

The Roadrunners are scheduled to open the home portion of their schedule on Friday, Feb. 23 with a split doubleheader against Lake Michigan College and John Wood Community College. The first pitch from Liberty Park Stadium-Dey Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. SFCC will open Region 16 play against Crowder College on Thursday, March 7. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. SFCC will close the regular season with a single game at Kansas City Kansas Community College on April 30. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Coach Kindle has a couple of goals he would like to see his team accomplish this season.

"Our first goal is just to be consistent," said Kindle. "We must win one game at a time. Our second goal is to host and win a Subregion, once we reach that goal then we'll focus on winning the Region Championship."

Coach Kindle sees some keys to accomplishing those goals this season.

"We have to be consistent on the mound and at the plate," said Kindle. "We must get back to playing for each other. We have a group of guys who are as close as any team that I've had. Usually that's a good formula for success."

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics