MARYSVILLE — Kurt Koshelnik has run into a different situation than he’s used to in the spring.
The fourth-year manager of the Tomahawks baseball team has more new faces than familiar ones in terms of varsity experience.
“It’s wide open,” said Koshelnik about his roster this year. “Everybody’s position is open. In past years we’ve known what we are coming in the year with a little more, but this year all the guys can see that we’re running three different guys in drills for each position. And I think that is a good thing.”
Marysville-Pilchuck returns just a handful of varsity players from a team that finished 15-1 in the Western Conference last season before bowing out of the District 1 Tournament.
Of those five returners, only one is a pitcher, senior Jake Thomas.
“Jake will be real good for us on the mound,” said Koshelnik. “He’s changed his throwing style. When he first started pitching for me two years ago, he was a soft-throwing lefty and now he’s gone to a harder throwing guy that can just get guys out.”
The Tommies also bring back third baseman Tylor Klep, catcher Kyle Flanders, left fielder Kyle Miller and right fielder Adam Sylvester.
But of those five, three earned all-conference honors with Klep a returning first-teamer and Sylvester and Thomas earning honorable mentions in 2010.
“We know that the guys coming back will have an impact on the league,” Koshelnik said. “We know Tylor is going to hit and play a great defense, that Jake will pitch for us and that Flanders will be a good option at catcher and the outfield will have experience.”
Of course that leaves a number of spots open coming into the season, especially in the bullpen.
Around the league, Koshelnik envisions Lake Stevens back on the top.
“They are going to be really good,” he said. “They didn’t lose much and they were the only loss we had last year.”
As far as his team’s ability, he thinks that the lack of experience has become a motivating factor.
“We’re going to have to fight for a playoff spot,” he said. “But I think that guys are competing and I don’t think we’ll have time this year to realize that we’re good.”
