Even with seven returning starters, Grand Valley’s baseball team is on the younger side with three sophomores and a pair of juniors in the starting lineup.
The Mustangs, who finished 6-14 overall and 3-9 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division last spring, won’t let that slow them down.
“Heading into 2024, we’re looking to be more competitive overall and in our league schedule,” said Grand Valley coach Zach Sirrine. “Returning seven starters is big for us, but as a team, overall, we are still relatively young. We need those sophomores that will play big roles for us to progress quickly. We’re hoping to be competitive in our league schedule and improve every day, hopefully playing our best baseball at the end of the season when tournament time comes around.”
Sirrine worked the Mustangs hard in the preseason to prepare them for a challenging schedule, and he expects to see continued growth throughout the spring.
“We’ve been working hard in the cage and in the gym but will need to progress quickly once we get actual game time on the field,” he said.
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Senior Eric Ellsworth will play a key role in Grand Valley’s success this season.
He will serve as the team’s No. 1 starter on the mound and can play multiple positions.
“He led the team in batting average last season, and we look for him to provide some power in the middle of the lineup,” Sirrine said.
Senior Aidan Baker is back in center field and will see time on the mound.
“Aidan played great in centerfield for us last year, and we expect that to continue and for him to improve his offensive output as well,” Sirrine said. “He has great speed and plays the game with passion, and we think that will help him make a big jump this year.”
Seniors Kamden Cottrell and Justin Hagan will play first base and third base, respectively. Hagan also will pitch.
Sophomore Trenton Murduck is projected to start at second base and sophomore Payton Plizga will play shortstop and pitch.
“Payton played great for us as a freshman last year, batting leadoff and being one of the top guys in the rotation,” Sirrine said. “We look for him to fill those roles again this year and take a big leap both in his offensive and defensive/pitching production.”
Juniors John Foss-Peters and Austin Hall will line up in left and right fields, respectively, and sophomore Blake Taylor will catch.
“Blake held down the catching position and the four-hole in the lineup,” Sirrine said. “We look forward to him building on his impressive freshman year with a big season this year.”
Grand Valley will lean on its team strengths—pitching and defense—to set the tone for the season.
“We return four of our top five arms from last year, and all have good stuff and are capable of filling up the zone,” Sirrine said. “Defensively, we have a lot of versatile guys that can play multiple positions, which will help us have a solid defense regardless of who we put on the mound.”
The Mustangs have the potential to achieve their goals this season, but to do so, they’ll need to focus on the fundamentals and continue to settle into their roles.
“We have to speed up our learning curve once the season gets rolling and transition the things we’ve worked on in practice to game time,” Sirrine said. “If our pitchers throw the way they’re capable of throwing and we make routine plays, we should be able to be in every game.
