AURORA- A 6-0 loss to the Chisholm Bluestreaks on Friday may have looked like an inauspicious start to the North Woods baseball season, but first-year Head Coach Steve Baker saw a lot to like from his Grizzlies.
When asked how he felt about the first game of the season, Baker grinned and said, “Happy.”
Baker was an assistant coach last year for a North Woods team laden with young players, so he’s no stranger when it comes to assessing his team’s potential, and he appears confident that with another year under their belts, this season’s edition will be more competitive and pick up more wins.
“We’ve got five seniors on the team, and we’ve got experienced ballplayers now, so I’m looking for a really good year,” Baker said.
The Grizzlies put numerous runners on base but just couldn’t push a run across the plate. One of those seniors, Louie Panichi, gave the Grizzlies their best shot at a run with a scorching triple to left in the seventh inning, but a strike-out ended the threat and the game. Another senior, Talen Jarshaw, took the mound in the middle of the game and looked very sharp, ringing up eight of the team’s nine strikeouts.
“This being our first time outside doing anything this year, guys throwing to batters for the first time, guys seeing live pitches for the first time – we’re happy, and I think it’s only going to grow from here,” Baker said.
The game was played on the synthetic turf field at Aurora because April’s fickle weather rendered the Grizzlies’ diamond unplayable. Spring sports teams are accustomed to early season cancellations and rescheduling. Weather permitting, the Grizzlies will take on a solid Ely team in Ely next Tuesday.