Young MCC baseball squad seeks first win this weekend

The McCook Community College baseball team began the season in Kansas with a couple games and travels to Texas and Oklahoma this weekend where the team looks for its first wins under Jon Olsen, who is in his 19^th year leading the Indians and his 24^th overall. Last season he coached in his 1,200 game the college level – including the last 960 of those at MCC.

In 2024, the team finished the Region IX schedule at 18-10, good for third in the standings, and 28-26 overall. MCC opened the post-season tournament in Colorado Springs with a 10-7 loss to Northeastern Junior College but came back in the elimination bracket with a 10-9 win over Lamar before being eliminated on the second day of the tournament to Western Nebraska 13-7.

That team was led by nine players who earned Region IX post-season honors and only one of them returns for a young MCC squad this year.

After this week’s winter weather altered the weekend schedule MCC will travel to Melissa, Texas Friday for a game against Garden City Community College. Those two teams play again Saturday in Celina Texas. On Sunday MCC goes to Tonkawa Oklahoma to face Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa for a pair of games.

This season, the Indians return three regulars from last year’s starting lineup along with five pitchers who had 21 combined starts last year and 150 innings.

“I’m really excited about our pitching and defense,” said Olsen. “And we’ll have some young guys in the lineup, but I think those guys have potential and just need to come around a little.”

Olsen said that judging from last year’s teams around Region IX and seeing their players this fall that the entire region will be less experienced than most years. He said Southeast Community College, with three straight Region IX titles is always the team everyone is gunning for.

“We’ve got a big group of young guys, and a group that I think is talented,” said Olsen. “It might take a little time to get rolling but with a little game experience under our belts we’ll be in pretty good shape,” said Olsen.

Weather permitting, MCC is hoping to get the first home games in against Bismarck State on Feb. 22 and 23.

The Region IX schedule begins March 21 in Las Vagas, N.M. with other region road series April 11-12 at La Junta, Colo. against Otero College and at Lamar April 25-26.

MCC will host Region IX series April 18-19 against Trinidad State and May 2-3 against Southeast Community College.

The Indians will have home-and-home doubleheaders with Western Nebraska (March 27 in McCook and March 29 at Scottsbluff) and against Northeastern Junior College (April 4 in Sterling and April 6 in McCook).

 

RETURNING POSITION PLAYERS

Among the position players, MCC has seven returners with two incoming sophomore transfers.

Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) was named the Region IX Freshman of the Year and was named to the Region IX second team as well as a first-team selection on the Omaha World-Herald's junior college all-Midlands baseball team. Wouters, a pitcher/DH, led MCC in hitting and was second in Region IX with a .416 batting average. He had 12 doubles, nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 52 games with a .468 on-base mark and a slugged .642. He also appeared in 11 games on the mound with four starts going 3-7 with an 8.71 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 41 innings.

Olsen said when Wouters isn’t pitching, he will hit third and be the designated hitter.

Nathan Hutchison (sophomore, Riverton, Wyo.) appeared in 50 games in the outfield where he hit .247 with a .393 on-base average with five home runs and 27 driven in. He’s expected to anchor the defense again and bat leadoff.

Maddox Shaver (sophomore Belleville, Ontario) hit .309 in 175 at bats as a freshman infielder with 14 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 32 RBIs. He’ll bat second again this season and hold down second base.

Owen Glover (sophomore, Elderslie, New South Wales), an infielder batted .288 in 24 games. He’s expected to be in the mix at third base.

Third year player Eli Schaeffer (Thornton, Colo.) was out a year with Tommy John surgery and saw limited action last year but is expected to compete for at bats at first base.

A week before the season started, sophomore outfielder Kyler Cox, Hayes Center, had to have season-ending arm surgery.

Preston Yates (redshirt freshman, Lincoln North Star) didn’t get into any games and is looking to get some time in the outfield.

“He had a really nice fall swinging the bat so he’s probably going to get a chance in the outfield,” said Olsen.

Brogan Barr (Eaton, Colo.) is an outfielder who transferred from Garden City Community College where he played in eight games last season will have opportunities to help in the outfield.

 

RETURNING PITCHERS

MCC has six pitchers returning from last year’s staff and one junior college transfer.

In addition to 41 innings by the left-handed Wouters last season, MCC’s second most-experience pitcher is Tobey Cassino (Arvada, Colo.), another lefthander who appeared in 13 games, starting five where he went 5-3 with 45 strikeouts in 39 innings.

“He threw quite a bit for us last year and will throw a lot for us this year,” said Olsen.

Leif Friedrich (sophomore, Surrey, British Columbia), who was the starting pitcher in this year’s season opener, started six games a year ago, appeared in 15 games and was 1-1 with 31 strikeouts in 32 innings.

“He’s probably had the most improvement between freshman and sophomore year and will be toward the top of the rotation,” said Olsen.

Myles Chabi (Sydney, Australia) pitched in just five games before he was shut down with an injury and received a medical redshirt for another year in McCook. As a freshman in 2022-23, he started 16 games and went 9-3 with a 4.44 ERA and struck out 61 hitters in 73 innings.

“Myles became probably our No. 1 starter as a freshman and once he’s ready to go in a month or so, we think he’ll be a nice part of the rotation,” said Olsen.

He was named all-Region IX first team in 2023 and led all Region IX pitchers in wins and was second in earned run average. Last season the 6-1 right-hander was 0-3 in five starts, striking out 22 in 23.1 innings before suffering the UCL injury. He underwent a new modified-type Tommy John surgery which is usually a six-month recovery.

Olsen said another player who’s taken a huge step for the team since arriving in January of last year as a shortstop is Jean Duran (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) who’s focusing on pitching this year.

“He’s done a really nice job for us,” said Olsen.

A.J. Matta (Arvada, Colo.) is the other returning pitcher appearing in eight games where he went 1-1 over 11 innings and fanning nine.

Cameron Christensen (sophomore, Greeley, Colo.) transfers in from Porterville College in California where he appeared in 23 games in the 2022-23 season with 14 at bats.

“He’ll probably get some looks on the mound out of the bullpen,” said Olsen.

Eli Dunphy (St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador) is back this year but still recovering from Tommy John surgery and it’s not known if he’ll get to see his first game action in an Indian uniform this season.

 

INCOMING POSITION PLAYERS

There are 11 freshmen competing for time in the field including three outfielders, three catchers and five infielders. Olsen said he’s got guys coming in who he believes are going to be good players including two corner outfielders.

Dalton Berg (Frederick, Colo.) opened the season in right field and batted cleanup and Carter Smith (Ottawa, Canada) will play left field and may play some first base.

“Dalton will hit in the middle of the lineup and has a nice bat, and we think Carter will hit anywhere between fourth to sixth in the order for us,” said Olsen.

The coach adds Chase Williams (Brampton, Ontario) as another guy who is going to get an opportunity to play a lot of baseball in the outfield for MCC.

“Between Nate (Hutchison) starting in center, Dalton and Carter around him and Chase (‘C.J.’) with Preston and Brogan we feel like those guys will cover the outfield for us,” said Olsen.

 

CATCHERS

The Indians don’t return any experience at the catching position so freshmen Tyler Reyburn (Frederick, Colo.) Ben Heathcock (Little Elm, Texas) and Jeff Bullock (Medicine Hat, Alberta), look to compete for time behind the plate.

“Tyler is a very good defensive catcher and feel really good about him and is coming along with bat,” said Olsen. “And Ben and Jeff have done a nice job as well and are going to get some opportunities with Ben playing some first base too.”

 

INFIELD

Two freshmen have started the season in the infield and are the frontrunners for playing time. Landon McKillip (Lamoni, Iowa) is slated as the starting shortstop and Connor Charvat (Omaha, Elkhorn South High School) will play a lot of third base.

“Landon is a good defender and his bat is coming around and Connor will serve as a utility player for us and looking forward to getting him out there,” said Olsen.

Joshua Joseph (Poplar Grove, Ill.) will get some chances at first base, Garrett Bacon (Tulsa, Okla.) can play second or third base and Mason Regan (Centennial, Colo.) is a defensive first infielder.

 

NEW ARMS

MCC’s new crop of arms include two lefties and 11 right-handers.

Tait Anderson 6-4 left-hander from Auckland, New Zealand pitched three scoreless relief innings in the opening game and is vying for a spot in the starting rotation. Others expecting to make an early impact include Kaden Noble (Orillia, Ontario), Landon Molloy (Parker, Colo.), Aviv Bobrov (Shekhanya, Israel).

Julian Alvarez (Vaughan, Ontario) may get some looks at the back end of games

“He and Jean Duran may be closer-type guys for us,” said Olsen.

Other freshmen, include: Elvis Conte (Fort Collins, Colo.), Colby Kaplan (Parker, Colo.), Kayden Frizzell (Littleton, Colo.), Parker Wilson (Tulsa, Okla.), Corbin Lochhead (Vegreville, Alberta), William Leroux (Terrebonne, Québec) and Landen Zehr (Kitchener, Ontario).

Up-to-date information about MCC baseball including livestream links, schedule, statistics, rosters, photos and more can be found on the MCC Athletics website, www.mccindians.com