Sports
Jacks put past behind them, eager to being 2013 season
Tyler Ohmann
03/26/2013
After a 2-25 finish last season the Dakota College at Bottineau Lumberjacks baseball team hopes to change this year, and in more ways than one.
“It’s a lot better than last year, everyone has a better attitude,” said sophomore Taylor Milbrath. “Everyone is taking things more seriously, not that we didn’t do that last year, but we just have a better attitude and a better work ethic, and we want to win.”
Milbrath, who was a former Bottineau High School standout has taken a leadership role, one that extends off the field.
“It’s a lot bigger one than last year for sure. Last year I kind of banked on the older guys for sure,” Milbrath said. “To know what time practice was, what time the bus leaves and this year I’m putting these guys in a better situation than I was in.”
That situation begins this weekend as the Jacks open up their season in Minnesota. The players were eager to get outside.
“It’s going to be exciting, I can’t wait to get outside,” said sophomore Tyias Huck. “It is well needed, and other teams have a couple games in and we’re a little behind, so it will be nice to get outside and get the legs going.”
It has been a similar story to most years for the Jacks, who are one of the northernmost teams in the NJCAA, they are confined to gym practices, while other teams have the ability to get outside and log more outdoor time.
“It’s kind of the same old story that we’re kind of waiting on the weather to clear up,” said Jacks head coach Eric Kestor-Mabon. “Except this year it seems like it’s never going to let up. I mean it’s the first week of spring, and we’re still quite a few weeks away, and that’s if the weather cooperates.”
The Jacks hope to rectify their lack of outdoor time with a road trip to Minnesota this weekend.
“It’s the same challenge every year, and this year as it stands we have two weekends of non-conference play before conference plays starts,” Kestor-Mabon said. “That’ll help us get rid of the rust and give us a chance to have a little bit of a spring training.”
“Hopefully some guys get an opportunity to get some innings in at some different positions and we’ll take it as a learning opportunity,”
Kestor-Mabon added.
With temperatures in the 30s and 40s it was no picnic outdoors for the Jacks, who were excited.
“It doesn’t matter how cold or hot it is, we just want to get outside,” Milbrath said. “You can’t really do anything in here (the gym), so when you get outside it’s a lot more fun.”
“It’s a whole lot different when you get out there, but you get the hang of it in an inning or two,” Milbrath added.
Kestor-Mabon is excited that the team can make strides this season, especially on the mound.
“I’m looking forward to see what our pitching staff can do,” Kestor-Mabon said. “We’ve got some strong arms, and I think we have a strong staff, but I guess time will tell.”
DCB is a bit shorthanded this season thanks in part to the NJCAA rule that only allows them to recruit six international players. DCB had to stop recruiting after they made offers to six foreign players, but two failed to show up.
“It affected us a little bit,” Kestor-Mabon. “We kind of had to put a cap on recruiting international guys, and we had a couple decide not to come at the last minute, so then we’re stuck short a couple guys and our numbers reflect that this year.”
“We’ve still got three Canadian guys and one guy from the Bahamas and we could have had six,” Kestor-Mabon said of the teams international make up.
One new recruit though is freshman Cody Brooks, a former BHS teammate with Milbrath.
“It’s fun, because I know how he plays and he knows how I play,” Milbrath said of playing with Brooks again. “We do a lot of feeding off each other.”
Brooks, a first-basemen hopes to bring some power and pop into the DCB lineup. Milbrath knows there will be no shortage of hard work from the freshman.
“He’s got a great work ethic, he plays hard, and he gives it everything he’s got every day,” Milbrath said. “He’s a good kid.”
Huck thinks that if the Jacks put the work in, they have a good opportunity to be successful this year based on the talent he has seen.
“I think its all in our hands, we just have to work hard,” Huck said. “I think we can do good things if we want to. We just need to work hard, play as a team and get better.”
As far as winning and losing, Huck’s expectations are reasonable.
“Winning and losing are the only stats that you need to worry about,” Huck said. “So if we could win half of our games, that would be a huge step since last year. Just compete in every game and staying in every game and not giving up.”
DCB had games scheduled in Montana this weekend, but they were cancelled.