The USC baseball team is gearing up for the 2022 season. Members of the team are, left to right, front row: Lucas Yokiel, Dylan Bonsack, Zayden Schott, Aiden Crabtree, Ethan Koehler, Avery Crawford, Caleb Whiteside, CJ Schumann. Middle row: Jon Martinez, Hunter Bruckhoff, Nick Bushlack, Taybor Conley, Brendan Drescher, Zale Bushlack. Third row: Bob Schindler, Colton Quade, Jackson Spizzirri, Blake Schroeder, Konner Harpestad, Ethan Elvebak, Trevor Brekken, Wyatt Meyer. Missing from the picture are: Kolt Bullerman, Isaiah Gonzales, Carter Gimberline.

With nine seniors and six juniors on this year’s United South Central baseball team, coach Pat Frank is extremely optimistic.

“We are going to be not so bad, in fact, we should be pretty good,” Frank says. “These guys had a good Legion ball season last summer, and most of them are back this spring.”

He has a very good core group of players.

Nick Bushlack, a junior, will be moving over from second base to play shortstop, and will be the lead-off hitter. Seniors Colton Quade will play third base, Jackson Spizzirri second base and Konnor Harpestad will be the starting catcher.

“We’ve got two great pitchers returning, and they are both lefties,” the coach says. “Taybor Conley, a junior, and Blake Schroeder, a senior, will be our No. 1 and No. 2 starting pitchers.”

Schroeder has been at baseball camps during the last six months, including at Gustavus Adolphus College, and the coach says he is going to be very good.

In the outfield the Rebels will probably have junior Zale Bushlack in left field, Jon Martinez, the only sophomore on the team, in centerfield and ninth-grader Aiden Crabtree in right.

The coach says the lineup is subject to change, of course, when the season gets underway.

“We have another lefty pitcher, CJ Schumann, a freshman,” Frank says. “And he is going to be OK too.”

Besides the upper classmen, the Rebels have eight freshmen and one eighth grader out this year.

The team is already dealing with injury. One of those is Ethan Elvebak, a senior, who was the center fielder last season, but had wrist surgery and won’t be back until May, the coach says.

The team was 14-8 last year and is looking to improve on that record. So are the two assistant coaches, Todd Rasmussen and Adam Rajtar.

As far as other teams go, coach Frank says Maple River will be really good and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva returns three or four really good players to their team. Others in the section include Randolph and Hayfield, who were the state champions last season.

“But I really think we can compete with them all,” Frank says. “It is just who can stay eligible and who can stay healthy.”

The Rebels were supposed to play their first game this past Thursday against Medford, but it was cancelled due to the cold and windy conditions. Their next game is set for April 4 against Southland.

The team is scheduled to play their next game on April 7 against Kenyon-Wanamingo, then a game April 9 against Lyle-Pacelli. April 11 is Maple River and April 14 they face Medford.

Another thing that the Rebels coach is excited about is their home field located in Thompson Park.

“We have a new scoreboard and a new 130-head sprinkler system on the infield and outfield,” the Rebel coach says. “It will make a real difference in the condition of the field.”

He adds he appreciates all the support of the USC area community at their games.