By Scott A. Kolb

Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

While their home stadium at Dick Seltz Field remains coated with ice and snow, the Riverland Blue Devils are scheduled to open the baseball season Saturday night in Florida.

Riverland coach Scott Koenigs and his baseball team fled the cold a couple of days ago, and they will play 13 games over a seven-day stay in the "Sunshine State." The Blue Devils open tonight against Massasoit Community College at the Expo in Cocoa Beach.

"This (tonight's opener) will be our first action outside on a real field." Koenigs said. "I am very excited to begin my seventh year as the head baseball coach at Riverland. The 2009 roster has 30 players, including 19 new players to our program. We return five starting position players, along with five starting pitchers and a designated hitter.

The returning starting pitchers include two All-Minnesota College Athletic Conference pitchers: Brady Banse (7-1, 1.84 ERA) and Brandon Huhn (5-2, 2.32 ERA).

Other returning pitchers who had starts for the Devils last season were: Alex Buckentine (1-2, 7.38 ERA); Nate Steenblock (2-1, 2.46 ERA); and Shane Lange (2-1, 4.13 ERA).

"Brady and Brandon are the leading pitchers coming back, but we also have a transfer from Southern Idaho in Zach Velietestra," said Koenigs. "Zach is a hard throwing lefty, with stuff in the upper 80s. He's also a leadoff hitter and starting center fielder, so that was a nice transfer."

The top four starting rotation will be rounded out by Mitch Jaeger from Rapid City (S.D.) Central. The rest of the pitching staff includes a large recruiting class: Ryan Palmer (Rapid City, SD); Brian Voigt (Southland High); Zach Prins (Owatonna); Brad Carr (Irondale, MN); Kody Retterath (Southland); Drew Madsen (Lake Crystal-Welcome Memorial); Kenny Wollin (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown); Kyle Maloney (Owatonna); and Josh Pilcher (Owatonna).

"We have 16 potential pitchers on the roster," Koenigs said. "Hopefully, they can help us break a six-year drought of going to the state tournament."

Kyle Starkey, the third-leading hitter on the team last season, is back in the outfield and he had a .402 batting average. Lange also plays first base and hit .426 last year. Chris Lindemann hit .388 and returns at second base.

Huhn also has a powerful bat as he had eight home runs last year and set a school record. Andy Behnke will move to right field and he hit .344 last year.

"This year's team will be very skilled and we will have depth at every position," the coach commented. "The spring trip to Florida will definitely help with the evaluation process, the nice thing is we have battles at most positions this year. We're going to work hard and get everybody some playing time. I've scheduled a total of 47 games this season and the guys should all play."

There will be a new starting catcher for the Blue Devils this year. Gone is NJCAA All-American catcher Pat Wolard (.453, 7 HR, 43 RBI), who is now playing at St. Cloud State.

Four solid catching prospects will battle for playing time at that position. The guys battling for that position are; Derek Emanuel (Southland); Tim Van Houdt (W-E-M); Derek Hahn (Lakeville); and Matt Tetrick (Irondale, MN).

The defense up the middle will be very strong with the addition of Voigt, the former Southland three-time All-Three Rivers Conference shortstop. Last year in high school, Voigt hit .447 with 12 home runs in leading the Rebels to the state championship game.

Pilcher will also see some time at shortstop. Pilcher and Voigt will also play at third base for the Blue Devils this season. Winston Smith, a three-time all-conference player for Southland will see time at the second base position. Drew Madsen and Mitch Kaplan (Austin) will be infield utility players. Other candidates for time at first base are: Retterath; Brad Carr (Irondale); Dustin Fritz (Spirit Lake, IA); Kenny Wollin (W-E-M); and Nate Oxley (Southland).

Candidates for additional playing time in the outfield are: Shawn Pape (Winona); Danny Dewitz (Maple River); Corey Feickert (Rapid City); and Jamie Bushman (St. Charles). Dewitz was the starting designated hitter for the Devils last season.

"I am looking forward to this season, if we avoid injuries this should be an excellent season," Koenigs said. "The goal is a 25-win season and a trip to the MCAC State Tournament."