Marysville’s varsity baseball team is pictured from left, front row, Christian Colvin, Payne Miller, Blake Storr, Connor Parks, Zach Tompkins and Josh Arnold; second row, Dom Smith, Jack Christian, Andrew Van Hoose; Ian Wigglesworth, Noah Brown, Matt Belt and Blaine Williams; third row, Chase Kilgore, Garrett Seger, Trey Storr, Jake Carper, Gabe Schaeffer, Blaine Winans and Michael Bonczak; back row, coaches Jordan Blake, Mitch Church, Zach Bott, head coach Nick Blake, Jared Yoakam, Bill Thayer and Scott Hamilton.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
––––
For the first time in five years, there is a new man at the helm of the Marysville High School varsity baseball team.
Nick Blake, who previously served as the head coach at London High School, has taken the Monarch position.
He replaced Mark Brunswick, who stepped down at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign.
Blake welcomes several lettermen back from an MHS team that posted a 17-10 record and finished tied for second place in the Ohio Capital Conference Central Division a year ago.
Those veterans include Jack Christian (pitcher-infield-outfield), shortstop Blake Storr, catcher Chase Kilgore and second baseman Connor Parks.
They will be joined by several players who also saw varsity action a year ago.
They include Trey Storr (pitcher-third base), Michael Bonczak (center field), Gabe Schaeffer (first base), pitcher Blaine Williams and Matt Belt (pitcher-first base).
While Blake is still getting to know his new team, he is optimistic about the 2019 campaign.
“This is an athletic group that is going to allow us to do a lot of things both offensively and defensively,” he said.
The Monarchs have the speed on the base paths to play small ball and manufacture runs.
If opponents, however, think that’s the only way MHS will score this spring, they are mistaken
“We’ve also got guys who can drive the ball (such as Blake Storr, Christian and Kilgore),” said Blake. “I think we have the talent to play any type of offensive game.”
The Monarch boss said his squad will be strong defensively, particularly at the infield spots.
“Our infield will be very good with Connor Parks, Blake Storr, Trey Storr, Gabe Schaeffer, Matt Belt and Jack Christian,” said Blake. “We also have a great catcher in Chase Kilgore.”
Christian and Trey Storr figure to be the Monarchs’ top two pitchers.
If there was an area of concern heading into the early part of the season, it was finding two other starters to supplement them.
“We’re still figuring out our Nos. 3 and 4 pitchers,” said Blake. “Blaine Williams will be in the mix, along with Andrew Van Hoose.
“Connor Parks will also pitch for us in relief.
“Finding those third and fourth arms is going to be very important for us,” he said.
Blake said the OCC Central Division will once again provide tough competition.
“Hilliard Davidson has won the title the past two or three years,” he said. “Upper Arlington is very talented and Dublin Coffman is solid.”
The Monarch coach feels his team can challenge those top squads.
Marysville will need to have solid work on the mound in order to do that.
“We’re going to need to throw strikes,” he said. “It’s all going to come down to pitching, along with getting timely hits.”
Blake said he’s talked with the team about what he calls “measurable” goals, such as winning a divisional title and competing for a Division I district crown.
“Those, however, are going to be by-products of how we approach every day of the season,” he said. “The guys have gotten better each day of the preseason and we need to keep that progression going each day.”