Lakers open season versus Bucks

The boys of summer are back.

With the Glacier Twins American Legion baseball team already five games into its 2007 schedule with a 4-1 record, the Kalispell Lakers are hoping to follow suit.

The Lakers open their season today by hosting Bozeman at Griffin Field in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 4:30 p.m.

"Everybody is excited," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. "We've been going since the beginning of February. It's been two-and-a-half months so everybody's ready to get going to see where we are."

The Lakers are entering their second season under Malmin. Last season, they finished the regular season with a 33-31 record (13-11 in Western AA games) and earned a berth into the state tournament in Great Falls. They were eliminated from the tourney by the same team they are facing today by a score of 4-2.

"There's no hard feelings," Malmin said. "It's going to be a great opportunity, a great test for us to come out and see what we've got. Bozeman is one of the preseason favorites to win the state title. They are 5-0 now, averaging more than 10 runs a game, they've got 11 kids back from AA team last year. So we get to go out and see where we are at compared to them."

The Bucks are coming off three straight 40-win seasons. They were 45-17 last year and lost five players from that squad. They have won three one-run games and two 10-run games. Today's games will be their first road games.

The Lakers return eight players from last year's squad, including six of their top seven pitchers.

But the team's Achilles' heel last year was the walks allowed. They gave up 214 free passes, compared to 292 strikeouts, in 402 innings.

Eighteen-year-old Zach Davis is the early-season ace. Malmin said he throws about an 83 mph fastball. He pitched 64 innings last year with a 4.57 earned run average. He struck out 62 and walked 57.

"He's got to be our ace," Malmin said. "He's got great velocity on his fastball and has a great curveball. He's developing a change-up."

Adam Olson, another 18 year old, is slated as the No. 2. He led the team in innings pitched last year with 79 and had a 3.44 ERA. But he walked 44 batters while striking out only 38.

"He was our bulldog last year," Malmin said.

Tyler Reichoff will be the No. 3. The 17 year old had the second-most innings pitched last year (67) and had a decent strikeout-to-walk ratio of 50:28. He finished with a 4.88 ERA.

"Tyler was our most consistent pitcher last year," Malmin said. "He spots the ball very well."

Bigfork's John White figures to be the No. 4. The 18 year old had a 5.25 ERA last year with 53 strikeouts and 24 walks in 62 innings.

"John needs to be the guy who pitches in big-time games," Malmin said.

Sam Freudenberg will join the rotation when he returns in June from college in Grand Forks, N.D. Malmin also has high hopes for rookies Greg Neils, Brian Sneck and Tony Lawrence - all of whom pitched for the Class A Lakers last year. Neils and Sneck were the big guys in the little program last year.

"Great teams have great pitching and we feel we have the potential to be great," Malmin said. "Our pitchers are going to dictate our success. It remains to be seen if they are tough enough to work ahead in the count and work hard with two outs and make sure we eliminate those free passes."

Malmin's biggest concern will be replacing the middle of his defense.

"We only lost five seniors, but almost all of them played in the middle - catcher, shortstop and center field," he said. "So it will be interesting to see how we can develop in those positions."

Rookies Jacob Scott and Pat Hergesheimer may be two-thirds of the solution. They will be starting in center field and catcher, respectively, and might bat Nos. 1 and 2 in the batting order. Scott has prior engagements this weekend and will not be playing.

Lawrence will be the catcher behind Hergesheimer and Hergesheimer will split time at shortstop with Zac Ford and Reichoff.

White, who batted .281 and led the team with 11 doubles last year, will be the starting first baseman.

Austin Zapata, 18, returns as the starting second baseman and has very good instincts and quick reflexes. He batted .253 last year.

When not pitching, Olson will be an all-star third baseman. He is the team's top returning hitter. He batted .309 last year. Freudenberg, who hit .305 last year, will provide great depth at third.

The outfield will be made up of Davis, who is also an ace pitcher who batted .300 last year, in left field, Scott in center and Tucker Hankinson. Hankinson, 18, hit .292 last year. Rookie Derek Keller will provide depth.

"We've got a very solid outfield with Keller and Hankinson and Davis and Scott," Malmin said. "They've all got good speed and good arms. They do a good job of getting to the ball."

Malmin said the biggest strength of the team is chemistry.

"I'm really pleased with the team chemistry and the team leadership," he said. "That was missing last year and our seniors this year have put the weight on their shoulders and taken the responsibility to make sure things are done correctly in practice in hopes of having the little things done right in games."

Word around the state is Missoula is loaded for a state title campaign. Conor Dwyer may be the best player in Montana.

Malmin is expecting Great Falls Electrics, led by Shaun Tatarka, to be contending with Missoula for the Western AA title and believes his team is next in the upper echelon. He believes Lethbridge and the Great Falls Stallions could be right in the mix and isn't sure what to expect from Glacier or Medicine Hat.

The top four teams from each conference - the Western AA and Eastern AA - make the state tournament, which is in Billings the first week of August.