Lakers start Legion season on the road

Play a doubleheader Sunday at Mission Valley Mariners

The Kalispell Lakers open their Class AA American Legion baseball season Sunday on the road with a nonconference doubleheader against the Class A Mission Valley Mariners.

The seven-inning games begin at 1 p.m.

Mission Valley won district and state titles last year and advanced to the Northwest Regional in Anchorage, Alaska, finishing with a 61-10 record.

The Lakers return five starters from last year's team that went 8-16 in league play and 28-31 overall.

"We have a good nucleus of returners and a good nucleus off our A program from last year," Lakers coach Ryan Malmin said. "I think we're excited about the year; looking forward to having a good season."

Kalispell's returning veterans are Pat Hergesheimer, Adam Olson, Tyler Reichhoff, Greg Neils and Derek Keller.

Olson and Reichhoff will again spend time at third base and shortstop, in addition to leading the pitching staff. This marks the duo's third season of AA ball.

Neils also is back on the mound, while Keller will move from right field to either center or left.

Hergesheimer has traded his catcher's mitt for outfield duties.

Olson led the Lakers in hitting last year with a .341 average. His 41 RBIs also were a team high.

Reichhoff hit .311 and belted a team-high 12 doubles.

Keller led the Lakers in steals while hitting .259.

Hergesheimer smacked five home runs in 2007, which was a team high. He hit .248.

"We might have a little more power (this year) than we've had in the past," Malmin said. "From the A team, Zach Brosten, Toby Liechti, Brian Sneck and Austin Roehl - those four hit 15-20 home runs combined (last year)."

Reichhoff was a tough out last season, fanning just 13 times in 137 at-bats. Same goes for Olson (18 strikeouts in 179 at-bats) and Keller (18 strikeouts in 162 at-bats).

"We didn't do a very good job of manufacturing runs (last season)," Malmin said. "That's something we've tried to emphasize already this year. One of our goals is to be a better offensive team."

Malmin said in 16 conference losses last season, "we were up in the later innings in six of those."

And in four conference summer doubleheaders, the Lakers were swept.

Reichhoff led the mound staff with 84 innings pitched. Teams Reichhoff faced had a .293 batting average against him, which was a team best. He finished with a 4-7 record.

Neils threw 56 innings and Olson 55.

"We'll rely heavily on those three guys," Malmin said. "We also expect some big things from Brian Sneck. He came up to AA midway through last year."

Malmin says Reichhoff has decent velocity.

"He does a nice job with his three pitches (fastball, curveball and changeup)," Malmin said.

The same pitches hold true for Olson.

Neils' best pitch is his changeup, while Sneck has four: fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.

Also in the pitching mix is Ben Sansaver.

Mario Venturini is one of two lefties on the staff and one of two 16-year-olds on the AA roster.

"We don't have a kid that can go out and dominate," Malmin said of his pitchers. "We have kids who can throw strikes to give us an opportunity to make plays.

"Our bread and butter has to be our defense.

"I think we're more athletic than we have been in the past. We have better team speed."

In Malmin's first year with the Lakers, the team went 32-27 during the regular season, 13-11 in league games. Kalispell won eight of its final 10 league games to advance to state as the No. 4 seed, going 0-2.