Logger baseball looks to get into the swing of things

It may only be early March, but with a couple weeks of mild winter temperatures and spring training games underway down south it’s time to dust off the aluminum bats and leather gloves up north. Preseason stick and glove work for the Libby Loggers baseball team gets started on March 10 with open gym workouts scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Ralph Tate Gym.

“If this weather keeps up, we might be starting outside and just forget the indoor practices,” joked Loggers head coach Kelly Morford on a blue-bird Wednesday afternoon.

At open gym Morford said, “We’ll focus on getting arms going and swing fundamentals started. We really struggled on the hill last season, so I want to get them on the mound earlier this season and improve in that area.”

One reason for the pitching struggles was due to the loss of Jared Winslow, who required surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament, known as Tommy John surgery. “Getting Jared back will be a big boost for us. We knew we would miss him on the mound, but I underestimated how much his absence would impact our offense and defense. He was our three-hitter and shortstop, so it will be nice to have those spots solidified again,” Morford said.

Morford expects the team to rebound from a rare losing record season last year. “We had kind of a down season for what we’ve done in the recent past, but I think we’ll bounce back and have a good year,” Morford said.

Seasoned veterans Luke Haggerty, Oliver Grupenhoff, and Winslow will provide the backbone of the team.

“With Jared, Oliver, and Luke coming back from college, and the return of multiple-year starters Collin Johnson and Dylon Lane, I think we have the potential to play some good ball this year,” Morford said.

There is always the concern of how many players will show up to dedicate a good portion of their summer to baseball, and Morford said this year is no different.

“We’ll see who shows up and go from there.  If we get everyone out that we should from last season and add a few more quality kids, the Loggers will have a pretty athletic lineup that could be fun to watch,” he said. “I know Luke and Jared are really fired up about having a good final season and they have been rallying the troops. I am excited to have some really solid leadership from those guys.”

Once the team gets on the field in the spring they’ll continue dialing in their fundamentals and progress to understanding game situations. “The ultimate goal as a staff is to let the boys develop into a situation where they can take ownership of the game and be in control. Once they learn how the game is played, they can start making their own calls in the flow of the game and trusting their instincts,” Morford said.   

Now in his tenth year as the Loggers skipper, Morford is becoming part of the old guard in the Western A-coaching ranks.

The team welcomes back Jack Helber, who has 50 plus years of coaching experience and has been a part of the program for 8 years. Wally Winslow will be back, “whether he wants to or not,” said Morford. Micah Germany is a young staffer from last year who will be back again as well. Morford has also been recruiting Will Reichel, who wrapped up a great career last year, to help out with spring ball.

“It is nice to have some continuity in the staff and to bring back these younger kids who were part of our program as players,” Morford said.

Other possible returning Loggers players includes: Braydan Thom, Erik Lauer, Trace Tammaro, Quincy Grupenhoff and Austin Marshall.

Lee Gehring Field will be the host site for two tournaments once again this summer. The Loggertown Wood Bat Classic will be held early May with five teams invited and the Big Bucks 10-team tournament is planned in June. “We take great pride in being able to bring these teams in to our town and being a part of something so economically positive for the county,” Morford said.

The Loggers will also embark on a business and pleasure trip to the Seattle area to play a few games and take in a couple Mariners games. “We have done that in the past and that is a great experience for the boys.”