After Challenging Road Stretch, Sandburg Baseball Plays Home Opener Saturday March 16th
GALESBURG — After a daunting road slate to open the season, the Carl Sandburg College baseball team is scheduled to play its home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday against Elgin at the Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex.
Six of the first eight games this season for the Chargers have come against teams that appear in the NJCAA rankings. Led by sixth-year coach Josh Foreman, Sandburg opened the year at defending Division II champion, preseason No. 1 and current No. 9 Heartland. The Chargers (1-7) also played three games at Division I No. 9 John A. Logan and a pair of contests against Division II No. 20 Parkland.
KEY RETURNERS
Chase Mason (Washington, Ill./Washington), redshirt sophomore catcher/infielder
• 2022 All-Arrowhead Conference selection.
• Played in just 11 games a year ago but hit three home runs and drove in 14 before an injury shelved him for the rest of his sophomore season.
• Foreman: “We've watched Chase mature so much in his time here at Sandburg. After having his season cut short by injury last year, he's come back and really embraced his role as one of the leaders of this team. It will be fun to watch Chase show off his athleticism behind the plate, with the bat and on the mound for us.”
David Smith (Tremont, Ill./Tremont), sophomore pitcher
• 2023 All-Arrowhead Conference selection.
• Led the Chargers last season in ERA (2.91) and strikeouts (76) and was tied for first in wins with five.
• Foreman: “David was a guy for us last year that routinely pitched deep into games and logged big innings for us. He's worked extremely hard in the offseason to improve his body and skills and get better every time out. Every contest he pitches, he's going to give us a chance to win.”
KEY NEWCOMERS
Austin Wiegand (Eureka, Ill./Eureka), freshman outfielder
• Foreman: “Austin is an extremely talented freshman from Eureka High School with a great work ethic. He quickly showed us all this fall that he should be a big part of our offense this spring.”
Cameron Howard (Hamilton Ind./Hamilton County), sophomore pitcher
• Foreman: “Cam's influence on this team starts with his work ethic and preparation. He and David have embraced their leadership roles within our pitching staff and have changed the way our staff works and prepares to pitch. They are going to provide us with a 1-2 combo at the top of our rotation that will be tough for opponents to face.”
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON?
Foreman: “I love this group. You hope every group grows and understands what we're trying to accomplish and works toward a common goal throughout the year. But this group has been on the same page from day one. They ‘get it.’ They communicate, understand it's a team game and they know they all have to work together as a team. They also hold each other accountable and understand why we're playing the opponents we play early in the season. I think they'll continue to improve all season long. I don't just expect this team to make the postseason and be competitive. I expect this team to be ready to win when the postseason arrives.”
GAMES TO WATCH
• March 19 vs. No. 6 Southeastern
• March 24 vs. No. 8 Madison
• April 7 vs. Kankakee
• April 15 at No. 20 Parkland
• April 22 at No. 9 Heartland
• April 26 at No. 8 Madison
• April 27 at Black Hawk
• April 30 vs. Black Hawk
Foreman: “All those teams may be ranked at some point this year or already are ranked. We always schedule plenty of games against the best teams we can.”
THIS WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF …
Foreman: “If this group continues to improve, be who they are and keep the mindset they've had to this point. If they continue to work together, relax and be who they are, they'll see the success that they want.”
HOW TO FOLLOW THE CHARGERS
• Follow Sandburg baseball action live on the GameChanger app. Search for “Carl Sandburg Chargers.”
• Visit sandburgchargers.com, the official home of Carl Sandburg College athletics, for game recaps, photos and more.
• Sandburg also partners with SportReporting so that fans can get scores delivered straight to their phone and email for free. Once a game result has been submitted, the score will be sent by text message and to your inbox.
• Follow Sandburg Athletics on social media
.jpg)
