By Cort Reynolds
The Ada varsity baseball team has solid veteran pitching and a lot of youth on its 2022 roster.
The Bulldog baseballers return six starters from last year's team that finished 7-14 overall and 1-7 in the Northwest Conference, good for eighth place.
Veteran Bulldog head coach Jason Campbell enters his ninth year at the helm of the Bulldog program (44-152 overall, 8-64 NWC).
He has new coaching help from intense assistant Toby Smith, who has won over 300 high school games as a head coach. Smith also serves as the head Ada football coach.
MAIN PHOTO: The varsity Ada baseball team, from left: Levi Green, Kaine Fisher, Wyatt Ferguson, Levi Sousley, Spencer Wall.
Middle: Ethan Lawrence, Max Puerto, Roman Snyder, Zach Neiswander, Jacob Sutherly, Dalton Amos.
Back: assistant coach Toby Smith, Lester Amos, Tyler Jameson, Kadin Phipps, head coach Jason Campbell.
Absent: Brandon Paul, assistant Dylan East.
"We have a lot of positions up in the air in pre-season," said Campbell.
The roster features three seniors, six juniors, no sophomores and six freshmen.
Graduated are second team All-NWC middle infielder Jacob Morgan, as well as honorable mention All-NWC infielder Jake Poling.
"Our strength looks to be up the middle defensively," said the veteran coach. "With four experienced returning pitchers, we also have some good quality on the mound."
Seven lettermen return to lead this year's 15-player roster.
The starting infield should feature hard-nosed senior Kadin Phipps at first base when he is not serving as the team's number one pitcher.
"Kadin is rounding into his own as an athlete," said Campbell. "He is more confident as a leader and a player, the guys respect him and he is serious."
Senior Brandon Paul will play in the outfield and serve as a designated hitter.
Senior Tyler Jameson injured his knee in soccer, but the team hopes to have him back for the final stretch run of the season. He is the team's lone left-handed hurler.
Junior letterman Roman Snyder returns after earning honorable mention all-conference notice in 2021. He is one of the team's top returning pitchers, and will also play shortstop and third base.
Junior letterman Levi Sousley will pitch and play the outfield.
Scrappy junior Jacob Sutherly will play all over the diamond at catcher, pitcher, shortstop and second base. Athletic junior Spencer Wall also returns and will pitch, play outfield, shortstop and first base.
Junior Zach Nesiwander is back as the last letterman. He is expected to share catching duties with Sutherly and also pitch.
Junior Lester Amos will also play some third base, whle freshman Dalton Amos will see action behind the plate as well.
At this point, Campbell has Snyder penciled in as the number two starting hurler, with Wall third and Sousley fourth.
Athletic freshmen Kaine Fisher and Levi Green will compete for outfield position along with classmate Max Puerto. They all have good speed to patrol the outfield grass.
Freshmen Wyatt Ferguson (OF) and Ethan Lawrence 1B/P) will also compete for playing time.
"Our returning juniors and seniors are primed and ready, they look sharp," said Campbell. "They will carry the team, as they go, so will we.
"Our offense and youth are concerns as we have so many freshman newcomers," he admitted. "We have a lack of experience in those six newcomers. We have a distinct lack of experience at some spots. We have to get the young guys up to speed."
The Bulldogs finished eighth in Northwest Conference play in 2021, ahead of youthful Bluffton.
Lincolnview won the 2021 NWC title outright with a record of 8-0 Departed Paulding was second (7-1), followed by Columbus Grove and Allen East in a third-place tie at 5-3.
Delphos Jefferson was 4-4, while Spencerville and Crestview tied for sixth (3-5), with Ada eighth (1-7) and Bluffton last (0-8).
"I hope we can compete for the middle of the NWC," said Campbell. "The goal is to go out and attack and compete every game. We want to give ourselves an opportunity to win, and good things happen when you come out and compete."
Ada hosts local rival USV April 2 for a Saturday twinbill. The NWC opener is April 7 at Lincolnview.
