By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The Ada varsity baseball team is rebuilding after covid cancelled a promising 2020 campaign for those senior-dominated Bulldogs.
Six prior lettermen and 11 players on the varsity last spring return to lead this year's 16-player roster.
Veteran Bulldog head coach Jason Campbell enters his eighth year at the helm of the Bulldog program (37-138 overall, 7-57 NWC) optimistic that this could be one of his better defensive clubs at Ada.
"This year is kind of a re-set, it is a completely new team almost," said Campbell. "We were set to have a very senior-heavy squad in 2020. We have a lot of guys competing to break through into positions."
7 seniors, 2 juniors, 6 sophomores, 1 freshman
The roster features seven seniors, two juniors, six sophomores and one freshman. Two key would-be senior starters have transferred as well since last spring.
"Top to bottom, this is one of the faster teams I have had," said the veteran coach. "We can cover a lot of ground defensively, and that is a big key since our home field has pretty big dimensions."
Ada is inexperienced on the key mound position. Senior Trent Ennis is expected to be the top starting hurler and is the only player returning with a pitching victory on his resume.
The starting infield should feature junior Kadin Phipps and powerful senior Devon Cole sharing first base.
Speedy senior Jacob Poling is expected to hit second and hold down second base, with keystone support from senior Cameron Bober, sophomore returnee Roman Snyder and sophomore letterman Jacob Sutherly.
Senior Jacob Morgan will handle the all-important shortstop duties and bat leadoff. Campbell was expecting Morgan to have a breakout seaosn in 2020 before it was called off.
The Jake and Jake middle infield is expected to be a team strength on both sides of the ball. On offense, the senior tandem should provide the squad speed and hustle to ignite the top of the order.
Third base will be manned by senior Monty Sheldon, Snyder and sophomore Spencer Wall.
Junior Tyler Jameson is expected to start in left field. Speedy senior Ennis will patrol center field when not pitching, along with sophomore Levi Sousley.
The right field competition will be between sophomore Ayden East, senior Cody Johnston and others.
The catching duties will be manned by sophomore Zach Neiswander and Sutherly, with Morgan ready to fill in as the third catcher if needed.
"Jacob is my only catcher with any experience behind the plate," said Campbell. "The other two are good athletes who can move."
Cole and whomever is hot at the plate could also fill in at designated hitter.
The pitching staff has a lot of depth but little experience, with 10 players expected to toe the rubber throughout the campaign. With the pitch-count rules, teams need to have as many pitchers as possible on the roster.
Ennis and Phipps are expected to be the top starting hurlers, with Sheldon penciled in as the third starter.
Wall and Morgan should also see starting action on the hill.
Cole, Jameson, East, Snyder and Sousley round out the pitching staff.
Rounding out the roster is lone freshmen Aiden Boulanger.
Strong defensively
"The guys are young and hungry," Campbell noted. "Our top four hitters should be Morgan, Poling, Cole and Ennis. I think we will be strong defensively. We have guys who can run and throw well.
"Our success will depend on how our pitching and hitting develop," he continued. "We are going to have to play good solid baseball, put the ball in play and throw strikes."
The Bulldogs finished 8-13 overall and 1-7 in Northwest Conference play in 2019, and were much improved. At one point, Ada boasted an 8-5 record before injuries took their toll.
Paulding won the 2019 NWC title outright with a record of 8-0. Lincolnview was second (7-1), followed by Columbus Grove (6-2), Crestview (5-3) and Delphos Jefferson (4-4).
Spencerville finished sixth (3-5), with Allen East seventh (2-6), Ada eighth (1-7) and Bluffton last (0-8). The Bulldogs beat the visiting Pirates 13-10 in a cold early April battle to record their lone league victory that spring.
But without having a 2020 season, Campbell feels picking a conference favorite this spring would be pure speculation.
Excitement and enthusiam
"It is just nice to be able to get out on the field, to hear the smash of the bat hitting the ball, and to hear the leather slap," said Campbell. "We have a lot of excitement and youthful enthusiasm."
The season is set to open March 27 at home with a doubleheader against former NWC foe Perry, weather permitting. The league lidlifter is slated for April 8 at home vs. Columbus Grove.
