Returnees lead MCC's diamond quest for deeper playoff run

The McCook Community College baseball team returns several players from last year’s 28-28 effort including a Region IX playoff series.

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McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Community College baseball team gets the season started this weekend though weather and other schedule conflicts could move these games backe farther than Saturday-Sunday.

MCC is coming off a 28-28 season a year ago under 17-year coach Jon Olsen, and a 17-17 record in the Empire League North Division, which was good for third place.

The team went to Lamar, Colo. for the first round of the Region IX playoffs and lost 2-1 to Lamar in a three-game series.

MCC returns its entire starting outfield for the 2023 season, two starting pitchers, and eight second-year players as the team.

OUTFIELD

The strength of the 2023 squad will be the returning starters in the outfield.

“Outfield will be one of the strengths since all three of our starters from last year are back,” said Olsen.

That trio includes: Ethan Murdock (Swift Current, Saskatchewan), Riley Watson (Sydney, Austrtalia) and Josh Maysonave (Austin, Texas).

Murdoch batted .315 in 44 games with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Maysonave batted .333 with seven homers and 28 RBI in 40 games while Watson appeared in 40 games hitting .281 with four home runs and in centerfield had two errors in 84 chances and a .976 fielding percentage.

MCC will have outfield depth with sophomores Trent Elshire (Plattsmouth) and Daegen Morcom, (Winnipeg, Manitoba). Morcom appeared in 15 games and had two home runs and seven RBIs while Elshire appeared in eight games.

INFIELDERS

One returning sophomore and a transfer will anchor the middle infield spots to start the season. Oliver Davies, sophomore from Sydney Australia returns at second base and Alliskair Descartes transfers in from Indian Hills Community College to start the season at shortstop.

Davies is a right-hander who batted .286 in 26 games as a freshman and hit four home runs with 13 RBIS.

Descartes appeared in 15 games for Indian Hills with a .262 on-base average and one error in 43 chances (a .977 fielding percent).

Blake Dale, freshman from Riverton, Wyo. will start the season at third base and bat leadoff. When he isn’t in the outfield Quinlivan is also expected to see time at third base.

At first base, two freshmen are contending for the starting spot: Jackson Yeager (Omaha Westside), and Jason Serafinchon (Spruce Grove, Alberta).

Abel Reyes is a sophomore transfer from Clarendon, originally from Puerto Caimito, Panama, and Olsen said Reyes might have a chance to get in the mix as the season progresses.

Orlando Diaz, freshman, (Cidra, Puerto Rico) broke a finger on his throwing hand in the fall that kept him sidelined for a while but demonstrated good things both defensively and at the plate.

Sophomore Tyus Chudomelka is a left-handed hitting first baseman from Bellevue who appeared in eight games last season and batted .200.

CATCHER

“I feel like Michael Quick, a freshman from Ontario, really separated himself as one of our best hitters as well as a very good catcher,” said Olsen. “He’s going to play a pivotal role and probably start in the two-hole.”

Quick is a left-handed hitting catcher.

Brett Cyprien, (Flower Mound, Texas) returns after being the third-string catcher a year ago, but with injuries got some starts late in the season.

STARTING

PITCHERS

A pair of sophomores will lead the starting staff. Mike Acierno (Thornton, Colo.) and Cade Webber (Kelowna, British Columbia) have the most innings worked last year.

Four freshmen are looking for a regular slot in the starting rotation. They include left-hander Ethan Badcock (Adelade, Australia); Miles Chabi (Sydney, Australia); Blake Banello (Thornton, Colo.); and Aiden Johnson (Westminster, Colo.).

“Ethan has shown the ability to dominate the strike zone,” Olsen said. “Blake has one of our better arms and is a gifted talent and Aiden has the chance to start and throw some key innings for us.”

BULLPEN

Returners include Jelle Bing (Heerhagoaard, Netherlands); Owen Lester (St. Clarles, Ill.); CJ Allen (Salado, Texas); Jackson Bigge (Fort Collins, Colo.); Rylan Wallingford and Ryan Malone, both of Bennington, Neb.; and Rocky Yates (Sydney, Australia) who redshirted last year with an injury.

Bing started four games and went 1-3 with a pair of saves with 25 strikeouts and a 5.77 ERA in 47 innings. Lester pitched 22.2 innings and struck out 28 in 16 relief appearances.