POULSBO — In recent years, the North Kitsap baseball team has been led by its seniors.
Future college players such as David Camus, Clary Carlsen, Will Fenton, Andy Berman, Ryan Brown and others have helped the Vikings reel off a string of successful seasons, including last year’s postseason run.
There won’t be any major change this year — leadership is expected from seniors Derek Barker, Jacob Freiboth, Brian Leibold, Danny Purser, Curtis Toyne, Justin Vestman, and Anthony Zuvela — but the team will be sprinkled with underclassman as well.
“There’s a strong junior class coming back,” said head coach Steve Frease. “We’ll be young to start off, and that’s exciting.”
The team will be young, Frease said, but they also have the chance to be deep: a dozen players have been throwing the ball in practice and will get a chance to pitch.
Some of those potential pitchers include Toyne, Leibold, Chris Carlsen, Jordan Stout, Peder Rauen, Patrick Gilbert, Quinn Mouser, Sean Ryan, Peter Novotney, and sophomores Rick Kohlmeier, Kyle Howe, and Josh Beahan.
As for the lineup, Frease and the rest of his staff is still juggling all the contestants, as well as waiting for the warmer air to speed the bats: “Bats in cold weather usually aren’t good,” Frease said.
Anthony Zuvela is in the running for the catcher position, as well as Chase Dukes and Quinn Mouser; Vestman, Leibold, Daniel Peck and Sean Ryan will all help man the infield, as will Peder Rauen, who may spend time at shortstop. Jacob Freiboth, who played some third base last year and will take up the third sack again this year, with Derek Deeter and Jon Gerhardt also in the mix.
Stout, Gilbert and Barker are likely candidates for the outfield, but mostly, the staff — which includes Virgil Taylor, Clary Carlsen, Brent Stenman, and Brian Johanssen, and is assisted by Ollie Kenyon, Ryan Brown, and Jack Nannery — is still considering the prospects, Frease said.
He’s excited by the young talent — “We’ve got a handful of sophomores that look pretty good” — but, as always, coach Frease’s hopes for the team remain the same.
“We just want to see them hustle and work to improve,” Frease said. “That’s typical of the way we work. We hope our seniors will go on to play or continue their education further.”
He added: “And it’s my hope we make districts. From districts, anything can happen.”
The road to districts will probably be more crowded this year, as North joins the Narrows League and must contend with Gig Harbor and South Kitsap, among other new opponents.
But if even the season were limited to old Olympic league opponents, it would still be a tough league to battle your way out of, Frease said.
“Port Angeles has a group of seniors that has been involved in the Babe Ruth World Series three times,” he said. “Bainbridge has a strong group of seniors, as do Olympic and Central. All of them have great clubs. It’ll be the ones with mental toughness that emerge.”
