GILMAN BASEBALL PREVIEW - Experienced, deeper squad hopes to continue Gilman’s climb

GILMAN BASEBALL PREVIEW

The Gilman baseball program used 2023 to get back on its feet, re-establishing its varsity program after being JV only the previous year and part of a co-op with Thorp the year before that.

After a 3-11 season, with all three wins coming against Eastern Cloverbelt Conference rival Greenwood, and an offseason coaching change, the Pirates are focused on improving and continuing to push the program in the right direction.

Derek Nichols, a 2003 Gilman graduate and an All-Western Cloverbelt Conference performer in baseball during his high school days, took over the program last summer. He and new assistant coach Lee Pentimone oversee a roster that is up to 17 players to start the season, has a fair amount of experience now after last season and is starting to bring in some young talent that should add some depth, not to mention more healthy competition for playing time.

“I think there is actually a lot of excitement within the whole group,” Nichols said last Friday. “I think there is competition. That’s what we told them when we started.

Every spot is up for grabs.

They’re all there to win.

There are guys who are really stepping up and looking good. They’re all working hard.”

Spring looked like it was going to come early for the Pirates, who were able to work outside during the WIAA’s pitcher/catcher conditioning period on the week of March 11, but winter returned after that, pushing them back indoors for the first two weeks of official practice.

“They’re improving,” Nichols said. “I would say from day one to now they’ve already improved a little bit. There’s a long way to go.”

Spring is hopefully returning late this week, but it wasn’t soon enough as Thursday’s opener with Cadott was canceled. A scrimmage session in Cameron is scheduled for Friday a JV game with Thorp is planned for Tuesday. The varsity then heads to New Auburn April 12. The schedule shows conference play starting April 16 at home against Spencer.

The team suffered just one loss to graduation, and it was a big one in first-team All-Eastern Cloverbelt performer Grady Kroeplin. But most everyone else is back, hoping a year of development puts them in a better position to compete.

The list of returning players includes seniors Dalton Wisocky and Adam Draeger, juniors Talyn Podolak, Brayden Olynick, Wyatt Webster and Joey Syryczuk and sophomores Dawson Grunseth, Dawson Robinson and Tony Syryczuk.

Senior Troy Duellman and junior Chad Konsella are first-time players at the high school but they bring some athletic skills that will put them right into the mix for playing time. Sophomore Austin Schultz is also new to the roster.

The team also has five freshmen, some of whom are likely to work their way into playing time as well. That class includes Connor Nichols, Beau Pockat, Tate Krizan, Lucas Halida and Henry Syryczuk. One of the team’s strengths, according to Nichols, is pitching depth, which is always a plus in northern Wisconsin, where weather can often back up schedules and create some late-season weeks packed with games.

“We have plenty of guys that can throw,” Nichols said. “As of right now I’m looking at probably Dalton Wisocky and Dawson Grunseth being our top two pitchers. Dawson Robinson can throw strikes. Troy Duellman might get a shot at some pitching. Connor and Beau might get a shot at some pitching and then possibly even Chad and Joey.

“We have guys that can do it. We just have to figure out which ones are the ones that can do it the best. I think we have plenty of depth.”

Wisocky collected one of Gilman’s pitching wins last year and Robinson had an- other. Joey Syryczuk gave the Pirates some quality innings too. Grunseth became an innings-eater as well toward the end of the season and finished the year with a strong outing in Gilman’s 6-3 WIAA Division 4 regional loss to McDonell Central. He threw all six innings in that game, allowing just seven hits to the Macks, who wound up winning the sectional.

Without having practice time on the field, and knowing things could change depending on who’s pitching, the Pirates are keeping their options open for defensive positioning on the infield.

Joey Syryczuk opens the year as the top catcher. Syryczuk mostly played on the infield last year when he didn’t pitch. Nichols said Wisocky is penciled in as the primary shortstop when he’s not pitching, but Tony Syryczuk, Pockat and Krizan could figure into the mix and they’ll all be candidates for second base too.

Olynick got the majority of innings at first base last spring and figures to play there again, along with Robinson, who also saw time at first in 2023. Webster has experience at third base and could play some first base too.

Connor Nichols is being looked at as the team’s back-up catcher and has a shot at some time at third base.

Podolak, who got honorable mention in the conference, started last spring at third base but wound up finding a home in the outfield in the second half of the year, where he did quite well. Draeger has played some leftfield, Duellman and Konsella certainly bring some speed that could play well on the outfield grass and Grunseth should see time out there too. Nichols said Olynick might figure into that mix as well.

Konsella is a dual-sport athlete who is also running with Gilman’s track team.

No matter who ends up where, Nichols is anticipating the Pirates will be a solid defensive squad.

“As we go, I really think this should be a much-improved defensive team,” he said. “I really think we can put nine guys out there who can all make plays.”

Offensively the Pirates aren’t blessed with a ton of power. They’ll again look to put the ball in play, get runners on base and make things happen on the bases.

“I don’t think we’re going to light the world on fire, but there are guys who can hit,” Nichols said.

Wisocky and Tony Syryczuk wound up with batting averages around .300 last spring, Podolak got up toward that range with a late surge and Olynick and Joey Syryczuk closed near .300 as well. Olynick and Wisocky were among the team leaders in runs batted in.

Neillsville is the defending champion in the Eastern Cloverbelt. The Warriors went 11-1 to finish one game ahead of 10-2 Columbus Catholic. The conference’s top talent was young overall last year with just three of 10 first-team All-ECC selections being seniors and only three of 10 secondteam picks being seniors.

2023 Player of the Year Reed Knecht of third-place and 8-4 Spencer won the award as just a sophomore last spring.

The conference loses Owen-Withee, who was unable to get enough players to field a varsity team this spring.

One new item this spring is the conference has adopted a scheduling plan many area conferences have gone to in recent years where, in most cases, teams will play their two games against each other in the same week. Ideally it forces teams to use different pitchers in those two matchups and it potentially provides some easier rescheduling if needed.

Gilman was 2-10 in league play last year, good for sixth place.

“I can’t say because I haven’t been around it (in the past), but it seems to me like we have a half-dozen, even nine guys that seem to be really into this and want to change this around,” Nichols said. “I know I definitely want to see (the program) go good.”

Medford shortstop Tanner Hraby makes a strong throw across the infield and retires Edgar’s Leyton Schuett on a fourth-inning ground ball Monday. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS