by: Wes Froechner – Sports Editor
The signs were clear. The weather had begun to finally warm up, pools were beginning to open again, and no one had to wonder how many inches of snow would be piling up on their driveway. Spring was finally here, and with it brought spring sports. Many teams performed admirably, but one spring sports team truly excelled.
Baseball at Westminster has always been one of the more successful sports programs in the school. Although the team has had many Final Four appearances, they had never been able to get over the hump. The 2011 Wildcats baseball team was different, however. The team had the makings to go all the way from the very beginning. Coach Rich Van Gilst, long-time coach of the team, saw early in the year that this team had what it takes.
“I knew early on that they would have a great chance if they played unselfishly and up to their potential,” said Van Gilst.
The program’s dreams were realized on June 4th, when the team beat the Savanna Savages from northwest Missouri 6-3. An important part of the game was when starting pitcher Ben Lovell, junior, came out of the game with the bases loaded, one out, in a 4-3 game. Alec Mitchell, class of 2011, came in to the game to stop the bleeding.
“Alec Mitchell got 8 straight out, securing the win, and our first straight championship,” said Lovell.
Seniors Tate Matheny and Connor Einertson were instrumental to the team’s success. Einertson led the team in batting average with an impressive .520 to go along with 3 home runs and 39 rbi’s. Matheny was not far behind, with an equally amazing average of .505. Matheny’s power and speed was what really separated himself, though. He hit 10 home runs and 54 rbi’s, along with 10 triples.
“[Ryan Allee, Tate Matheny, and Connor Einertson] were the power to our lineup, and as long as they were still in the game, we were still in the game,” Lovell.
Lovell was one of the key contributors on the team because of what he brought pitching. He went 10-1 on the year, with a staggering 1.89 era to top it off. Lovell started the state championship game which brought the program its first state championship trophy ever.
“It was very exciting. It was really a team effort. No one individual stood out, [and] that is how it should have been for the State Championship. Every single player contribute,” said Lovell.
The main contributors of the team were essential to winning the championship, but there were many other players that were vital to winning that did not get as much recognition.
“Alec Mitchell, Ben Lovell, Collin Henry, and Glen Calvin were outstanding on the bump. The infield, Luke Turner, Shane Benes, Connor Larson, and Andrew Beck played great defense and contributed at the plate as well,” said Van Gilst.
Although this meant a lot to the players, it might have meant even more to the coach. Westminster has never had a varsity baseball team that Van Gilst was not the coach of, and this was also his first state championship.
“It was exciting because this team worked hard, worked together, believed in themselves and always found a way to win. No team I have coached deserved more to win so I was both proud of them and very happy for them,” said Van Gilst.
As great as the State Championship win was last year, the team still has to get ready for the upcoming year.
“It will depend on what the new players bring to the mix of returning players. We lost pitching and catching that will be hard to replace,” said Van Gilst.
- Photo by: Tom Mitchell
