Disappointments tend to linger. Especially in the sports realm.
In the spring, the Iola High School baseball team fell in the first round of the state tournament. Last summer, the Indians went to state with just half of their starting lineup and lost in the first round of play.
Now, a fully staffed and motivated Post 15 Iola Indians team has its eyes on erasing those disappointments starting this afternoon when they take on Russell to open the American Legion Baseball Double A State Tournament in Marysville.
Head coach Rick Vink knows that improvement will be necessary to have success. One area in particular sticks out.
“When we have runners on base sometimes we get a little too aggressive,” Vink said. “Everyone wants to get that big hit but sometimes we’re swinging at bad pitches.”
Offensively, Iola was hit-and-miss throughout the zone tournament, led by lead-off hitter Isaac Vink who had seven hits. Coach Vink looks to Isaac’s maturity and leadership as a driving force to get the Indian offense in gear.
“Isaac’s one of the more experienced kids on the team as far as age,” Vink said. “We’re a pretty young team and he’s played a lot of baseball. When he’s going and getting on base that usually gets our team going. What I’ve always told him as a leadoff batter is that you’ve got to be looking for that first pitch fastball. I don’t have a stat on it but I’d say he’s probably at .500 hitting that first pitch fastball.”
The Indians will start righty Daylon Splane who pitched in the final game of the zone tournament, allowing just three runs on eight hits in five innings of work. The start last week was his first action on the mound in almost a month.
“Daylon texted me over the weekend and told me that he felt great and that he wanted the ball,” Vink said. “So if he’s telling me he wants the ball I’m not going to take it out of his hands. We’ll go with him game one and see what happens from there.”
Just like Iola, Russell is returning to the state tournament for the second year in a row. A win against them will pit the Indians against either Doniphan County or Hoisington. A loss will move them into the loser’s bracket.
“I think all of these guys are motivated to show everybody what we’re capable of,” Vink said. “I fully expect us to make a long run in the tournament and I know the boys do too.”
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be live-streamed on KSLR.com.
