Throughout preseason practices, members of the Montezuma-Cortez High School baseball team have appeared loose and relaxed. Laughter has been consistent, and the overall vibe surrounding the team has been much improved.
While it is still too early to predict whether the closeness and chemistry between players will translate into victories, manager Tim Passell is hopeful that his team’s sense of “brotherhood” will carry the Panthers to new heights.
“We’ve talked about being a brotherhood and being a good team, and I feel like we’re getting there,” the M-CHS manager said. “We won (Little League) state championships three years in a row with a lot of these guys. We’ve set a team goal of making the playoffs, and we’re going to need to be at least .500 in the (Intermountain League) to get there.”
Among the strengths of this year’s Panthers team will be a solid defense anchored by senior center fielder Cordell Baer, whose speed and athleticism should pay dividends for his team.
Also key for the M-CHS defense will be the arm strength of senior right fielder Chance Cote, and the height of senior first baseman Ryan Medina, whose ability to corral every ball thrown his way has been on display throughout early season practices.
“Having defense is so important,” Medina said when asked about the keys to his team’s success. “Our defense is really good this year, and we have a lot of chemistry. All these kids have been playing together since a really young age.”
Hoping to improve on last season’s offensive production, M-CHS will look to the bats of Baer, who hit .250 last season and had a team-best 12 RBIs and junior catcher Travis Beason, who batted a team-best .348 in limited action last season.
Junior third-baseman Tristan York and senior second-baseman Clayton Yoder will also be counted on to produce runs, as will Medina, whose powerful frame should allow him to provide punch in the middle of the Panthers order.
On the pitching mound, M-CHS will be led by sophomore starter Ty Blackmer, junior starter Preston Davidovich and Medina. Left-handed sophomore Korie Likes has been pitching impressively in early season practices and will likely begin the season as one of his team’s top relievers.