Team quickness, veterans and new coach stoke fire for Cardinal baseball in 2015

Being aggressive in the batter’s box, on the base paths, on the mound and with defense — that’s the plan for Newton High’s Cardinal baseball team in 2015. The Cardinals have a strong core of veteran players to help lead a young group of players.

Under a new head coach, the Cardinals are primed to open the season Tuesday at Marshalltown. Their home opener is Wednesday against Boone at Eversman Field at Woodland Park.

Former Newton High standout Dustin Brisel is the Cardinals’ new head coach. He was an outstanding pitcher and third baseman for the Cardinals. He graduated from NHS in 2009.

Brisel is Newton’s all-time strikeout leader with 217 and is behind his father, Randy Brisel, on the pitching victories list. Randy Brisel is in the NHS Baseball Hall of Fame.

Brisel led the Cardinals in RBIs his senior season, batting .410. He was 5-5 as a pitcher with 81 strikeouts. He earned first-team Little Hawkeye Conference honors as a junior and senior. As a senior he received all-district first-team honors and second-team all-state honors.

“The guys have really bought into my philosophy since we began with preseason workouts, spring league play and practices. They also bought into the aggressive style I want to bring to the Cardinal baseball program,” Brisel said.

“As a program, we have very high expectations going into the year. With the group of players out this year, we should be able to accomplish our goals.”

Brisel played college baseball. He also brings a lot of coaching experience with him into his first year as a head coach at Newton. He was a varsity assistant and head junior varsity coach for the Cardinals under Jim Marter in 2011-12. Last season, he was the high school varsity assistant and freshman head coach at Woodward-Granger, plus an assistant coach at Dordt College.

Team quickness is an asset Brisel and his assistant coaches Ryan Comer, Wayne Mann and Tyler Stewart plan to turn into a weapon for the Cardinals in 2015. Quickness will help the Cardinals put pressure on opponents each night, both offensively and defensively.

Newton went 14-20 a year ago and 10-11 for fifth in Little Hawkeye Conference. The Cardinals have six seniors returning in Tyler Wood, Mike McCormick, Michael Barr, Jeff Stanton, Jordan Travis and Tristan Peters. Juniors Duncan Lee and Drew Stout and sophomore Connor Gholson and Brennen Dodd also return.

Wood garnered All-Little Hawkeye Conference first team honors as a utility player. Wood pitched and played at third base, shortstop and second base during the season. He received second-team all-state honors as a utility player.

The senior right-hander went 5-4 on the mound for the Cardinals with a 1.26 earned run average, which was sixth best in the conference. He pitched 61 innings allowing 44 hits, walking 38 batters, hitting one batter and striking out 60. He also had one save.

Wood was Newton’s second-best hitter at .304. He had 34 singles, six doubles and one home run. Wood scored 18 runs and drove in 10 runs. He was 6-for-9 in stolen base attempts. He had a fielding average of .876 and had 15 errors in 34 games.

Wood leads a veteran pitching staff as Travis, Stanton and Gholson return with pitching experience. Barr, who is recovering from arm problems, will join the group as soon as he is back to full strength, Brisel said.

Brisel said Stout, Dodd and sophomores Trey Vanderlaan, Keith Steinbach and Tyler Stanton are the younger pitchers with potential.

Travis was 1-2 on the mound with a 2.56 ERA. He struck out 23 batters and issued 21 walks in 41 innings of work. He had two saves. Barr was 0-4 with a 5.11 ERA, allowing 32 hits and 15 walks and striking out 12 in 24 2/3 innings of work.

Barr was one of the top hitters on the team a year ago at .264. He had six doubles, drove in eight runs and scored 11. Travis hit .248 with five doubles and one home run. Travis had 12 RBIs.

Jeff Stanton was 6-for-8 in stolen base attempts while hitting at a .234 clip. He had 22 hits with six RBIs and scored seven runs. McCormick hit .220 and drove in 11 runs. He scored 14 runs and was 3-for-6 on stolen base attempts.

Going into Tuesday’s season opener, Brisel said Wood will get the pitching start. Travis is set to start behind the plate as catcher and Barr is at first base. Stout is slated to be the starting second baseman, Gholson at shortstop and Dodd at third base. In the outfield, Peters in left field, Jeff Stanton in center field and Vanderlaan in right field.

“Our versatility is a strength for this season. Our players can pitch and play in the field, whether infield or outfield, and we have shown good batting skills,” Brisel said. “We have several players still involved in playing soccer for Newton. Once they can be with us full-time, they’ll make an impact.”

There are six players expected to provide depth on the varsity roster who are playing on the NHS soccer team. That group includes McCormick and Lee.

Lee, Steinbach and junior Derek Damman are working at catcher. Juniors Grant Nook and Andrew Weiland are in the rotation for the outfield positions.

“Routine is the word we’re using this season. We want to make all the routine plays. If we do that, we take the pressure off our pitchers and we’ll win games,” Brisel said. “We’re looking to be aggressive in our pitching, hitting, defense and base running. Putting pressure on the other team is important.”

Brisel said he will have his hitters ready to swing at the plate. He said most high school pitcher come with a fastball on the first pitch against a batter.

“We have to be ready to swing at first pitches because nine out of 10 times those will be the best pitches a hitter sees during an at bat,” Brisel said. “And on the other hand, our pitchers will be expected to work ahead of batters. We want that 0-1 count. It’s our plate, and we want to control the tempo of an at bat.”

Brisel said the Cardinals lost the services of returning starter Bryce Tish, who had major shoulder surgery, and sophomore Josh Mayhew broke his thumb. Both setbacks came earlier this spring.

“If we keep everyone healthy, we will have a very successful year,” Brisel said. “Along with the varsity program being strong, we have strong junior varsity and freshman teams.”

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com