The Jr. Billikens kicked off their 2022 baseball campaign with a trip to Vero Beach, Fla. last week— a season which holds lofty expectations for SLUH. 

After an inconsistent and disappointing 9-16 record in 2021 hampered by injuries and unfortunate Covid testing schedules, the Jr. Bills are eyeing a turnaround season, anchored by an incomparable pitching staff and improved athletic depth throughout the lineup. 

The starting rotation will consist of senior SLU commit Jack DuMont; sophomore Andrew DuMont;  junior Garret Shearer, who led the team in innings pitched last season; senior Johnny McArthur, who will look to make a name for himself after being sidelined last year; and senior Tucker Thomas, who led the team with a 1.43 ERA in the 2020-21 season. 

The staff will be bolstered in the bullpen with junior Parker Guthrie, senior Coby Spratte, senior John Loretta, and further reinforced with junior Michael Baudendistel, sophomore Henry McDaniels, senior Patrick Mooney, junior Nick Heinlein, junior Max Adelman, senior Dennis Jakubik, and freshman James Unwin. 

“The rotation we have this year is special because of both the talent and depth we have,” Jack DuMont remarked. “We have starters that can go deep into games and dominate hitters, relievers who can go long innings and put up zeros, and a few different looks at the close role to finish out games.”

Jack DuMont was sidelined with an injury for the majority of the 2021 campaign, but the tall lefty will look to make an immediate impact as vies for the title of ace of the rotation, touting a 90-92mph fastball and a tight curveball. 

“I’m pumped up to go out and compete alongside my teammates and classmates, which is something I’ve really missed,” DuMont said. “I’m also excited to showcase all the work I have put in the offseason to get healthy and stronger during my outings.”

Yet, the offensive side of the game may not come as easily for the Jr. Billikens this season. The team lost 59 percent of its run production from last season, including their middle of the lineup trio of seniors Tyler Ridgeway, Andrew Loeffleman, and Jake Noonan. 

The team will return leadoff hitter and 2020-21 All-MCC .300 hitter Tommy Etling, who will be the starting center fielder this season. 

“My approach for this season will be to keep it simple,” Etling said. “I will continue to make plays in the outfield and get a good swing on the ball to continually put it in play this season.”

The outfield will be rounded out with appearances in the corners this season from seniors Mooney, Mikey Floretta, Loretta, and junior Nick Heinlein. 

The infield will look to be a strong spot both offensively and defensively for the Jr. Bills, with Guthrie stationed at third base, junior Henry Zenor at shortstop, senior Alex Shelton at first base, and sophomore Charlie Isom-McCall at second, who has already made a splash this season on the Florida trip. 

“Isom-McCall has already shown himself well in Florida both offensively and defensively,” head coach Ron Ramspott said. “We’re expecting a big season from him.” 

The infield will be bolstered with depth, including senior Liam Newbold and junior Garret Shearer at first base, and sophomore Dean Lyon and junior Owen Fitzgerald serving as utility men. 

The receiving end of the battery will be led by aggressive junior Tyler Woodcock and supplemented with junior Grant Kuhn and sophomore Henry McDaniels earning some time behind the dish as well. 

On top of the incredible depth and talent the Jr. Billikens hold, in regards to both pitching and hitting, they are blessed with one of the largest varsity coaches staffs in school history, touting six full-time coaches, one specializing in each area of the game. 

“We are fortunate to have six varsity coaches assigned to hitting, pitching, fielding, catching, or base running,” Coach Ramspott remarked. 

After a few days of three-a-day practices and intrasquad scrimmages, the Jr. Billikens finally kicked off their regular season with three games in one day, beginning with a 12-2 win over Glenelg County, Md. 

Jack DuMont started the contest and hurled three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven. McArthur entered the game in relief and allowed two runs (one earned), on three hits and a walk. 

The offense came out sizzling, as Mooney drove in three runs, senior Liam Newbold scored three runs and went 2 for 2 at the dish, Zenor went 2 for 4 with an RBI, and Floretta finished 1 for 2 with two RBIs  en route to a five inning mercy rule win. 

The following game, SLUH got a crack at in town rival Westminster, whom they lost to last season. The Jr. Bills came out on top this time, 2-1. 

Shearer got the nod on the bump, pitching four scoreless innings, striking out five, walking zero and allowing only two hits. Loretta allowed the lone run of the game out of the bullpen, but Guthrie came into the game in the 7th inning and shut down the Wildcats’ efforts. 

In the midst of a slow offensive afternoon, Isom-McCall produced the lone run of the first first six innings, driving in the runner courtesy of an RBI double. In the bottom of the seventh with the score at 1-1, sophomore Dean Lyon found a way to get on base, managed to move up to third base, representing the winning run of the game. In stepped the freshman Unwin with two outs in the inning. Against all odds, he was able to poke a walk-off RBI base hit into right field, the first hit of his varsity career and only the second team hit on the day. 

Even more drama ensued in the following game against Epsicopal, Va. SLUH scored three runs in the top of the first inning, starting to believe the game might be a runaway for the Jr. Bills. Yet, it was not that easy. 

Thomas started on the mound, but was unable to record an out before he walked in three runs in the first inning. Spratte entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs, simply trying to subdue the damage. Episcopal ran into an out at third base on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and Spratte struck out the following batter, before his third victim popped out to end the threat. He finished with 2.0 IP, allowing one hit and striking out two. 

Both teams stranded an absurd number of runners throughout the marathon of a game, which ended up lasting about three and a half hours. 

McDaniels contributed 1.1 solid relief innings, striking out three while allowing two runs, albeit none earned. Heinlein shined out of the bullpen, as well, tossing two innings and allowing no base runners while striking out five. 

The Jr. Bills held a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but trouble set in when closer Parker Guthrie allowed second and third and nobody out. Yet, he bore down and struck out the following batter for the first out of the inning. On the following play, Episcopal botched another squeeze bunt attempt, popping the ball up right in front of the mound. Guthrie made a diving snag and doubled off the runner on third to end the game and improve the Jr. Billikens’ record to 3-0. 

The following day the team split up the squad into two platoons, half losing to Loomis Chaffee out of Connecticut 11-5 and the other half knocking off Priory 7-4. 

The Jr. Bills never got off on the right foot against Loomis Chaffe, as they committed five errors in the game. 

SLUH scratched three runs in the first inning, but thanks to a couple of errors, the game was tied heading into the second. It was closely contested for the next couple of innings, but due to a few more blunders in the field, Loomis put up an 8-spot in the fourth inning. This inning buried the Jr. Billikens en route to an 11-5 loss. 

The alternate side brought brighter results in its 7-4 win over Priory. After Priory nabbed an early 3-0 lead, Baudendistel came in and threw 3.2 innings, allowing no runs and striking out four. Adelman contributed another perfect 2.0 innings with four strikeouts. 

Sophomores Ethan Johnson, Dean Lyon, Henry McDaniels, and senior Tucker Thomas all picked up RBIs in the winning effort. 

The Jr. Bills opened up their in-town schedule with a late game last night against Lake Forest High School out of Chicago at GCS Ballpark with Jack DuMont on the mound, and, weather pending, they will play third-ranked O’Fallon Township tonight with Garret Shearer on the rubber. 

The Jr. Billikens are taking it one step at a time for now, but, despite their up and down 2020-21 season, they feel they are capable of making a deep run this season, and really do something special in the MCC, in their favorable District assignment, and then in the State Tournament. 

“Being 9-16 last year, I don’t think anybody is expecting us to run the schedule,” Ramspott said. “But, internally, we know that we have what it takes to win as a team, so that shouldn't come as a surprise to us.”