Sue Sitter/PCT Panthers baseball coach Travis Risovi pitches a wiffle ball to players for batting practice.

As the Rugby Panthers baseball team took the field in its second week of practice late in March, coach Travis Risovi said the team felt grateful the weather was just a bit less chilly.

“Today’s a pretty nice day. Yesterday was windier and chillier,” Risovi said. “So, if it’s like this for our game next Thursday, we’ll take it.”

The Panthers opened their season on April 7 with a home game against the Surrey Mustangs.

Risovi said the Panthers would be up to the challenge. A well-seasoned group of players Risovi had coached since they played Babe Ruth baseball had recently ended busy basketball and hockey seasons. The cluster of juniors includes Macen Heisler, Jacob Ripplinger, Logan Harner, Brody Schneibel, Erik Foster, Dylan Bartsch, and Garrett Sullivan. Cross-country standout Austin Dibble rounds out the group.

“I’m expecting a lot from them,” Risovi said.

“We lost three seniors from last year’s team, but besides the three seniors, we have 21 kids coming back for sure who were on the team last year. Our total number this year is 25, so it’s really good,” he said.

“Even though we had a couple of key seniors last year, Cole (Schneibel), Tim (Mueller), and Cy (Luna), we leaned on our sophomores last year a lot, so we’re counting on them,” Risovi added.

“The seniors we’ve got, some of them are out. Alexis Durant from Towner was out all year last year with a hurt knee. He’s back this year. Buck Taylor is a senior who’s back out this year, then Gavin Schepp is our senior from Rugby, so we’ve got a nice mix of a lot of juniors with a lot of experience, and a lot of seniors who just love playing baseball,” he said.

“Then, basically, my Babe Ruth team from last summer – a lot of sophomores and freshmen – there’s a great number of kids, I think 15, from those two grades,” Risovi added. “So, it’s a nice mix of kids and a lot of numbers, which is good.”

Risovi said he was glad to see Schneibel return this year.

“Brody had an injured knee last year. It’s going to be nice to have him back in rotation,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to this year. We’ve got a good group of kids who really love playing baseball,” he added.

“It’s just fun to be outside playing baseball and to be outside playing here in the spring,” he said. “Hopefully, the weather’s good for us, so we can all enjoy it and get our games in. I’m expecting a lot from them. I really am.”

After the Panthers faced the Mustangs at home, they traveled to Shiloh Christian High School in Bismarck for tournament play against Kidder County-Gackle-Streeter’s Wolves, and the Grafton Spoilers. Results from that game will appear in the April 16 Tribune.