By Ryan Stonebraker

Sports Editor, Tipton Conservative

The 2016 North Cedar baseball team got more wins to their record than the 2015 Knight team and made steady improvement last year.  This year, many of those players return for another go around through the rigors of the River Valley Conference.  Longtime baseball coach Scott Jackson returns to lead the North Cedar squad.  He will have five returning players from the starting lineup last season.

The Knights have five seniors on the roster this year in Byron Boleyn, Jacob Jensen, Carter Johnson Andrew Reif and Aaron Woodward.

Senior Aaron Woodward will be the ace of the pitching staff, getting the ball on opening night.  Woodward has a good arm and is the top returning pitcher and can play multiple positions.  Despite not recording a win in five starts, he did throw 26 innings and get 31 strikeouts.  At the plate, he was second on the Knights last year in hitting with a .273 batting average with 21 hits, 3 home runs and 15 RBI’s.  He was a All-RVC North Division all-conference selection last year.  

Senior Carter Johnson is also back.  Johnson pitched and played first base and was a starter last season.  Johnson appeared in eight games, starting one in 20 2/3 innings.  He also batted .226 with 19 hits and 13 RBI’s.  Johnson was a honorable mention all-conference pick last year.

Two of the three Knight outfielders return in centerfielder Jacob Jensen and right fielder Byron Boleyn.  Jensen batted .235 with 16 hits and Boleyn batted .234 with 15 hits and 11 RBI’s.  Andrew Reif also returns and the speedy senior will move from the outfield to the infield to play second base.  Reift batted .267 in 30 at-bats last year.

The Knights have several utility players.  Rounding out the line-up will be sophomore Alex Woodward along with freshmen Ethan Sahr and Tyler Thurston.  Sahr played a bit last year, with 28 at-bats and a .115 average.

Numbers will be a concern the whole season for the Knights.  North Cedar will have only 17 players in grades 8-12 and will have to stay healthy all season to have a chance to compete.