Senior JT Hartman is going for the trifecta.
In the fall, he won the football state championship. In the winter, he won the basketball district championship. Now, he hopes the senior-dominated baseball team will hoist its own trophy this spring.
JT, who plays pitcher, outfield, and first base, knows a conference championship will be difficult with the strong teams in the league.
“Our conference is very tough in baseball,” JT said. “Every game will be a challenge but the games that I am most excited for are Byron Center, Christian, and Forest Hills Northern because they are solid and have some good players. Those teams have good hitters and pitchers that will challenge us.”
JT, who was all-conference each of the last two seasons, is the son of head baseball coach Todd Hartman who has been at the helm of the program for the past six seasons. Todd echoes his son’s sentiments that the OK White is a dominant, difficult baseball league.
“The OK White league will be very competitive this year,” Todd said. “It will be important that we get off to a strong start. We will need to lean on the returning experience and strong senior leadership both in game and at practice.”
Senior Trevor Williams is another one of the nine seniors on the experienced roster. Williams, who has committed to play baseball at Kalamazoo Valley Community College next year, had a 1.98 earned run average on the mound for the Rangers last year.
“Last year was so successful because of my pitching coaches,” Williams said. “They helped me to become the best pitcher I could be. I was able to keep hitters off balance by using different pitches to change up speeds.”
When Williams isn’t pitching, he’ll don the gear as one of the team’s top catchers. Playing pitcher and catcher is a unique combination in a baseball player; Williams said his love for catching began very early in his baseball career.
As a little kid playing tee ball, I always loved putting on the gear and as I grew up I started doing it more and more and just fell in love with it,” Williams said. “It is the hardest position on the field; you have to be the quarterback of the baseball field and that’s why I love it so much.”
Senior Jacob Robertson will also be counted on for serious contributions to the team. He struck out 46 hitters last year and will play middle infield and pitcher. He credits his senior teammates Ty Hudkins, JT, and Jacob Harleton for his success as a pitcher last year.
“I was focusing on my pitch selection and location,” Robertson said. “I threw a lot of offspeed and located my fastball in order to keep hitters off balance. I also had a lot of help from the defense. Ty, Jt, and Jacob tracked down all the balls in the outfield, and I had good defense in the infield.”
Robertson wants to be counted on this season regardless of where he plays in the field. “Personally, my goal is to be a go-to player,” Robertson said. “Whenever the coach needs a guy to pitch, fill in a position, get a hit, or lay down a bunt, I want to be that guy.”
Other seniors on the roster include Alex Brown, Mason McDonald, Matthew Seurynck, and Josh Tellier.
The Rangers open the season Friday with a single game against East Kentwood.
Coach Hartman is excited to get going and use the senior leadership to challenge for the conference championship.
“This will be one of the most athletic teams the Rangers have had in several years,” Hartman said. “We have nine returners that have varsity game experience.”
