NORTHEAST BASEBALL USES PAST TO SHAPE THE PRESENT WITH THE 2024 SEASON ON THE HORIZON

NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College baseball team is gearing up for another spring season after tying their program record for wins with 39 in each of the last two years. Marcus Clapp enters his eighth season at the helm of the Hawks and there is one word that keeps coming up when he thinks about his 2024 group: excitement.

"We've got a good group of kids," Clapp said. "We have a lot of new faces. That's exciting. We've got some returning guys on the mound, but we don't return a lot of innings. The unknown is exciting. If guys can step up and we do what we are capable of, I think we have a chance to be really good. We return a couple of guys in the middle of the order offensively, but we are going to have probably five or six new guys in the lineup. Sometimes that's a little scary, but at the same time, it's exciting."

Sophomores Cade Grevengoed (West Des Moines, Iowa) and Derek Woolwine (Boulder, Colo.) were named Honorable Mention All-Region after their freshmen campaigns and Clapp is eager to see them both hit the field for their second seasons in Northeast uniforms.

"We need both of those guys to have a good year," Clapp said. "We don't expect them to do more than what they did. I don't need them to do more than what they did. If they stay consistent and just stick to their approach and their work ethic, they are going to have another good year. If you try to have a better year, you probably aren't going to go in the right direction. We just need those guys to be consistent, and when they have a chance to drive in runs, we need them to execute."

Clapp always prides himself on the pitching staff for the Hawks and there are a few arms who he is looking forward to seeing climb the hill this spring.

"Matthew Kitzman (Osseo, Minn.) is going to be a guy that's going to be very good for us," Clapp said. "Nick Vilims (Evergreen, Colo.) is another guy that we are counting on. Oliver Ward (Mill Creek, Wash.) is another. Aiden Brainard (Littleton, Colo.) is going to be a guy for us. We also have a couple of freshmen with Brice Wallar (Papillion, Neb.) and Caleb Lanphear (Gretna, Neb.). We've got some arm talent. We just have to make sure we throw strikes and can get people out."

At a two-year college sophomore leadership is always important, and the pedigree of this current sophomore class is something Clapp is looking forward to leaning on.

"They have to be leaders," Clapp said. "They've been there and done it. They have to be able to set the tone and tell guys, 'Hey, this is how it is.' They also have to understand that they were freshmen once too and that some of the freshmen are going to take some lumps from time to time. We have a lot of quiet sophomores, and sometimes that's a good thing or a bad thing. We just need to have them lead by example and help the younger guys out."

Northeast sent 10 different players to four-year institutions at the end of last year as part of a sophomore class that totaled 78 victories in two seasons. Clapp knows it won't be easy to replace the winningest group of sophomores in the history of the program, but he is hopeful that the lessons learned will be passed down to this squad.

"Those guys knew how to win, and that says a lot," Clapp said. "We were never out of a game. Both years we had success early in the preseason, and that obviously helped our record. We just have to be more consistent in conference play. Our conference is really hard, so that's easier said than done. If we can just take the first couple of weeks to understand how to play as a team, play with each other and make sure we move runners. That's something that we have to continue to do week-to-week and use the preseason to get us ready for the conference."

When it comes to the freshmen side of things, Clapp is hopeful to see some new faces rising to the occasion.

"Jack Borgmann (Norfolk, Neb.) and Nixon Snyder (Omaha, Neb.) are going to be key guys for us," Clapp said. "We have a couple of guys that are still in a battle with some spots that I need some guys to take the reins and show me who's going to step up. I'm going to need some freshmen to step up and do those things. Hopefully one of them or a couple of them can grab the reins and take that role for us."

There are three teams from Region 11 placed in the 2024 NJCAA DII Baseball Preseason Rankings with a fourth receiving votes, and Clapp knows that it will be a battle every single week in a deep league.

"The tough part about our conference is if you play a team that's maybe not at the top and you overlook them, they are going to beat you," Clapp said. "That's what makes this conference so tough. Yeah, you have some really good teams at the top, but overall, it's just a really good conference. You have to show up to play, control what you can control and worry about us. That's something we talk about. We can only worry about us and what we're doing. As long as we take care of that and look to get better every day. If we play our best game, we are going to have a shot to beat anyone."

What would Clapp like to see to consider the 2024 season campaign a successful one?

"I think continuing to get better," Clapp said. "I don't like to put wins and losses. Obviously, if you play well you are going to win ballgames. Our goal is to win a conference championship every year. We just have to be playing good at the end of the year. No matter how good your record is or how bad your record is, it only matters for one week. Our job is to make the conference tournament. From that point on, hopefully we play well and catch a few breaks. That's what it takes to win the conference."

The Hawks will get things rolling at 10 a.m. Friday in a doubleheader against Northern Oklahoma College-Enid at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma in what they hope will be another special year.

HAWKS HAPPENINGS:

For all the latest information on Northeast Hawks Athletics, please visit northeasthawks.com. For updates and other exciting content, follow:

@northeastcchawks on Facebook

@northeasthawks on Instagram

@northeasthawks on TikTok

@NortheastHawks on Twitter/X

@NortheastCCBSB on Twitter/X