PENDLETON — All across the state spring sports teams are experiencing unknowns.
With the 2020 season canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, many athletic programs will come into this year with rosters full of first-time varsity performers.
The Pendleton Heights baseball team is no exception. Only senior outfielder/pitcher Hunter Eikenberry saw considerable varsity action in 2019, his sophomore season.
The Arabians come into 2021 with unknowns, as far as varsity field experience, but they are far from lacking familiarity playing baseball together.
Pendleton Heights has nine seniors on its 16-player roster, a group that has grown up playing baseball together.
“The nice thing about our seniors, they have played together all the way up through youth baseball,” Pendleton Heights head coach Matt Vosburgh said. “They know our game plan, philosophy and how we go about our business.”
Things will be a little new to Vosburgh, too, though he has plenty of familiarity of the Arabians program.
He was hired in the summer of 2019 to take the reins from retiring head coach Travis Keesling. Vosburgh had spent eight seasons as a Pendleton Heights assistant coach and has been a part of the Arabians strong baseball tradition. He was on staff for three sectional championship teams (2015, 2016, 2018) and two Hoosier Heritage Conference title clubs (2012, 2017).
Unfortunately for Vosburgh and last year’s group of Arabian players, they didn’t get a chance to play.
His coaching has been relegated to administrative duties. He’s in his second year as head coach, but will be getting his first chance to coach games.
He shares that hunger with his team to get back on the field.
“That hunger and desire to get back on the field is pretty real,” Vosburgh said. “The boys are just as hungry. We have a lot of guys that haven’t stepped foot on a varsity field before. There are a lot of unknowns and they’re hungry as ever to get that experience and wear the Arabian jersey.
“I think, if anything this year, they won’t be taking it for granted. They probably know more than a lot of people how very quickly things can change.”
That crew of seniors, along with Eikenberry, includes Evan MacMillan, Arturo Casas, Austin Hays, Mitchell Cobb, Keegan McClure, Cam Harris, Maverik Mollenkopf and Jadon Donati.
Mollenkopf has earned the spot as the team’s No. 1 pitcher and was scheduled to start the opener Tuesday against HHC foe New Castle.
As the lone senior catcher, Harris is expected to see plenty of time behind the plate.
MacMillan will have a similar role as he did on the Pendleton Heights football team. A jack-of-all-trades, the senior can play anywhere in the infield. During the fall, he helped lead the Arabian as one of its best defensive players, as well as a part-time quarterback.
Cobb, who Vosburgh said is coming off a strong summer, is slated to be in center field.
Casas and McClure both pitch and play first base.
Donati and Hays are parts of the Arabian pitching staff and will also see time as position players. Donati is an infielder, and Hays is an outfielder.
Vosburgh is quick to say that being seniors doesn’t guarantee a spot in the everyday lineup. They will be challenged by a strong group of juniors and sophomores.
The new coach calls junior Caleb Frakes a slick-fielding middle infielder. Junior Ryan Graham is a speedy outfielder who handles the bat well, and sophomore Ricky Howell is expected to get varsity innings on the mound. Junior Matthew Roark, like senior MacMillan, is a versatile player who could see time at multiple positions.
Sophomore Nathan Gilmet is a backup catcher with a strong defensive presence.
More depth to the pitching staff comes from juniors Jake Ehrgott and Sam Conner, who will also play in the outfield and infield, respectively.
Vosburgh said his teams will work to be among the state’s best, with goals each season to compete for championships at every level — county, conference, sectional and state.
“I tell our guys we want to strive to be a top-tier program with everything that we do,” Vosburgh said. “Anything short of wanting to win a state championship as a goal at the end of the season is selling ourselves short.
“That’s not arrogance or over-confidence, but if that’s not our goal, what are we really playing for? We want our season to last as long as possible. There will be a lot of times this year where we falter and a lot of times we get broad-sided and we get a slice of humble pie, but our goal will still be a state championship. We want to have a championship mentality.”
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2021 Pendleton Heights baseball schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
March 30;vs. New Castle;6 p.m.
March 31;at New Castle;5:30 p.m.
April 2;vs. Wapahani;6 p.m.
April 3;at Hagerstown;10 a.m.
April 6;at Yorktown;6 p.m.
April 7;vs. Yorktown;6 p.m.
April 10;at Hamilton Southeastern;2 p.m.
April 14:at Madison Co. Tourney;TBD
April 15:at Madison Co. Tourney;TBD
April 17:at Madison Co. Tourney;TBD
April 20;vs. Shelbyville;6 p.m.
April 21;at Shelbyville;6 p.m.
April 23;vs. Lawrence North;6 p.m.
April 26;at Fishers;6 p.m.
April 27;at Mt. Vernon;6 p.m.
April 28;vs. Mt. Vernon;6 p.m.
May 1;at Lafayette Jeff;11 a.m.
May 3;at Westfield;6 p.m.
May 4;at Greenfield-Central;5:30 p.m.
May 5;vs. Greenfield-Central;6 p.m.
May 7;vs. Shenandoah;6 p.m.
May 11;vs. New Palestine;6 p.m.
May 12;at New Palestine;6 p.m.
May 17;vs. Richmond;5:30 p.m.
May 18;at Delta;6 p.m.
May 19; vs. Delta;6 p.m.
May 21;at Connersville;6 p.m.
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2021 Pendleton Heights baseball roster
No.;Player;Grade;Pos.
2;Evan MacMillan;12;P/IF
3;Jake Ehrgott;11;P/OF
4;Arturo Casas;12;P/IF
5;Caleb Frakes;11;IF
7;Matthew Roark;11;P/IF
8;Austin Hays;12;P/OF
9;Ryan Graham;11;OF
10;Ricky Howell;10;P/IF
11;Mitchell Cobb;12;P/OF
12;Keegan McClure;12;P/IF
13;Cam Harris;12;C
14;Sam Conner;11;P/IF
15;Maverik Mollenkopf;12;P/IF
22;Jadon Donati;12;P/IF
24;Nathan Gilmet;10;C
34;Hunter Eikenberry;12;P/OF
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