By: Kyle Moylan
Rich Carroll has a good idea of what the finished product will look like. It will be a disciplined team that plays fundamentally sound baseball and wins enough games to get back to the state tournament.
After years of set lineups and positions etched in stone, however, this product definitely is marked with "assembly required" on the side of the box.
"The past couple of years we had a set lineup, but I don’t see it that way this season," noted Carroll, who is entering his eighth season as the coach of the New Egypt High School baseball team. "We also had outstanding pitching in the past where a guy may go the entire seven innings. I think we may have to piece it together, have guys go three or four innings. We can do that. I still see a lot of talent."
While losing a lot of players off a team that went 15-10 last year and advanced to the second round of the state tournament, Carroll did get a pleasant surprise when practices started this season. There were 36 players out for the team, including 15 freshmen.
"That’s the highest number out in our history," Carroll said. "And they are a great bunch of kids, very easy to coach."
Carroll just has to figure out where all the pieces go in this jigsaw puzzle.
For starters, there’s the catching situation. Dylan Rowley, a junior, played there last season but is trying to recuperate from a back injury. While it’s being determine how much and where Rowley can play, Mike Fassl (freshman) and Matt Carroll (sophomore) have moved into the mix behind the plate.
Bobby Miranda, a senior and the team’s leading hitter last season, will be in the lineup. Carroll just has to determine if it serves his team better to make that at first or third base. Dan Knot, a senior, is another option at first base.
Rick Mackesy, a senior, is back for his fourth season. He will play second base. Carroll will rely on him to be the leader on the infield.
Brian Hamilton, a freshman, has played second base most of his life. New Egypt needed a shortstop, however, so he shifted over.
Rowley or Miranda will be at third. Austin Bell, a senior, can fill in at any of the infield positions.
"We’re going to be rotating 11 to 13 guys into the lineup every game," Carroll said. "It’s not going to be the same lineup out there every day."
There could be a lot of movement in the outfield. The outfield options are Dan Leutwyler (junior), Dakota Havens (sophomore), T.J. Smith (senior) and Mark Delannoy (junior).
Smith figures to be New Egypt’s ace on the mound. Rowley, Delannoy, Kevin Vaclavicek (junior), Hamilton and Havens should also do some pitching this season.
New Egypt will open the season April 2 at Florence. Two days later, the team will play at Holy Cross. The home opener is April 6 against Riverside.
Considering the tough schedule to open the season, the number of new players and the fact New Egypt will go through some trial and error as it determines playing time, Carroll wouldn’t be surprised if the start of the season is a little rough.
"We may struggle at the beginning of the season, but I see us coming together and getting better and better as the season goes along," Carroll said. "We’ll win some games people might not expect. The future looks bright."

