ECC baseball announces 2015 schedule

ECC baseball announces 2015 schedule

The Ellsworth Community College baseball team is gearing up for the 2015 season to begin. The schedule has been set and the team is anxious to begin play.

The team will begin with its first 16 games on the road and the first home opener against Marshalltown Community College on Saturday, March 14. ECC returns 13 players from last year.

"We have a good group of sophomores this year," commented ECC Head Coach Travis Akre. "The team is led by Austin Douglas, Jonathon Aponte, Arnaldo Matos, Nick Ledinsky and transfer Tarran Beasley. These guys have done a nice job of laying the groundwork for what we are trying to accomplish."

Along with the returners for the team, the coaching staff has brought in 24 new freshman for the season. "This is our staff's first recruiting class, so we are excited to see what these freshman can do," Akre adds. "Chris Phillips, Jonathon Fleek, Roberto Prado and Jase Grant have really stepped up to lead this new group of guys."

The Panthers finished last season with a 23-30 overall record and 14-13 in the ICCAC, which put them 5th in the conference standings. The team is planning to build on last season and has high hopes for this year.

"We are hoping to make a run at a regional championship," says Akre. "That is what we work for each day. Just like every year, you need a lot of things to go right. Hopefully we have put our guys in a situation where they can succeed."