After an uncharacteristic near .500 season, the Madison College baseball team is ready to get to work this season.

“I know the players are excited,” said baseball coach Mike Davenport. “It is a long process to get to our spring season, they worked hard.”

With the majority of the team coming back this year, they have more experience than many of the other teams they will face in the conference.

“We are old by junior college standards, because the majority of our players are second year players,” explained Davenport. “We were primarily freshmen last year. Pitching staff about 50/50. A lot of the players that are new this year are transfers that played a year at other schools. It’s just an older team.”

“Strength wise, we are pretty solid everywhere,” Davenport said. “I think if we play our best we can compete at the national level at the end of year,” he added.

But looking back from last year Davenport mentions something that the team needs to work on, “from last year we need to improve on our defense.”

The WolfPack traveled to Arizona for their spring trip to play against teams who are already in the middle of their season.  The WolfPack returned from its Arizona trip with a 6-6-0 record.

“What they hear from me everyday is about not the winning or losing, but thinking about competing and going out and doing your best,” explains Davenport, on how he encourages on the team during the Arizona spring trip.

Eight pitchers spent time on the mound during the week-long trip for the WolfPack, with Jack Eagan and Hank Schau both pitching two wins.

Eagan pitched an 8-4 win over Paradise Valley Community College on March 9 and a 11-0 win against Central Arizona College on March 14. In the two games, he allowed just six hits, one earned run, and struck out 13 in 11-1/3 innings.

Schau pitched a 9-2 win over Chandler-Gilbert Community College on March 10 and an 8-4 win over Williston State College on March 16. He pitched 12-2/3 innings combined in the two games, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and striking out 15 batters.

Sam Lund and Garrett McGraw pitched the team’s two other victories. Lund allowed one hit and no earned runs in a 10-0 victory over Williston State College on March 16. McGraw earned the win in his team’s 15-4 victory over Willison State College on March 17, allowing one hit and no runs in 5-2/3 innings pitched.

After 12 games, the WolfPack is outhitting its opponents, posting a .284 batting average compared to .240 for its opponents. Madison College has outscored its opposition, 84-56, in those games.

Logan Michaels is leading the team at the plate with 14 hits in 25 at bats for a .560 average. He has one double and two home runs. Cade Bunnell has 11 hits and 12 RBIs with a .324 average and a team-high five doubles. Zach Bailey has 10 hits in 26 at bats for a .385 average, while Lund has 10 hits in 28 at bats for .357 average.

Madison College has five doubleheaders scheduled before its April 4 home opener against College of Lake County. The WolfPack will travel to Kishwaukee College for a pair of games on March 22 before opening conference play at Joliet Junior College on March 25.