The HHS baseball team will open their season today at Duncan Field against the Norris Titans. Besides being opening day in the second season of HHS baseball, it is also unique in that there will be two future Division I pitchers facing off against each other.
The Titans are bringing not only their Division I pitcher, Zach Argo, but also a future teammate of a Tiger, Austin Shultz. Junior Sam Wibbels is signed with the University of Kentucky to play baseball after he graduates, along with a player from Norris. The future teammates at Kentucky will get to spend some meeting each other for the first time tonight.
“It’ll be fun. He’s a cool kid. He’s a great player. It’ll be fun because I know he’s the leadoff hitter so I’ll be pitching against him,” Wibbels said.
Not only is Wibbels facing his future teammate today, he is going to play his first game as a Tiger since he transferred back from Grand Island Senior High, who the Tigers will face off against next week. Wibbels is excited to be reunited with some of his old friends on the field.
Both head coach Blake Marquardt and Wibbels agree that the game will probably be a battle of the pitchers. Argo, an Air Force commit, will face off against Wibbels. With NSAA rules maxing pitchers out for the day at 85 pitches, the game may come down to which pitcher runs out of throws first.
“If you can get to 85 pitches in the fifth or sixth inning, I think whoever can do that with their first pitcher will probably come out ahead. Whoever can get that starting pitcher knocked out early will be a tough battle late in the game,” Marquardt said.
The Tigers are taking a confident approach to the season opener after months of preparation and are ready to let the game happen.
“Offensively, our approach should be okay because we’ve seen it before. Defensively, we’ll be just fine. I don’t think that changes the game by any means. I think we’ve prepared as well as we could for this situation,” Marquardt said.
Norris, who ended up 24-5 last season, is a likely match-up for the Tigers down the road this season. With losing few seniors last year, the Titans are expected to be a tough opponent. However, the Tigers are ready to approach it like any other game.
“They’re obviously a good team but I think every game is just the same. I’m going to treat every start the same and treat every game the same. I’m just going to focus on my pitching and just let it happen,” Wibbels said.
