Coming together
After a slow start, things are looking up for the RoughridersIt’s not much of a surprise that the Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team’s season thus far has been difficult.
- Caleb Burgard
It’s not much of a surprise that the Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team’s season thus far has been difficult.
Things are starting to look up for Dickinson, though, as it heads into the final month of the season.
Dickinson plays its first home game in nearly two weeks in a doubleheader against Jamestown at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Southside Municipal Ballpark.
The Roughriders (9-14) are on a bit of a roll after winning the Silver Bracket at the United Athletic/Fleetwood Shootout in Billings, Mont., on Tuesday.
Dickinson head coach Andy Emard said the winning streak isn’t a cure-all for the problems his team has had, but it’s something.
“They have that confidence that they’re going to win and they kind of took it upon themselves to be prepared and get after it,” Emard said.
He admitted the players lacked confidence in closing out the Billings Royals on June 26.
Dickinson led by three runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before the Royals rallied for an 11-10 win.
“They wanted to hold on so bad instead of trusting they were going to win,” Emard said.
Going back to the start of the season, a lack of a consistent lineup hurt the team.
Emard said the entire team hasn’t played together until the Billings trip.
Starting catcher Brandon Lange missed several games due to various other commitments.
“He’ll really shore us up behind the plate,” Emard said.
While Emard and his staff have worked to cure the Roughriders’ ills, the team would take a step back after making progress.
“It kind of seemed like we would harp on one thing for a while and we would move on to the next thing,” Emard said. “Then they’d forget about what soaked in.”
Exacerbating the problem was several players playing out of their normal positions.
Grant Dvorak played many games at catcher during Lange’s absence and Scott Gordon played at shortstop, where he struggled.
Emard moved Gordon back to second base, with Taylor Kraenzel taking up shortstop.
“We’re taking the pressure off of him and letting him get used to the stuff we’re teaching,” Emard said.
Kraenzel’s been the biggest surprise on the Roughriders team, Emard said.
“We saw him as getting some time in, but not getting the shortstop position,” Emard said. “He’s really stepped in and earned his spot.”
His varsity experience for Dickinson High was limited to a four-inning pitching stint.
First baseman/designated hitter Jordan Tescher’s first year with the Roughriders has been a big one.
“He’s one of the leaders on the team and fits that bill so far,” Emard said.
Sean Kelly’s been producing in the lead-off spot, with a batting average around .500, Emard said.
Admitting he’s not the fastest guy on the basepaths, Emard said Kelly’s job isn’t to steal bases, but just get on.
“To me, the leadoff man is about on-base percentage,” Emard said.
Pointing to the state tournament, Emard said the team needs to not dwell on the past.
“They’ve been focusing on their record a little too much,” Emard said. “The whole goal for this team was to not put together an astonishing record, but to get better each day, so that when tournament time came, they are ready to compete for a championship.”
Tags: legion baseball, sports, roughriders
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