Hounds have some cleats to fill in 2000

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds hope to match last year's 20-5 mark this season under head coach Bob Weier, who is beginning his eighth season at the helm of the Hounds.

It will be a tough task to hit that 20-win season as CHS lost five key seniors off of last year's squad.

But the Hounds will have a good nucleus of players to begin the season, with three senior letterwinners in Jesse Ahlbrecht, Aaron Kiecker and Mike Hall. Also back are three junior letterwinners in Joey Penkert, Joey Schugel and Brandon Reinarts.

Those six letterwinners will be mixed in with younger players like Hans Biebl, who will play the outfield and third base, pitcher John Knisley, and Jacob Mertz, who will see action at outfield and pitch. Freshman Dusty Wilfahrt will start at second base and will also pitch and play some shortstop when Schugel takes to the mound. Sophomore Kyle Helget will also see playing time.

Weier said that he will send either Ahlbrecht or Kiecker to first base with Wilfahrt at second base. Helget will play second base when Wilfahrt pitches or plays shortstop.

Schugel returns as one of the top shortstops in the area.

Penkert, when not pitching, will hold down third base with incumbent Reinarts behind the plate.

Weier said that the outfield spots, "are up for grabs. The only position that is solidified is centerfield, where Mike Hall will start.

"We are looking at either moving Aaron Kiecker or sophomore Jacob Mertz to leftfield," said Weier, who will be assisted by Bryce Boelter. "Also Hans Biebl can play some leftfield. Hall will be in centerfield but when he (Hall) is pitching, we will use Mertz in centerfield. We are looking at John Knisley, another sophomore, in rightfield. When he is pitching, we will have to use either Biebl or Mertz there."

Weier said that his team will have four players who have pitching experience.

"Of those four, some of them will have to step forward and be able to carry the load," Weier said. "We have three young underclassmen in Knisley, Wilfahrt and Mertz who will pitch."

Weier said that Kiecker, a southpaw, will be his ace, but Hall, Penkert and Schugel, "can get varsity hitters out, also."

"I think that at the start of the season that we will be as good of a hitting team as we have been in the past; we will not be as balanced," commented Weier. "That is what we are working on now. We are getting our hitters to put the ball in play.

"Our strength will be our middle defense and our team speed will be adequate. We also have a nice corps of older ballplayers who have good enthusiasm for the game and that will rub off on some of our younger players.

"Right now, we have four positions defensively that will have to be shored up (second base, third base, leftfield and rightfield). Right now, I think we have some weakness because of inexperience at those positions. We feel that we have individuals who can fill those spots but it will take some time."

The Hounds will be a team that, "will do anything offensively that it takes to win," said Weier. "We will try and exploit the other team's weaknesses."

He looks for Sleepy Eye Public, Wabasso and Sleepy Eye St. Mary's to be tough competitors. "GFW is tough along with BLH; MVL, if their pitching holds together, will be strong."

Sleepy Eye and Mankato Loyola will be the favorites in the section.

The Hounds open Monday at Springfield.