By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
HAYS – The Hays Larks embark on another season of summer collegiate baseball Thursday when they begin the 2023 season in North Platte, Nebraska against the North Platte Plainsmen. The Larks will be trying to build off a successful 2022 season in which they finished 38-10, won a third-straight Rocky Mountain Baseball League title and finished runner-up at the National Baseball Congress World Series.
Thanks to that runner-up finish, the Larks have already secured a spot in this year’s NBC WS in August which allowed coach/manager Frank Leo to take a little different approach in the offseason.
“We have recruited a few more high-powered (Division I) programs knowing that we are in the World Series.” Leo said. “We want to be our strongest come July and finish strong and get ready for the World Series.”
The Larks are entering their fourth season in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League and have won the league title in each of their first three seasons. He said winning a fourth straight league title is the first of many goals for the team.
“I don’t know if that intensity would be there if there wasn’t something to strive for. Winning another title is something we want to do. The important thing about winning a title is getting off to a good start in the league. We might be a little thin until we get the horses in.”
As has been the case the last several years, the Larks will be shorthanded to start the season due to the NCAA and junior college postseason. Only nine position players and seven pitchers will be available to start the season.
Leo says pitching is always the key in the summer and they are still trying to fill out the staff.
“We lost three or four guys here the last couple of weeks because of inning limits.” Leo said. “We had to regroup, been on the phone a lot trying to get those pieces in place. I’m not going to rush into it because we know we have World Series spot locked up. We want to get out strongest bunch in here.”
Leo adds that’s it’s getting harder and harder to find quality arms.
“If these coaches want to send hitters out to get better in the summertime, they’re going to need to start sending more of their better pitchers out so their hitters can see that.” Leo said. “It’s kind of a catch-22, hitters are going to get at bats but they’re not seeing, from when I first started coaching, the quality of pitching that you saw back then. You’ll see a couple of them but not the depth we had back in the day.”
The Larks do have several returners from 2022 including Leo’s grandson Dylan Dreiling who is a freshman at the University of Tennessee. The former 5A Player of the Year at Hays High School will join the team following the Volunteers run in the NCAA Tournament. Dreiling hit .389 last season with nine home runs and 59 RBIs, the third most in Larks history.
Another key returner is catcher and first baseman Tyler LaRue. The Houston Baptist product led the Larks in batting last season with a .398 average despite breaking his thumb in mid-July.
Admission into Larks games will again be free thanks to the many gameday sponsors. Some of the promotional nights include Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, June 10, Educators Night on Tuesday, July 4, Larkstoberfest on Saturday, July 8 and Pack the Pantry Night on Friday, July 21.
Click HERE for the Larks complete schedule.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Larks have eight players who played for them in 2022 returning this summer. In addition to Dreiling and LaRue, catcher Brady Evans returns for a third season. He’s joined by outfielder Garrett Gruell and pitchers Kaleb Meredith, Kam Walton, Caden Hare and Luuk ter Beek. Pitcher Jose Velazquez also returns after playing in Hays in 2021.
RMBL DOMINANCE
The Larks are seeking a fourth-straight Rocky Mountain Baseball League title as they begin their fourth season in the league. The RMBL does have a new look in 2023 with the addition of the Liberal Bee Jays and Dodge City A’s. The two, along with the Larks, were former members of the Jayhawk League.
THE SCHEDULE
The Larks open with their first four games in Nebraska against the North Platte Plainsmen and Gering Pioneers. They host the Dodge City A’s in a non-league game in their home opener on Wednesday, June 7. Much like last summer, the Larks will play most of the month of July at home. 15 of their 16 road games take place in June. The Larks will finish with 20 of their final 21 games at home. The lone road game in that stretch is July 12 in Dodge City.
COACHIG STAFF
Frank Leo begins his 41st season as the Larks manager. He enters the 2023 season with a career 1,186-775 record. Keith Harper returns for his 19th season as pitching coach. Former Hays High Indian, Fort Hays State Tiger and Hays Lark Andy Lewton is in his second season as an assistant coach.
* Original story omitted Caden Hare as a returner from last season.