The Montezuma Braves were a young baseball team last summer.
They’ll be young again – but this time with more experience.
The Braves were scheduled to open their season on Wednesday, May 21, at home against Colfax-Mingo.
Montezuma went 5-13 last year, but hit .274 as a team, including three returning players who averaged .300 or more at the plate.
Those three were Easton Hudnut (.308), Luke Erselius (.304) and Broox Stockman (.302).
Stockman also had 16 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.
Luke Erselius drove in 12 runs, and returns as an experienced pitcher.
He started 7 games, threw 36 innings and had an earned run averaged of 4.47. He struck out 53 batters and walked 19.
Lefty Isaac Wedgewood threw 26 innings, with 34 strikeouts and 23 walks.
Rett Pargeon hit .256 last year and drove in 8 runs.
Gavin Wilcox hit .216 and drove in 8 runs as an eighth grade member of the varsity team.
Dane Strong hit .231 last season, and Lars Taylor batted .167.
The Braves are coached by Josh Anderson and Ryan Hudnut.
Baseball Braves
# Player Year
1 Gavin Wilcox Fr
2 Lars Taylor Sr
3 Easton Hudnut So
5 Luke Erselius Jr
6 Ethan Desrochers Fr
7 Rett Pargeon So
8 Broox Stockman Jr
13 Cooper McNaul 08
14 Dane Strong So
18 Nolan Hudnut 08
21 Luke Benson 08
29 Ty Smothers 08
32 Isaac Wedgewood Jr