MOSES LAKE — How’s Moses Lake High School’s baseball team looking this year? 

“Young. Really young,” said Head Coach Donnie Lindgren. “Inexperienced, but ready to work.” 

The baseball team graduated nine seniors last year, Lindgren said. The incoming team has boys who have played before in youth baseball and for a club team at The Six, Lindgren said, but not as a unit. Some of the newcomers have played for Moses Lake in football and basketball as well, he said.

That team chemistry takes work to build, said pitcher Dagen Enquist. 

“(We’re working on) communicating, getting to know guys better, since we have such a young team,” Enquist said. 

The new guys are showing some serious potential, said senior Noah Hernandez, who pitches as well as playing infield and outfield. 

“We’ve got a lot of guys returning that are young and experienced, so we’ve got a lot of young leaders this year,” Hernandez said. “Every guy is capable of leading on this team. We’ve got a team that's going to be great in the next couple of years.” 

Besides working with each other, Lindgren said, the new guys are learning to work with him and his coaching methods, which is a process. He’s focusing on getting the basics down, he said, because that’s what wins games. 

“When someone makes a great play, it's just because they're a great athlete,” he said. “We try and do all the fundamental things. We work ground balls every day, fly balls every day, playing catch every day, our basic defenses every day.” 

There are some standouts on the team, Lindgren said. Enquist, a junior, was the starting pitcher his freshman and sophomore years and Lindgren plans to rely on him a lot, he said. Sophomore Jonathan Purcell was the Offensive Player of the Year for the league last year as a freshman, Lindgren said, and first baseman Jacoby Fulbright, a junior, is a strong hitter at six feet two inches. 

“One of the biggest surprises so far has been our transfer, Caden Barney, who's playing a great shortstop for us and really hitting well right now,” Lindgren said. “He's been a really nice surprise.” 

Moses Lake made it to state last year but was knocked out in the first round by Puyallup, Lindgren said. Puyallup took second place at state and was ranked ninth in the nation by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, making them a tough opponent. 

“They had a kid who was drafted who was throwing 98,” Lindgren said. “We gave them a heck of a game. Our senior pitcher did a great job, but we just couldn't get the bats going at that time.” 

The Mavericks are in for a better showing this year, Hernandez said.  

“This team is a lot more goal-oriented, and we know what we want this year,” he said. “We’re coming after it.”

    Freshman Kanyon Klitzke gets ready to scoop up a grounder at Mavericks baseball practice March 6.
  

    Maverick Jacoby Mugnos, a sophomore, gets ready to throw to first at practice March 6.
  

    Drake Hansen fields a ground ball with Jacoby Mugnos behind him at Mavericks practice March 6.