Harper College baseball team ready to spring forward

Harper College will field a baseball team short on experience, but also one eager to prove it has the talent to compete.

"They are going to have to prove what they can do," said Harper coach Cliff Brown.

Absent will be three key players who were key to last year's success - Tyler Crussen, Chuck Terron and Roy Pettingill, all members of the all-Region IV or all-North Central Community College Conference team.

Brown, in his seventh year coaching the Hawks, has a roster of 20 players. He hopes to improve on last year's 13-32 record but knows he'll need to quickly get some answers.

"We are going to figure it out in a hurry," he said.

Three sophomores to keep an eye on are Gabe Farrowe (Lake Park), B.J. Wingerter (Hersey) and Eddy Valenula (Leyden).

Brown doesn't expect his group to hit for much power, but he does expect full effort each time out.

"The guys are going to compete and be scrappy," he said. "They work hard."

Harper's freshman class will be key, especially up the middle of the diamond with second baseman Jeremiah Mack and shortstop David Dugger.

Freshman Travis Lindquist will compete for one of the top three pitching spots, and Schaumburg grad Christian Paulson will pitch and play some infield.

As always, the Hawks will aim to be playing at their highest level in the Region IV tournament.

"I feel like we play our best baseball at the end," Brown said of his program's consistent second-half improvements. "We will suprise some people."