By: Stephanie Walstrom <[email protected]>

Coming off last year’s early post-season loss, Carmel’s baseball team is taking the field with a vengeance this year. As the team finishes up the first leg of the regular season, it boasts an 11-2 record overall and a 4-2 record in the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC). The team’s only losses thus far have been to North Central on April 18 and Terre Haute South last weekend.

Though the team won’t head into Sectional play for a few weeks, on May 26, Steven Esbin, varsity baseball player and senior, said it’s something the team is already thinking about.

Last year the Hounds, who finished 18-8 and have yet to clinch a State title, were knocked out of the tournament in the first round of Sectional by Noblesville. Noblesville went on to make it to the final four. Carmel will not face this year’s Noblesville team in the regular season until next Thursday.

Head Coach Eric Lentz said that the Carmel baseball program is optimistic about the 2008 season. Speaking of the great pitching the team has seen throughout the season, Lentz said “the Greyhounds got a solid pitching effort” from Brooks Fiala, starting pitcher and junior, and Drew Kirages, Kyle Lloyd and Alex Gordan, relief pitchers and juniors. Juniors Ryan Rogers and Austin Jackson, as well as sophomores Jesse Taylor and Conrad Gregor, will see time on the mound this season.

According to Lentz, the team has had a strong showing offensively from a variety of players. In last week’s 14-8 triumph over Terre Haute South in the first game, the team saw five home runs from five different players.

The team’s win over Terre Haute South on April 26th was not the first game the Hounds took by a considerable margin; Carmel defeated Hamilton Heights, Westfield, Warren Central and Hamilton Southeastern by margins of eight or more.

The Hounds fell to the Braves in game two last weekend, losing 8-7. The team overcame a six run deficit before coming up short in the final inning.

Carmel’s team has 15 juniors this year, an age breakdown that Esbin said will leave the team in good shape for next season. Other seniors include Jordan Sheperd, Greg Vogt and Matt Tucker. Last year’s team graduated seven seniors.

Carmel will play away tonight at Center Grove at 5:30 p.m., and will then host back-to-back home games on Monday and Wednesday, facing Pike and Anderson Highland. The team will finish out the week by heading off with Noblesville on Thursday at 6 p.m.. at Noblesville.