By reaching the semifinals of the Class B state tournament, the Shoreline Christian School baseball team raised the bar in 2003.
But with the departure of several key members of that 16-5 squad, the Crusaders face an uphill climb this spring.
“We lost two of our top pitchers and two of our best hitters,” head coach Dennis Roosendaal said. “We’re building again right now.”
Shoreline Christian’s success will hinge on the performance of a small group of returning starters that includes all-league junior David Fertello and senior Brice Smead.
As a sophomore Fertello went 7-3 with a 2.11 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts. He hit .487, stole 25 bases, boasted a .988 fielding percentage and was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player.
“He’s a real focused young man,” Roosendaal said. “He’s encouraging to the other players. He doesn’t look down on the kids who are still learning the game.”
Seven sophomores and three freshmen make up the core of Shoreline Christian’s youthful roster. Along with Fertello and Smead, several underclassmen will bolster what Roosendaal labeled a work-in-progress pitching staff.
“We’re trying to encourage more guys to entertain the idea of being a pitcher,” Roosendaal said.
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