Baseball turns 50 at Jefferson College this year.
In those five decades, the Vikings have qualified for the Junior College World Series three times (2002, 2011, 2012), won six Region 16 championships (the most recent in 2012) and have captured the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference title for 11 straight seasons.
With the collection of talent Jefferson College head coach Pat Evers has assembled for 2018, the Vikings could be capable of reaching the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., to cap their golden anniversary.
For Evers, who enters his fourth season with a .690 record (118-53), winning the conference and regional titles is always part of the plan. The Vikings were 45-14 last season.
“I expect to win both every year,” Evers said.
While winning the league title seems to the Vikings’ annual rite, the regional title has been more elusive. The Vikings have won more games each season Evers has been the head coach, but still haven’t captured Region 16 under his command.
Jefferson College lost 6-0 to Mineral Area College in the first round of the regional tournament last year, then scraped its way back to the final, before falling 17-6 to Crowder College in the double-elimination tournament.
“It’s killed me to think about that since last season ended,” Evers said. “I’d take (pitcher) Spencer Juergens any other day but we had that one clunker of a game. We were evenly matched with Crowder. If we win that first game, I think we cruise through that four-game regional.”
Shape-shifting rosters are facts of life at the junior college level. Seventeen of last year’s Vikings moved up to join the baseball teams at four-year schools. But that didn’t leave Evers with a crop of raw freshmen. Sophomores will start the season at every position in the field, except one of the outfield spots where freshman Matt Turino of Toronto will play.
“It’s the nature with junior college that you’re only as good as your sophomores,” Evers said. “They’re the anchor of the team. There’s such a difference to how sophomores go about their business. They know the routine and what to expect. At the end of the day, it’s all about recruiting because you’re only as good as the players you have. We’re going to bring the right people in here and coach them the right way.”
Last season, the Vikings hit 70 home runs – ranking 15th in the nation. Jordan Hovey led them with 55 RBIs and teammate Ryan Mantle smacked a team-high 11 home runs.
Hovey and Mantle are now at Creighton University, along with relief pitcher Jacob Voss. In total, Evers has to replace 46 homers and 260 RBIs.
That power drain would make most coaches cringe. Not Evers.
“We’ll be more physical in the lineup as far as being able to hit for power,” Evers said.
Jefferson College begins the season Friday with the first of four games in Fayette, Ala. St. Louis Community College is also in the four-team tournament. Evers said his starting lineup is set.
Many of the Viking starters are transfers. Catcher Jacob Kalusniak played in 55 games and batted .350 for Wabash Valley College as a freshman. Kalusniak replaces Cole Bornhop behind the plate. Bornhop batted .331 with eight round-trippers and 36 RBIs for the Vikings last season. Bornhop is one of four Jefferson players who are now at Southeast Missouri State University.
“From a defensive standpoint (Kalusniak) stands out among the really good catchers we’ve had in the past,” Evers said. “He has a very good feel for handling the pitchers and throws the ball very well. He can quarterback that position. Cole was phenomenal for us for two years and Jacob will fit right in.”
The rest of the infield includes incumbent Anthony Green at first base, second baseman Jack Lombardi (a transfer from Creighton), returner Raul Elguezabal at shortstop and South Carolina transfer Joey Polak.
Green, who can touch the low 90s, was 3-0 on the mound and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29-9 last season. At the plate, Green hit .367 with 33 RBIs, despite missing three weeks after having surgery to remove his appendix.
“We expect Anthony to be a leader and hit in the middle of the lineup,” Evers said.
Elguezabal played in 32 games and batted .342 as a freshman, and Evers said Elguezabal’s role will expand this year.
Evers said Polak, of Quincy, Ill., was one of the more heavily recruited players to come out of the Midwest two years ago. Polak redshirted at South Carolina last season and Evers said he came to Hillsboro to try and position himself for this summer’s pro draft. Polak will bat either No. 3 or cleanup.
“We’ve seen him since he was a sophomore in high school,” Evers said. “He’s probably as talented an offensive player as we’ve had.”
Sophomore Hunter Swift is the sole returning outfielder. Swift is joined by Turino and Justin Perkins, who transferred from Murray State University. Swift has already committed to play at Oral Roberts University next season and he played in 49 games, batted .346 and had 19 extra-base hits for the Vikings last year.
“He is super high energy and fun to watch play,” Evers said of Swift. “If you drew up a player you love to watch, he’s a coach’s dream. He’s covered in dirt all of the time.”
Perkins (6-2, 225) played in 18 games (with one start) and batted .167 in 24 at-bats for the Racers last season. His father, Tony Perkins, is the head coach of the Francis Howell baseball team he’s led to four state championships.
“He’s hard-nosed and knows the game. He’s the ultimate competitor,” Evers said of Justin Perkins. “He’s fun to have around every day. He’s exactly what you’d expect from a coach’s son; he’s a great teammate, can do a lot of different things and there’s no ego to him. He’s a throwback ballplayer.”
Jefferson’s pitching staff wasn’t spared when it comes to turnover. Spencer Juergens, Cody Creed and Troy Newell combined for 26 victories on the mound last season. All now toe the rubber for four-year universities this season.
Green, Perkins and Swift will all spend some time on the mound, but Evers thinks he has three quality starters in returner Josh Ray (Seckman), University of Arkansas transfer Lucas Krull and freshman Jason Rackers (Blair Oaks, Jefferson City).
“It’s as talented a group of pitchers we’ve ever had,” Evers said. “Rackers and Krull are two high-end arms who can get the ball up there in the mid-90s and will have a chance to be high draft picks if they stay healthy and do what they’re capable of.”
The Vikings’ roster has some local talent in freshmen Blain Prater (Jefferson High), Jaden Courtois (Jefferson High), Christian Stelling (Windsor), Craig Theiss (De Soto), Zach Meyer (St. Pius X) and Zach McDermott (Northwest).
Players arrive at the Hillsboro campus for a number of reasons. Some, like Green and Swift, were likely under-recruited, Evers said. Others chose junior college for a year to sharpen their skills. Others need a little academic boost before going on.
“We tell players you’re going to be a better player when you leave here and have other opportunities,” Evers said.