ITG Next spoke with Bolles head baseball coach Mike Boswell about the goals for his 2022 Bulldogs team, getting back to the Final Four and more.
Q: Coming off a 3A semifinal appearance last year, what do you believe are some of the biggest keys for your team to get back there this season?
A: I believe the key to returning to the Final Four is going to be our pitching. We are very strong on the mound. If we can get a couple of our young guys to step up, we have a chance to be pretty good.
Q: You will have to replace Jackson Baumeister this season who is now at Florida State. What did he mean to your team’s success last season, and how hard is it to replace a player as impactful as he was?
A: He is irreplaceable. He was a huge part of our team as a player and a leader. We will not try to replace him, but we will put the players that we do have in those big situations and see how they perform. We have a great group that is ready to step up to the challenge.
Q: Speaking of replacing him, who are some players that could potentially do that, as well as some who could play bigger roles this season than they might have a year ago?
A: We have several pitchers ready to step up to the challenge – Sully Brackin, Patric Menk, Max Haug and Chayce Kieck.
We also have several position players stepping into bigger roles for us – Nolan Hartsell, Luke Cashwell, Jamie Bobigan and Aidan Lynch.
Q: Lastly, as the season begins, what are some goals that you have for this 2022 Bolles team overall?
A: Our goals are always to get better and play for a state championship.
