Young North Stars gained great experience

The Havre North Stars American Legion baseball team may not have ended its season the way it wanted, but with each season brings new hope and the North Stars already have reasons to look forward to next summer.

Certainly, the team’s 14-29 campaign in 2016 was full of bumps and bruises. However, with many first or second-year players, there was growth through the year and, hopefully, there will be even more come next spring.

“Ya know, everyone always wants to talk about bringing back the Comets,” North Stars head coach Dick Fuzesy said. “Well this year, we basically were the Comets if you think about it. We had a bunch of young guys who were playing their first season of legion ball. But, it was a good learning experience for those guys. You don’t always get to play them as much as we did this year and it never hurts when they get that opportunity.”

When the North Stars do take the field in 2017, there will definitely be changes. For one, Jeff Miller, the team’s only All-District selection, will no longer be on the team. Neither will Dylan Carpenter, the team’s ace. Jerod Boles is another key contributor that will no longer be on the roster, leaving Havre without three of its most productive offensive players, its top two pitchers and the best defensive first baseman in the Northern A.

“There really is no way we are going to replace Jeff Miller,” Fuzesy said. “That’s just not going to happen. But all those guys are hard to replace and not just on the field. They were just fun to be around and they loved the game.”

While the North Stars will be without Miller, Boles and Carpenter next season, they will have one key piece remaining and that’s catcher Jake Sedahl, who has two years of legion eligibility left. Sedahl, who has started in each of the past two seasons behind the plate, was second on the team with a .354 batting average. He also led in doubles with 12 and RBI’s with 36.

“He’s going to be a big part of our team for the next two years,” Fuzesy said. “He’s another one that really loves the game. He plays all of the sports, but he really excels and really loves baseball. And that’s the truth. I am not just saying that because I am the baseball coach. He really loves the game.”

Unfortunately for Havre, outside of Sedahl, no other returning player hit .300 this season and the next best returner is Brenden Garden and his .277 batting average. Garden will be a key player next season and so will Brenden Danielson, who hit .264 this past season. Danielson will also be a key part of the pitching staff and may even see some time in the infield.

Shortstop Kennedy McKay is another player on the rise and one that Fuzesy is high on after he hit .245 last season and started most of the year defensively. Other returning players that have bright futures for Havre are Trey Murphy, Tony Antley, Ethan Roberts, Gavin Mosbrucker, Brendan Garden and Brendan Danielson, as well as Kaiden Anez and others.

“We are hoping that these guys continue to develop,” Fuzesy said. “I think Kennedy showed a lot of good things this year and Mosbrucker even showed some things on the mound. I think the biggest thing is we want those young kids to play legion. I think if you look at Ethan Roberts, who did both (Babe Ruth and Legion) and see the success he had, both for us and at Babe Ruth and hopefully, we get more that try to do it.”

Of course, things will continue to be difficult in the Northern A with powers such as Vauxhall and Lewistown set to be good again. Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Great Falls and Tri-County will also present challenges, but if Havre can build on its experiences this season, then the future can still be bright for the next.

“We have been at the top of the district and the bottom (in the standings),” Fuzesy said. “But now, we need to find a way to win at districts. We need to focus on that earlier and winning there needs to be one of our main goals.”