Watertown Post 17 baseball team has plenty of reasons for optimism in 2023

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·8 min read
Shortstop Jack Heesch is a key returnee for the 2023 Watertown Post 17 American Legion baseball team. The squad, along with Post's 17 Junior Legion team, are each getting ready to kick off their new seasons next week.
Shortstop Jack Heesch is a key returnee for the 2023 Watertown Post 17 American Legion baseball team. The squad, along with Post's 17 Junior Legion team, are each getting ready to kick off their new seasons next week.

Watertown Post 17's American Legion baseball team may have taken a little step backwards last summer but all signs point to that being a one-year deal.

The 2023 Post 17 squad, again under the direction of Ryan Neale and assistant Nick Geffre, is set to open its new season next week with a group of seven returning players along with nine newcomers off a talented Post 17 Junior Legion team that went 36-14 and reached the semifinals of their state tournament.

"It's still a younger group but we have veteran leadership from players who saw a lot of playing time last summer," said Neale. "It's a good mix of kids with a lot of athleticism around the diamond. The versatility that we have is going to allow for kids to compete for spots throughout the season."

As of Thursday night, the Post 17 Legion and Junior Legion teams are slated to open by hosting Fargo Post 400 in games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 28-30. See full schedules for both teams below, although the schedules are subject to change due to weather and other factors.

2022 Season Recap: Inexperienced Post 17 baseball team improved as season progressed

Recapping the 2022 season

The graduation of back-to-back senior-laden classes in 2020 and 2021 left a shortage of experienced players last summer and Post 17 did get off to a slow start, eventually finishing 21-37.

Still, the squad was able to show plenty of improvement and definitely played better as the season went along. A bid for the program's fourth-straight appearance in the state Class A tournament ending with two losses to eventual state runner-up Sioux Falls East in a state-qualifying playoff series.

"Every year, our goal as a coaching staff is to get the kids to the state tournament. It's little more meaningful this year, because we missed last year," said Neale. "Hopefully we'll be able to learn from our experiences last season and find a way to get to host a super regional."

Outfielder Drew Denzer is another key returnee for the 2023 Watertown Post 17 American Legion baseball team. He led the squad in hitting last summer with a .308 batting average.
Outfielder Drew Denzer is another key returnee for the 2023 Watertown Post 17 American Legion baseball team. He led the squad in hitting last summer with a .308 batting average.

Let's meet the 2023 squad

Returnees from last summer include outfielders Drew Denzer and Ryan Roby, catcher Carson Mutschler, infielders-pitchers Jack Heesch and Will Engstrom and pitchers Jackson Maag and Chase Christianson.

Denzer led the team last summer by hitting .308. He finished with eight doubles, 24 stolen bases, 26 runs scored and 23 runs batted in. Roby hit .290 with 10 stolen bases and 30 runs scored and Heesch .295 with 20 RBIs.

On the mound, Maag pitched 53 innings and compiled a 3-7 record. Heesch was 1-4 with a 3.11 ERA and Engstrom 2-2 with a 3.39 ERA. Those three are expected to lead the team's pitching staff.

"We feel our pitching is something we can lean on throughout the course of the year," said Neale. "We're also going to rely on our defense. We should be able to take a step forward in that department this year."

Newcomers from the Junior Legion team include infielder-pitcher Kaden Rylance, pitcher Justin Remmers, infielders Dylon Rawdon and Trey Himmerich, catcher Mason Krause and outfielders Spencer Wientjes, Austin Johnson, Carter Beynon and Peyton Buisker.

Rylance and Remmers will likely round out the top 5 in the starting staff.

The group of Junior Legion grads has been one the Watertown Baseball Association has been looking forward to reaching the Legion level for a few years. The group produced state Class A state championships in 2020 (U13 Grey Sox) and 2021 (U14 Black Sox) and made another run at the state Class A Junior Legion title last summer.

"We have some new faces looking to come in and play a lot right away, but they're going to have to adjust to the next level," said Neale.

What to expect from Post 17 in 2023?

Rylance has been a catcher moving up, but will likely spend most of his time at first base this summer in order to protect his hard-throwing right arm for the mound. Heesch, Himmerich, Engstrom and Rawdon will man the other infield positions with Denzer, Roby, Wientjes, Buisker, Johnson and Beynon spending time in the outfield.

Hayden Ries, Mitch Olson, Talan Jurgens and Nash Berg are again spending the summer with the Junior Legion team that will be coached by Braxton Lacher and Jayden Cordell. All four could also see time with the Post 17 Legion team. Other JL team members include Blake Davis, Nathan Briggs, Max Dylla, Cole Hansen, Ashton Rabine, Markus Pitkin, Charles Larson and Jackson Espland.

Neale says defending state champion and perennial power Rapid City Post 22, which is scheduled to visit Watertown on WBA's Hall of Fame Weekend May 12-14, is again one of the teams to beat this summer. Brookings was the No. 1 overall seed heading into the state playoff last summer and should also be solid along with Yankton and Sioux Falls East.

Putting all the pieces together and any adjustment time needed for the Post 17 newcomers will go along way in determining the fate of the team. An improvement on offense also is a must.

"We're going to have to good team speed throughout the lineup," said Neale. "I think offense is the unknown part of the team right now. It was one of our weaknesses last year. Hopefully, by adding this younger group we can find a lineup that works for this group consistently."

The WBA will also field its four Class A baseball teams this summer: Red Sox (U16), Black Sox (U14), Grey Sox (U13) and White Sox (U13-14). Those teams don't start their seasons until late May.

Dylon Rawdon is one off nine players off Watertown Post 17's Junior Legion team that have moved up to play for Post 17's American Legion baseball team this summer. The Junior Legion squad went 36-14 last summer.
Dylon Rawdon is one off nine players off Watertown Post 17's Junior Legion team that have moved up to play for Post 17's American Legion baseball team this summer. The Junior Legion squad went 36-14 last summer.

2023 Team Schedules

Watertown Post 17

Friday, April 28: host Fargo Post 400, 7:30 p.m. (1 game); Saturday, April 29: host Fargo Post 400, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 30: host Fargo Post 400, 12:30 p.m.; Friday, May 5, at Fargo Post 400, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 6: at Fargo, Post 400, 3 p.m.; Sunday, May 7, at Fargo Post 400, 2 p.m.; Saturday, May 13: host Rapid City Post 22, 4 p.m.; Sunday, May 14: host Rapid City Post 22, noon; Tuesday, May 16: host Aberdeen, 5 p.m.; Thursday, May 18, host West Fargo, 5 p.m.; Saturday, May 20 at Rapid City Post 320, TBD; Sunday, May 21: at Rapid City Post 320, TBD; Thursday, May 25: at Aberdeen, 5 p.m.; Tuesday, May 30: host Groton, 5 p.m.; Wednesday, May 31: at Sioux Falls East, 5 p.m.

Thursday, June 1: host Harrisburg, 5 p.m.; Tuesday, June 6: host Yankton, 1 p.m.; Wednesday, June 7: host Sioux Falls West, 5 p.m.; Friday, June 9: at Harrisburg, 5 p.m.; Sunday, June 11: at Huron, 1 p.m.; Tuesday, June 13: at Pierre, 5 p.m.; Wednesday, June 14; host Mitchell, 5 p.m.; Friday-Monday, June 16-19: at Dakota Classic, Sioux Falls; Wednesday, June 21-25: at Creighton Prep Tournament (Omaha); Wednesday, June 28: host Renner, 5 p.m.; Thursday, June 29: at Brandon Valley, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, July 5: vs. Spearfish at Chamberlain, 3 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, July 7-9: at Gopher Classic (Twin Cities); Monday, July 9: at Marshall, Minn., 4 p.m. (1 Game); Wednesday, July 12: at Brookings, 5 p.m.; Saturday, July 15: host Fargo Post 2, 1 p.m.; Sunday, July 16: at West Fargo, noon; Thursday-Saturday, July 20-22: Super Regionals, TBD; Tuesday-Saturday, July 25-29: State tourney at Yankton.

Junior Legion

Friday, April 28: host Fargo Post 400, 5 p.m. (1 game); Saturday, April 29: host Fargo Post 400, 10 a.m..; Sunday, April 30: host Fargo Post 400, 10 a.m.; Friday, May 5, at Fargo Post 400, 5 p.m.; Saturday, May 6: at Fargo, Post 400, 10 a.m.; Sunday, May 7, at Fargo Post 400, 10 a.m.; Saturday, May 13: host Rapid City Post 22, 11 a.m.; Sunday, May 14: host Rapid City Post 22, 9 a.m. (1 game); Tuesday, May 16: at Aberdeen, 5 p.m.; Saturday, May 20 at Rapid City Post 320, TBD; Sunday, May 21: at Rapid City Post 320, TBD; Thursday, May 25: host Aberdeen, 5 p.m.; Tuesday, May 30: at Sioux Falls East, 5 p.m.; Wednesday, May 31: at Mitchell, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, June 6: at Yankton, 1 p.m.; Thursday, June 8: host Sioux Falls West, 5 p.m.; Wednesday, June 14: at Harrisburg II, 5 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, June 16-18: at Marshall (Minn.) Tournament; Friday-Sunday, July 23-25: at Sioux Falls Tournament; Wednesday, June 28: at Renner, 5 p.m.; Friday, June 30: host Brandon Valley, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, July 5: at Groton, 5 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, July 7-9: at West Fargo Tournament; Wednesday, July 12: host Brookings, 5 p.m.; Friday, July 14: host Pierre, 1 p.m.; Saturday, July 15: host Harrisburg, 1 p.m.; Friday-Sunday, July 21-23: Super Regionals, TBD; Thursday-Sunday, July 27-30: State tournament at Harrisburg.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: A preseason look at the Watertown Post 17 American Legion team.