Former ROWVA star Thad King, who has a .341 batting average in two seasons at Monmouth College, is a two-time All-Midwest Conference selection.

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth College baseball coach Roger Sander has assembled a squad that has a pitching staff as large as a major league team. If the quality of those arms matches the quantity, the Fighting Scots could be as successful in 2004 as many believe Sander’s beloved Chicago Cubs will be.

“We don’t have that one go-to guy,” said Sander when discussing his staff, which will get its first action Saturday in a doubleheader in Florida. “But we didn’t have that going into last year either, and both Beau Hellman and Toby Lannholm emerged as our aces. In a two-year span, we’ve lost five really good pitchers (including 2002 graduates Ryan Johnson, Joe Larkins and Adam Schweitzer), but I really believe that our pitching staff will be even better this year. We’re more balanced top to bottom.”

Sander, whose squad won the Midwest Conference’s South Division last season and finished 17-17 overall, has a staff that breaks down neatly to three seniors, three up-and-coming hurlers in their second year at MC and four newcomers with considerable promise. Getting the nod on Opening Day will be junior Steve Myros, who transferred to Monmouth last season after a year at Illinois Wesleyan.

“Steve will get the ball on Opening Day, but I feel I have seven guys who could deservedly get that start,” said Sander.

Other familiar names include Adam Carlson, who has a 10-4 record and 4.09 ERA in three seasons at MC, and seniors John Scudella (1-1, 4.30 last season) and Lukas Atkins. Sophomore Matt Engelhardt (1-0, 3.72) and Kevin Meinhart were highly-touted recruits last year, and the 2003 recruiting class brought in pitchers like Steve Mumma (Rock Island), Jeremy Kafka (Huntley), James Sepich (Washington) and Clint Dintelman (Wesclin). Junior Mason Abner, who won one of the Scots’ NCAA regional games is 2002, might also emerge if he can regain his freshman form.

“They all bring different strengths, although none of them are what you would call flamethrowers,” said Sander of his staff. “They all mix it up. They’re true pitchers.”

It is almost as hard for Sander to name a starting catcher as it for him to predict who his No. 1 pitcher will be.

“Our catchers might be an even bigger plus than our pitchers,” said Sander, who will enter his 11th season as Monmouth’s head coach with a record of 180-149-1. “It may be the deepest spot on the team.”

Two players familiar to local prep fans – Monmouth’s Josh Hall and Southern’s Josh Ragar – enter their second season with the Scots. Ragar started 13 games and hit .295, while Hall played in 24 games, batting .254. Sophomore transfer Tanner Scott, improved junior Matt Murphy and newcomers Joe Bratta and Anthony Russo make the position six-deep.

“I’m hoping one of the players will take the job and run with it,” commented Sander, who noted that a reserve catcher from two seasons ago, Dustin White, couldn’t displace All-MWC backstop Taylor Thiel but found a new home at third base. “I’ve been working Josh Ragar at third and Josh Hall at first to find ways to keep them both in the lineup.”

Although several newcomers were added, Sander feels the duties in the infield will be handled mainly by veterans. Juniors Alan Betourne (.265), Tristan Reimolds (.289) and Thad King (.355) and sophomore Rickey Barnett (.269) are expected to start at first, second, short and third, respectively. Betourne was a second team All-MWC selection last year. Other veterans in the mix are the injured Scott Taylor at first, Lukas Young at short and Chad Goad, an All-MWC player in 2002, at third.

“Thad is just a quiet leader,” said Sander of the ROWVA product, who had seven steals, eight sacrifices and 16 RBI last spring. “He leads by example, he works hard and he’s a well-rounded player.”

While King is a two-time All-MWC performer, the team’s marquee returning player is All-MWC center fielder Jason Salmon, who hit an incredible .455 last year, scoring 42 runs and stealing 16 bases.

“Jason’s a great player, and we talked the other day about why he was so good for us last year,” said Sander. “Number one, he worked hard to get there. Number two, he was red-shirted at Black Hawk (in 2002), and for that season, he had something taken away from him. He came to us with a point to prove.”

Consider it proven, and the scary thing is, he could get better. Salmon has been competing on the Scots’ indoor track team, looking for ways to improve his already considerable speed. He’ll enter his final track meet of the season as the MWC’s fifth-ranked long jumper and 12th-ranked 55-meter dash man.

Flanking Salmon in Sander’s Opening Day outfield will be junior Steve Turner (.281) in left and sophomore Matt Gordon in right. Freshmen Scott Coles and Jerad Beckler are also vying for playing time.

“Steve Turner played a lot as a freshman, but he got caught in a numbers crunch last year,” said Sander. “I made a decision that I’m going to find a way for him to be out on the field. He epitomizes everything I ask for from my team. He’s an extremely hard worker.”

Sander plans to bat Turner third in the lineup behind Salmon and King, while Gordon will be the clean-up hitter. The designated hitter spot could be a revolving door, working into the lineup players who come in No. 2 at their position.

“I like the fact that the kids have put in the time,” said Sander, when asked to characterize his squad. “I challenged them after last season to get in better shape and to really commit to baseball. You could say they’re a ‘leaner and meaner’ group.

“As for our strengths, I think we have a little of everything,” he added. “We can hit for power a little bit and we can run a little bit, especially at the top of the order.”

Once they touch down in Florida, the Scots will be thrown right into the fire, playing six games in 36 hours, including a doubleheader against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute less than four hours after their flight is scheduled to arrive.

“We open with the 30th-ranked team in the nation,” said Sander of RPI, who added, “I don’t think we should have to play 12 games in seven days, but that’s the way we have to do things. We’re just trying to survive Florida.”

After the spring break trip, the Scots will turn their focus on regional action, including seven dates at Monmouth College’s beautiful Glasgow Field. Sander hopes to win the MWC South and keep on winning, capturing the MWC tourney (which the South champ will host), an NCAA regional and, ultimately, the College World Series.

“I believe in setting my goals high,” he said. “I don’t want us to settle for mediocrity. Two years ago, anybody who saw us in our NCAA regional would say we were as good as any team out there. I believe we’ll get it done someday.”

Veterans rounding out Sander’s squad include James Kohlbacher, Tyler Snyder, Kyle Gibbs, Jeff Tucker and Trenton Jordan. Other newcomers include John Gerrity, Justin Breen, Tom Lenger, Josh Devera, Patrick Malartsik, Josh Thomas, John Tiffy, Marty Tijerina, Nick Carlton, Brian Ehle, Kyle Eick, Chris Gosda, Phil Kapper, Ryan Morrison and Ross Reedy.