Tribe is working to rebuild

A year ago Fort Recovery won its opening game. And it also picked up victories in each of its final two contests.
But in between, the Indians struggled.
After defeating Fairlawn 8-7 in its season opener, the Tribe lost 18 straight before picking up consecutive victories over Memorial (St. Marys) and Botkins to close out the year. So, there is a lot of work to be done by first-year coach Jerry Kaup and his young Indians this season.
“I would like to see good, crisp baseball,” said Kaup, who has been an assistant in the FRHS baseball and softball programs for 13 seasons. “We’d like to try to build a competitive team and develop some of the young players.”
Fort Recovery will not have a junior varsity team again this season as Kaup enters the year with just 11 players, none of them seniors. There are only two juniors on the squad, which includes five freshmen.
“It is a game, but I really do have some expectations,” said Kaup. “For instance, we’re really young, but we can not use the excuse when something happens that we’re really young.
“We really have to expect to make the play, to make the adjustment, and get the job done.”
The most experienced hitter on the team is sophomore Shane Pottkotter, who hit .264 in 34 at bats last season. He also is the returning leader in hits (nine) and runs (three).
Hayden Pottkotter, a junior, went hitless in 10 at bats last season, but drew 10 walks and scored three runs, and Alex Thien is the only returning player to drive in a run last season with three RBIs.
Ryan Gaerke is the other junior on the team, joining sophomores Chad Schroer, Gabe Reigle, Alex Thien and Shane Pottkotter, and freshmen Trent Dues, Elijah Kahlig, Jacob Muhlenkamp, Kent Retz and Collin O’Dell.
“We need to remain aggressive, but learn the strike zone a little better,” said Kaup, whose team went 0-5 in its first week of the season. “I want them to drive the baseball. … One of the things that I’ve been hammering with these guys is that if you’re going to hit, you have to hit with power. And that means, when you hit a ball in the gap, it gets to the fence ...”
“It’s going to be a rotation,” Kaup added of the defensive lineup. “We have 11 kids. Nine are pitching. All the kids are playing outfield positions. All the kids are playing infield positions. There is nothing set in stone. … Hopefully we’ll be able to develop that or have a better feel as we go through the season.”
Although several of the returning players pitched for the Indians last season, none earned a victory. Everyone on the roster except Reigle and Dues will work on the mound this season.
“We have to work more on our durability and stamina,” said Kaup. “We may pitch well for a stretch … but then as the game goes on we need to work on our stamina, both physically and mentally, to compete and continue.”
Joining Kaup, the team’s third coach in four seasons, to lead the Indians will be assistant coaches Jared Briscoe and Harold Fiely. Briscoe is one of the best pitchers in Ohio Northern University history, ranking first in career complete games (31), second in innings pitched (285.1) and fourth in wins (23).
Despite the team’s youth and overall inexperience, Kaup was not shy about setting goals.
He said he’s hoping to reclaim the sectional title — FRHS won three straight crowns from 2006 through ’08 and played for the district title twice in that span — and be competitive in the district. And he said he hopes to instill in the squad the qualities he feels are necessary to succeed.
“I think you have to have commitment,” Kaup said. “I think you have to have trust. And I think you have to have a continuous desire to improve and learn.”[[In-content Ad]]