The A Iola Indians took the field at the Humboldt Sports Complex to compete in an intrasquad scrimmage on Monday, being the first live action on the diamond since last summer for many area ballplayers.
For head coach John Taylor, it was a blessing from above to be on the ballfield after worrying the legion season might be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think we came out here the very first day when we practiced, and all of us were just ecstatic to be on the field, and the same thing today,” Taylor said. “It will feel a lot better when we are playing somebody else though. The kids are excited, and I haven’t seen them this excited in a long time.”
Originally, the Indians were slated to face Chanute on Monday and Wednesday of this week, but plans changed after Gov. Laura Kelly pushed back Stage 2 of her three-phase plan to open Kansas due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
After the games with Chanute were canceled, Taylor arranged those same dates with two intrasquad scrimmages.
TJ Taylor’s two diving catches in left field may have been the highlight of Monday’s scrimmage, but coach Taylor was more impressed by his team’s steady pitching.
“TJ made some really good plays, but I felt that at this point early on the season, our pitching is on point already,” Taylor said. “Our hitting is way behind where we are pitching and fielding, but we will catch up.”
Taylor emphasized the only way the Indians are going to improve their bats is through more repetition.
“Getting live at-bats Wednesday is really the only way we are going to get better, and by getting as many at-bats as we can,” Taylor said. “They didn’t have a high school season to hit live pitching, so we are a little bit behind where we were last year.”
Eighteen players competed in Monday’s scrimmage, with many of those faces being new ones. The A Indians lost key figures in their pitching rotation to the senior legion team, but the arms that were on display seemed fine-tuned.
What the Indians lack in quality will be made for in depth in 2020, according to Taylor.
“I think we are deeper than we were last year with pitching,” Taylor said. “We don’t have someone who is going to go out there and win every game on the mound, but I feel we have about seven kids that are going to be able to go out there and win games for us. And when they are on, they are going to be really dominant.”
Three out of the 18 players on the A Indians roster are also listed on the senior American Legion team. Eli Smith, Ryker Curry, and Nathan Louk all were a big part of the A Indians success a season ago.
And while the trio may not spend too much time on the field with the A Indians, Taylor hopes their previous encounters at the plate can shed some light on the first-year players.
“That is kind of why I want those guys around — you can’t beat experience,” Taylor said. “A lot of these other kids have been really good over the years playing USSSA traveling baseball, but have been playing kids their own age. I just want them to be able to learn from the older guys, and having them here really helps.”
