sess, with the aggressive ten- dencies the players own, the new coach wants to exploit those strengths to put oppo- nents in uncomfortable posi- tions. “We’re going to play fast and push the pace,” Gaul said. “Meaning, we want to be ag- gressive in all aspects of the game, whether it’s on the mound or at the plate. That might be taking bases, or a hit and run, or a bunt and run, whatever it might be. We always want to try to get that extra bag. And then on the mound, we’re going to pitch with tempo and go fast. We want to make hitters as uncomfortable as possible. If you get that hitter uncomfortable, you’re going to see a lot more success on the mound.” Finding those advantages and exploiting them, that’s what all good teams do and Gilbert wants to make that leap this summer. The Tigers struggled at times a year ago en route to a 9- 21 overall record — the pro- gram’s first losing record in close to two decades — and a 5-10 mark in the Raccoon River Con- ference, but they saved their best baseball for late in the sea- son. They pulled off back-to- back postseason upsets over Benton Community and Saydel before falling to second-ranked and eventual state semifinalist Marion in the Class 3A substate final. And with so many players re-
Tommy McGuire, one of the handful of the seniors on this year’s roster, will look to step into that No. 1 spot in the rota- tion. He went 2-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 45 1 ⁄ 3 innings of work in 2024. McGuire allowed 61 hits and struck out 38 batters. Gaul also sees McGuire as a catalyst at the top of the lineup. The lefty stick seemingly always puts the ball in play and is a threat if he reaches base. Also, don’t forget his prowess as a center fielder, which saved the Tigers on several occasions dur- ing their postseason run last summer. “Tommy is going to play a huge role for us, whether it’s on the mound, at the plate, in the field, or all of the above,” Gaul said. “He’s a little spark plug at the top of the lineup, and then on the mound he’s just a bull- dog. He’s going to come at you with three or four pitches.” McGuire is one of four return- ing players that earned honor- able mention all-conference honors a season ago. Tripp Sturgill, Ean Eldred, and Blake Bell joined him. Alden Short, another senior, was the Tigers’ only first-team all-conference selection in 2024, and the versatile infielder did it by producing an outstanding season at the plate. He hit a team-high .457 with 32 hits, in- cluding eight doubles, and 12 RBIs. His on-base percentage
turning this summer, Gilbert seems poised to make a big leap forward if it can do the little things well. “We have a good core group coming back with a lot of experi- ence and I think we have a chance to be pretty good,” Gaul said. “But it’s going to depend on how hard the guys work. They have to buy in and play with confidence. “I’ve got some high hopes.
We’ve got talent on this team and if the guys put it all together, we could definitely shock some people.” It all starts on the mound, which also happens to be where the most noticeable hole from a season ago resides. Coal Myers, a 2024 graduate, pitched nearly 27 percent of all available innings last summer, and the Tigers rode his right arm in the postseason.
22 GAME ON | SUMMER 2025
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