By Kaleb Moore
Staff writer
IG: @kalebmoore05
The Hutchinson Community College baseball team has experienced lots of success this season, leaping to a 28-13 record through the first two-thirds of the season. This can be attributed to the stellar offense, with a team .336 batting average and combined 357 runs scored so far.
The pitching side, however, has had its fair share of difficulties to begin the season. The combined team ERA of 6.43 is far from where the team needs it to be, but although the unit as a whole hasn’t been spectacular, there are still good things happening.
Trenton Roehler is in his second season as a Blue Dragon, and he has looked great so far this season. Across 43 innings pitched, Roehler has posted a 3.56 ERA while striking out 60 batters in the process.
“I think my success has come from just trusting the process,” Roehler said. “(Coach Brock) Nehls and Wheeler have really helped me develop and gave me the opportunities to grow as a player and as a leader.”
Roehler has made strides in his game, as he has improved on his overall strikeout numbers as well as his run prevention. This comes from his newfound confidence and tweaked arsenal.
“I added a slider this year that has helped a lot, having four pitches makes pitching a lot easier to have success as I only had three pitches last year,” Roehler said.
There is no doubt Roehler has looked great on the mound this season, but he has also been a major presence in the clubhouse and has helped guys take the necessary steps forward to get better.
Brock Nehls, the Blue Dragons’ coach, has taken notice of Roehler’s leadership.
“Trenton is a guy we have relied heavily on to lead our pitching staff. He has been through it before and understands what it takes to be a successful college pitcher,” Nehls said. “Trenton has led by example each day in the way that he works and prepares. We know that every time he is on the mound, he is going to give us an opportunity to win that game”.
Roehler is treasured by his teammates, and they will continue to grow as a team. There will be more pain as the year nears the close, but Roehler and his fellow pitchers will grind it out nonetheless.
“We have a really good group of guys and it’s fun to be a part of this pitching staff,” Roehler said.
