The Bryant & Stratton College baseball team has seen drastic improvements since its inaugural 2018 season. In the Bobcats first season, they finished at 2-28, and in the second season they improved drastically, finishing at 11-24. New Bobcats head coach Alex Tomter believes the team could see yet another great year for development. 

The Bobcats have several great opportunities to prove themselves in the coming season. The first, and most prevalent, will occur on March 4 in the season opener, taking on Iowa Central Community College at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, in Minneapolis, MN.

"I would say the experience of playing at a professional venue like [U.S. Bank Stadium] will be something that we are really looking forward to", said Tomter. "We also have a huge challenge that day. We are playing Iowa Central, who is an absolute powerhouse, so that game is definitely circled for us."

Madison College is a huge game, being one of the favorites in the NJCAA Region IV, but Tomter has his eyes set on another key matchup. "Milwaukee Area Technical College would be a huge step for us. You have that sort of cross-town rivalry that will be fun for everybody. All of the players know each other a little bit so we are really looking forward to that one." The Bobcats are 1-3 against MATC all time. 

Several key players will look to make their returns this season. Catchers Ryan Kalinowski and Alec Spang are two of the stars of the roster and will be in the lineup for most games, according to Tomter. With two strong players at the same position, Tomter has several strategies to get both catchers in the lineup. "We play in a lot of double headers, and personally I don't like to have one catcher in both legs of these games,"  he said. "Ryan will see some time at the corners, and Spang will see his fair share of designated hitting duties. They are both pretty flexible and unselfish guys, and you love seeing that from two of your best players."

Overall, the large majority of athletic programs here at Bryant & Stratton have seen steady improvement since their inaugural seasons, and baseball appears to be no exception. The Bobcats kick off its season on March 4 in Minneapolis against Iowa Central before heading to Tuscon, AZ on March 11. The home opener will be on April 11 against Milwaukee Area Technical College at Trenary Field in Menomonee Falls.

By Brady Connors