With March in full swing, it means only one thing, Baseball.  Highlander baseball is already 4 games into their 2018 season and has shown signs of being a playoff contender early in the season.  After splitting with Medaille College, the Highlanders swept the University of Valley Forge to garner a 3-1 record early on.  

There are several bright spots for the Highlanders early on, and will likely have a plethora of contributors to the playoff cause.  The infield may be the Highlanders biggest bright spot, with several offensive powerhouses manning the infield positions.  Jacob Allen returns for his 5th year with the team in the leadoff spot and has potential to hit upwards on .400 this season.  Nate Wilson is firmly supplanted as the Highlanders shortstop and will supply a healthy amount of the power numbers for Cairn University this season.  The corners are an area of concern, as Daniel Morales is locked in as the starting first baseman, but third base is up for grabs.  Alejandro Fernandez and Emilio Alvarez have split time there early on, but look for Daniel Bierc to get reps there as well after his hot start to the season.  Finally, Brett Marks returns as the starting catcher for the Highlanders.  He returns after a freshman season where he hit over .300 as the starting catcher for Cairn.

In the outfield, Brian Amantia has already made his mark as the starting center fielder for Cairn, going yard in only his 3rd career game against the University of Valley Forge.  Amantia possesses speed and power that will cause a problem for many CSAC teams.  Andrew Phillips returns and will start at one of the corner outfield positions.  Phillips enjoyed success as a consistent slap hitter last season and will look to continue his consistency this season.  Freshman Adam Juarez appears to be the other outfield starter in the early going, but there are a variety of other players vying for that spot, including Emilio Alvarez who has shown the ability to play the outfield as well.

On the bump for Cairn, Sam Drake returns as the ace after leading the team in wins and ERA just a season ago.  With Dralle’s fastball sitting in the mid 80’s with a solid collection of off speed as well, teams will have trouble getting to Dralle once conference play begins.  Daniel Morales looks to be slotted as the #2 starter for Cairn.  Morales, a lefty, brings consistent heat and devastating off speed to the table, and will look to keeps teams off balance with his nasty curveball.  Other pitchers that will be relied on include Carson Conradt, Albert Taylor, Matt Trotman, Eric Stinglen, and Issac Morrison.

The future is bright for Cairn Baseball, and Head Coach Phill Shallenberger certainly has some bright young talent to utilize in his quest to obtain a CSAC playoff berth this upcoming season.