Columbus North’s Connor Hensley pitches to Whiteland in the sectional championship May 29, 2023 at East Central.
The Republic file photo
The Columbus North baseball team has high hopes for the 2024 season after winning a sectional title in its first year under coach Mike Bodart.
The Bull Dogs return most of the key pieces from that 17-11 team, including four who have committed to play in college. Three of those are pitchers.
“We have a lot of innings coming back and good production,” Bodart said. “Our hope is, that experience carries through come game time.”
Bodart’s optimism was heightened by what he saw in Wednesday’s scrimmage at perennial power Brownsburg.
“We got to see a lot of good things,” Bodart said. “It was chilly, but we had some guys produce some hits, and pitchers looked fine for the weather.”
North lost its top pitcher and hitter in Luke Harmon, who was The Republic Baseball Player of the Year and now is playing at Franklin College. But seniors Connor Hensley (IU Columbus), Blake Osbourne (Taylor) and Ryan Rayburn (Vincennes) all return to the mound, along with senior Zach McLean.
Hensley went 3-1 with two saves and a 3.40 ERA, and Osbourne went 3-2 with a 1.27 ERA as the Bull Dogs’ Nos. 2 and 3 starters. McLean went 4-1 with a 3.73 ERA.
Rayburn and junior Joey Fry pitched mostly in relief last season. Juniors Jayce Emmitt and Lane Schraeder saw a little varsity action. Sophomore Javier Uscanga, a move-in from Mexico, also could see some innings on the mound.
Another college recruit, senior Dillon James (Frontier) returns at shortstop after batting .273 with 15 RBIs and leading North with two triples and three home runs. Hensley, who batted .303 and led the Bull Dogs with 20 RBIs, returns at second base.
McLean (.276, 15 RBIs), is back at first base, where Rayburn and sophomore Brock Kintner also could see action. Fry returns at third. Jesse Clark will play second when Hensley is pitching, and Kintner could play some at third.
Columbus North’s Blake Osbourne bats against Seymour April 27, 2023 at the Southside diamonds.
The Republic file photo
Osbourne (.301, 13 RBIs) returns in center field. Junior Jackson Newman, Emmitt, Kintner and sophomore Macario Mendez are battling for spots in left and right field. Mendez will play center when Osbourne is pitching.
Sophomores Sam Perry and Jayden Adorno are battling for the starting catching job.
Senior Rylan Wormer could play first or third, and junior Tito Heredia could fill in at second.
“We’re working at it,” Bodart said. “We feel good about where we are. We got outside over the winter time and were able to cover a lot of stuff ahead of time. We have guys that are coming in and working hard and doing the right things on and off the field.”
North opens the season next week with five games in five days. Four of those are at home, beginning with an April 1 matchup against Roncalli.
“Our goal is always to get better as the season progresses and then go as far as we can go,” Bodart said. “Obviously, sectional is a goal that we set that we hope to attain every year. We just want to make sure we’re representing Columbus North the way it’s supposed to be represented.”
The 2024 Columbus North baseball schedule:
April 1 vs. Roncalli, 6 p.m.
April 2 vs. East Central, 6 p.m.
April 3 at Jeffersonville, 6 p.m.
April 4 vs. Bloomington North, 6 p.m.
April 5 vs. Decatur Central, 5:30 p.m.
April 9 vs. Batesville, 6 p.m.
April 13 at Silver Creek (DH), noon
April 16 at Franklin Central, 5:30 p.m.
April 18 vs. Jennings County, 5:30 p.m.
April 19 vs. Floyd Central, 6 p.m.
April 20 at Noblesville, 1 p.m.
April 23 at Southport, 6 p.m.
April 25 at Seymour, 6 p.m.
April 26 at Cathedral, 5:30 p.m.
April 27 at Terre Haute North, 11 a.m.
April 29 at Shelbyville, 5:30 p.m.
May 2 at Greenwood, 5:30 p.m.
May 3 vs. Columbus East, 7 p.m.
May 7 at Westfield, 6 p.m.
May 8 vs. Bloomington South, 6 p.m.
May 11 vs. Terre Haute South, 11 a.m.
May 13 vs. Fishers, 6:30 p.m.
May 17 at Center Grove, 6 p.m.
May 18 at Carmel Greyhound Invitational, 9 a.m.
