While the spring season is several months away, baseball season is already beginning at the Vermilion campus of Minnesota North College.
The school has one of the largest incoming recruiting classes in program history, with fall workouts beginning this weekend and the first in a series of scrimmages coming up on Sept. 6.
Two Ely American Legion players will be two of 17 freshmen in the Vermilion program.
Pitcher-outfielder Louie Panichi and pitcher-outfielder- infielder Talen Jarshaw are both part of a group that will be looking for playing time as the Ironhawks retool after a 20-win season last spring.
They were part of an Ely Legion team that won 19 games, finished sixth in the state tournament here and placed second in the Northeast Substate. Both figure to contribute for the Ironhawks.
Panichi was an All-State Class A selection in high school baseball and hit .468 during the Legion season while Jarshaw picked up five pitching wins in Legion. Both attended North Woods and were multiyear All-Arrowhead Conference honorees.
“It’s always nice to get some local players on to the roster, and I’m excited and happy to have Louie and Talen in our program,” said head coach Tom Coombe. “Both are very capable of contributing at this level.”
Graduation took some toll on the Vermilion roster, but reinforcements arrive this weekend in the form of the large recruiting class.
The group includes:
• Caiden Peters, P-3B, Inver Grove Heights;
• Brecken Boisvert, P-1BOF, Chippewa Falls. Wi.;
• Charlie Rud, SS-2B, Hastings;
• Garrett Babcock, C, Neodesha, KS;
• Shay Sanchez, C-IF, Maplewood;
• Kyle Self, P, Morgantin, NC;
• Bailey Garrett, P, Mount Calm, TX;
• Bauer Houge, 1B-C-P, St. Paul;
• Zach Gibson, 3B-P, Sparta, WI;
• Hunter Oswald, OF-P, Hudson, WI;
• Matthew Riehl, 2B-SS-P, Durban, Manitoba;
• Elijah Brenyo, C-P, Orlando, FL;
• Braddrick Baldwin, 2BOF, Atlanta, GA;
• Isaac Iverson, 2B-P, Fergus Falls;
• Brandon Rucka, OF-1B-P, East Bernard, TX.
The first-year players will join about 14 holdovers from the 2024 team, including all-region catcher Martin Cubillan (St. Paul) and all-division selections TJ Frein (1B-P, Bloomington), Andrew Ritter (SS-P, South St. Paul) and Jo Jo Taverna (P, Bloomington).
“I think we have a very solid nucleus coming back and experience means a lot at our level,” said Coombe. “Add these new guys to the mix and we have some depth. The fall will be very important for us as we try to figure some things out.”
Vermilion hosts Itasca (Sept. 11) and Rainy River (Oct. 9) in fall scrimmages at Veterans Memorial Field, and the Ironhawks also have their annual alumni game on Saturday, Sept. 27.
