Members of the 2017 Waterloo High School baseball team are, from left, front row, Trey Hoffmann, Tyler Stanley, Ian Hughes, Lucas Goodsell, Carter Chiasson, Danny Tharp and Brendan Young; second row: Gage Byrd, Jake O’Daniel, Bryce Kirk, Arnie Eckart, Dallas Morrow, Mitchell Marlow and Nolen Smith; and back row: Noah Heinemann, Dylan Siebenberger, Hayden Bender, Erik Kaiser, Derek Smothers, Ben Maurer and Quinten Albrecht. (Kermit Constantine photo)

A Waterloo High School baseball team that lost plenty of star power from last season’s 27-7 squad features plenty of players who are eager to step up and shine in 2017.

“We have some older guys who haven’t had a chance to play much at varsity,” longtime Waterloo head coach Mark Vogel said. “Hopefully they can show us something early on and help lead this team.”

Gone are standouts Jordan McFarland, Tyler McAlister, Noah Thaggard, Kane Osterhage and several others from the 2016 team, which won the Mississippi Valley Conference crown and a regional title before falling to Freeburg in the sectional final.

McFarland (Arkansas) and McAlister (Missouri State) are playing NCAA Division I baseball, with Thaggard and Osterhage now at SWIC — the former for baseball and latter for soccer.

The 2017 Bulldogs feature a couple of Division I products as well in senior fireballer Erik Kaiser and junior catcher Quinn Albrecht…>>>

Read the rest of this story as part of the Spring Sports Preview in the March 22 issue of the Republic-Times. If you don’t already receive the paper, you can subscribe by calling 939-3814 or clicking here, or pick up a copy at any of these locations.