The bitter taste of a regional championship loss to Okawville still remains for the Valmeyer High School baseball team, which is trying to reverse its fortunes in 2016.

The Pirates, who are 2-2 in the early going this spring, finished at 17-17 in 2015, winning a share of the Cahokia Conference’s Kaskaskia Division with Dupo in the process. Valmeyer is coached by Greg Reinhardt.

Some key members of last year’s team return, including recent SWIC signee Mark Nappier. The senior catcher hit .381 last season with five home runs and 30 RBIs.
Nappier, who is just one hit shy of 100 total hits for his VHS varsity career entering play this week, went 3-for-4 in the season-opening win over the St. Louis Pirates.

When regular shortstop Cole Juelfs, a sophomore, is pitching, Nappier will fill in at that position.

Juelfs hit .293 with 20 RBIs as a freshman and looks to improve with a year of varsity experience under his belt. He will bat in the cleanup spot of the order in 2016.
Valmeyer’s top hitter and winningest pitcher last season, junior Easton Wallace, also returns. He hit .455 with 50 hits, 38 RBIs, 28 runs and nine stolen bases in 2015.

Wallace went 2-for-4 in the season opener, showing he still has his stroke.

On the mound, Wallace posted a perfect 6-0 record in 2015 with a 1.81 ERA in 40 innings pitched.

Joining Wallace for mound duty this season will be junior Drake Hicks along with sophomores Juelfs, Michael Chism, Drew Maus, Andrew Whipple and freshman Logan Seidler.

Chism, a southpaw, posted a 2-2 record in 26 innings pitched last season.

Another important cog in the offensive machine for the Pirates is sophomore outfielder Jake Krekel, who hit .349 as a freshman with 21 RBIs. Krekel went 2-for-3 with two doubles in the season opener.

Sophomore Tyler Kempfer will play third base and catch and will be counted on to drive in runs for the Pirates this spring.

In the season opener, Kempfer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Other starters on the 2016 squad will be outfielders Ryan Brinkman, a sophomore, and junior Erik Wallace.

The Pirates are still relatively young and hope that experience gained last year translates to big things this spring.