By Ray Hamill — It’s been a season of adjustments in more ways than one for this year’s Fortuna baseball team, but the Huskies are coming together as they continue to build towards league play next month.
New head coach Andy Petersen has taken over the program from Max Betts, and despite having a pair of early-season tournaments canceled on them, the Huskies have managed to get in some much-needed games.
Over the weekend, after the cancelation of the Fort Bragg tournament, Petersen and his players picked up two games at the last minute, traveling to the Bear River Casino and Resort to face off against St. Bernard’s and Arcata.
And while they lost both of those games, a group of athletic Fortuna players are adapting to both their new coach and new roles for many of them.
“We’re coming together,” Petersen said. “We’re playing people at a lot of new spots, so it’s a great opportunity for them to grow and experience new parts of the game.”
With nine seniors on a roster of 12, experience shouldn’t be a problem for this year’s team, and it’s a group of players that are close knit.
And that’s making the transition for the new coach a little easier.
“We have a good camaraderie,” Petersen said. “The team seems to all get along. They seem to encourage each other and push each other in practice.”
Seniors Mariqus Ludd and Chandler Crenshaw have been leading the way and both players are expected to play key roles this spring.
Ludd will help set the tone for his teammates from behind the plate when he’s not on the mound, while Crenshaw has lined up at several different spots so far this season and has been impressing at all of them.
“He’s been incredible wherever we have a need,” Petersen said of Crenshaw, who has seen time at catcher, first base, shortstop and third base. “We’ve been able to put him at a lot of spots and he’s really come through for us.”
Sophomore Tanner Franklin also has impressed early in the season, particularly in a pair of starts on the mound.
“He’s done a great job,” Petersen said of Franklin, who also has seen time at first base and shortstop when he’s not pitching. “He’s really stood out wherever we’ve put him.
“He’s an exciting player to have, and it’s exciting to watch him grow both physically and mentally.”
With just 12 players on the roster, Petersen doesn’t have a lot of depth and it hasn’t helped matters losing influential senior Hunter Reback to injury for much of the early season.
The multi-sport Huskies standout was injured in the opening game, but he should be back in the lineup soon and Petersen is expecting big things out of him this spring.
“We’re hoping to get him back for the next game,” the coach said of the versatile Reback, who will play as a catcher, shortstop and pitcher. “He’s been a strong voice for us. We’re excited to get him back.”
Overall, Petersen likes a lot of what he’s seen from his new team so far and the attitude the players bring to practice every day.
“I like that we have a bunch of athletes,” he said. “We’re trying them at different spots so they can gain exposure.
“And I like their resilience. They’re ready to play every inning every day. They’re fighting in every game, every at-bat, every play.”
It’s also a group of players that is driven to get better.
“I have a great group of kids who are focused and business oriented, and that’s been wonderful for a first-year coach,” Petersen added. “They’re working hard and getting along great, and it’s a great atmosphere to be a part of.”
The Huskies, who are 1-4, are scheduled to play four more games this week, if the weather cooperates.
They are scheduled to play Hayfork at Ferndale on Thursday (2 p.m.), followed by a home game against Ferndale on Friday (6 p.m.) and a doubleheader at home against Point Arena on Saturday (11 a.m. and 2 p.m.).
