Vikings baseball starts out 0-4

Players convene around Vikings coach Jim Stewart at Colton April 1. The team is set to play next on Saturday for an 11 a.m. doubleheader at Endicott.

Garfield/Palouse and their 11-man roster is off to an 0-4 start to the baseball season, dropping doubleheaders to Liberty Christian and Colton.

Reconvening this week after spring break, the Vikings were set to play at Asotin for a doubleheader Wednesday.

The 2016 squad started with two seniors lost for the season before it began. Quentin Neumann went out with an illness after which he has not yet been cleared to play, and Ian Neibergs broke his hand at the 1B state basketball tournament in Spokane.

Returning starters for Gar/Pal are Wyatt Griner at pitcher/shortstop and Casey Mitzemberg at third base, both seniors. Junior Mason Bates is back at catcher while sophomore Evan Weaggraff pitches and plays shortstop. Seth Thompson, another sophomore, plays second base and outfield.

Neumann and Neibergs were both outfielders.

“Puts a little bit of a hole there,” said coach Jim Stewart.

Making up the lack are new players Michael Winslow, a senior, and Matt Anderson, sophomore, both of whom have not played baseball since sixth grade.

Rounding out the roster are freshmen Jacob Reed, Austin Stockart and Clayton Clarkson.

Opening the season against top league teams Colton and L.C. was a challenge.

“We got them out of the way, we'll see what happens now,” said Stewart.

Against Liberty Christian, Gar/Pal had to bow out of the second game – a 9-0 loss – due to a lack of players.