Though the Silver Bay baseball team was “pretty lean,” as Head Coach Ward Wallin noted early in the season, the squad may have had the smallest roster in Mariner history, according to him. Still, they delivered some big surprises.
“I was pretty skeptical at times at the start of the year,” he said. “But it was really a great season. We started the season as a young team and halfway through it, we decided they’re no longer a young team. They’re a veteran team. So, they kept getting better.”
Head Coach Ward Wallin attributes the team’s improvement to their growing experience throughout the season. As the players spent more time on the field and in practice, they began to understand the game better, and that growth showed in their play. The shift from a young, inexperienced team to a more confident and skilled group was a key factor in their progress.
“The kids just started learning the systems,” he said. “They got better at the fundamentals and their overall knowledge of the game. It was like a light bulb started coming on early on. They were unsure of themselves and unsure of what they were doing, and then…boom.”
He went on to add, “Their ability just improved. I mean everybody on the team was improving. I mean it. It was really cool.”
The Mariners had a standout performance against Deer River in their opening game of the Class A Sections on May 27. They pulled off a tight 12-10 win before moving on to face South Ridge. The second game of the day proved challenging, and they lost 20-1.
On May 29, the Mariners lost to Chisholm, bringing their season to a close. They finished with an overall record of 6-11.
“We actually could have gone a little further,” said the coach. “The biggest highlight was when we were playing Deer River in the playoff game and it was an elimination game. We were playing a really good ball game and we had it the whole game. Then it slipped away from us, and we fell behind. And it went to the bottom of the seventh inning.”
With their season on the line and the momentum slipping away, the Mariners dug deep for one final push and delivered a moment to remember.
“We were down three runs and it was a game that we were in complete control, and after a walk and a hit and another walk, Jacob Carpenter came up and he hit a walk off Grand Slam home run,” recounted Wallin. “It was a fantastic hit. Probably one of the better home runs in Mariner History. There’s been a couple others and that’s right up there.”
Carpenter and Wallin shared a quick conversation before he stepped up to the plate.
“I said, ‘Jacob, I want you to take a deep breath and take your time. You don’t necessarily have to swing at the first pitch,’” Wallin said. “The first pitch came down, it went right down the middle and he just cracked it. After the game he looked at me and he had a little smirk on his face. He said, ‘Coach, there’s no way I was letting that pitch by me.’ All I could say was, ‘I’m glad you didn’t.’”
It wasn’t the first time Carpenter had come through to save the day during his high school baseball career.
“Jacob Carpenter just had an absolute banner year, the best year he’s ever had as a baseball player,” said Wallin of the senior who took home Most Valuable Player, Top Offensive Player, Top Defensive Player, and the “Mr. K Award”, which goes to the pitcher with the most strikeouts.
Alongside Carpenter’s standout season, Jack Virginia also earned recognition. The senior-to-be was voted Most Improved Player by the team and received the Inspirational Teammate Award for the third time.
Rookie of the Year honors went to Levi Cook, an eighth grader making his varsity debut. Despite being one of the youngest players on the team, Levi quickly proved himself on the field.
“This was his first year playing varsity,” explained Wallin. “He had a pretty good year for us, too.”
In addition to the team awards, three players earned All-Conference honors: Jacob Carpenter, McCoy Williams, and Bryce Meeks. Carpenter was also named an All-District selection for District 7A.
“McCoy, he was just a freshman and he had a great season,” said Wallin. “He’s going to be a heck of a ball player down the road. He already is, but he’s really going to be a great Mariner baseball player in years to come.”
Next year’s roster features just one senior and “a whole bunch of sophomores” who, according to their coach, “are really going to be good.”
Wallin also reported that the roster includes freshmen who already have plenty of experience under their cleats.
“This was your classic rebuilding year,” said Wallin. “There were three or four games that I know we should have won, and our record would have been a little closer to .500. But we’re competitive in 90 to 95 percent of games, and that’s really what counts. We played some tough, really good teams where we were right there with them.”
Wallin is optimistic about what lies ahead for the Mariners. He believes the team’s dedication and growth this season have laid a strong foundation, and he’s confident that the future holds great promise for the program.
“We’re going to have really a good team in a few years as each of these kids gets older and a little more mature,” Wallin said. “I think in a few years we’re going to be a force to reckon with again.”
When it comes to numbers, Wallin is excited about some small players making big plays who will join the roster down the line.
“When you’re coaching small school ball, you’re looking way down the line to see what kind of kids are coming up,” Wallin said. “I know there’s three or four really good ballplayers coming up in our 6th graders, so that’ll be exciting to see how that pans out.”
Wallin encourages kids who have an interest in baseball to step up and get involved, knowing that every new player strengthens the team’s future.
“We still have a passion for baseball,” he said. “I hope we have more kids that are going to come out and play. We’ve had a great tradition of playing Mariner baseball and I just want to keep that rolling.” Congratulations to the Mariners on a hard-fought season and best of luck in seasons to come!
