Silver Bay brought a young group into this year’s baseball season, and the early weeks have shown a team growing into the pace of varsity play. With only one senior and one junior, the Mariners are relying on underclassmen for every inning, and Wallin has been surprised by how quickly they’ve settled in.
“For such a young team, out the gate, we’re doing pretty well,” he said. “It’s surprising me a bit.”
The program has sixteen players from grades seven through twelve. That small number has forced the team to stretch, but it has also created an unusual advantage: every player gets attention and every mistake becomes a teaching moment.
“They’re able to get a lot of individual instruction, and that’s a good thing,” Wallin said. “We’ve got some really good young kids. We’re going to be pretty exciting in a couple of years.”
For now, the focus is on fundamentals. With seventh, eighth, and ninth graders in key roles, Wallin said he’s adjusted his approach to match their pace.
“With so many young kids, I’ve had to adapt my coaching style a little bit,” he said. “It’s made it fun. The younger kids are hungry and eager to learn.”
The Mariners’ most consistent strength so far has been their approach at the plate. Wallin has seen aggressive swings and long at bats.
“We’ve been having so many great at bats,” he said. “We’ve been hitting the ball really well. Our batting has been really fun to watch.”
Pitching remains the biggest project. The current roster of pitchers includes seventh graders, a ninth grader, and a couple of sophomores. It’s a group learning on the fly, and Wallin knows the season will hinge on how quickly they catch on.
“Pitching and defense wins games,” he said. “Once we get that dialed in and get the kids throwing strikes, we’ll hang in there.”
This spring also brought a major change to the coaching staff. Wallin lost the assistants he’d worked with for years, but the replacements have brought a different kind of energy. Both are Silver Bay alumni who once played for him: Mark Small, class of 2015, and Riley Tiboni, class of 2020.
“They were great students of the game,” Wallin said. “They know my style. I told them, just go out there and coach them up.”
Their presence has done more than fill a staffing gap.
“They’ve really rejuvenated me in a lot of ways,” he said. “I’ve been having a ton of fun.”
Leadership on the field falls to senior outfielder Jack Virginia, the team’s lone senior and captain. He’s balancing baseball with theater and a newly earned EMT certification, and the younger players have responded to him.
“Kids listen to him. They like him,” Wallin said. “He’s doing a good job.”
The Mariners are leaning into a fast, aggressive style of play. With a young roster and a small bench, they’ve embraced small ball and quick innings.
“We like to bunt and hit and run and steal,” Wallin said. “Our games have been pretty fast paced. We’ve been rolling.”
Spring weather has already forced postponements and long road trips, including a two‑and‑a‑half‑hour bus ride to Bram just to find a playable field for the season opener. More schedule shuffling is ahead, including a home doubleheader with Ely and Cook County and a still‑to‑be‑rescheduled game against Two Harbors.
One of the highlights on the calendar is a May 2 trip to Putz Field in St. Cloud, one of the top facilities in the state. The timing isn’t ideal; it’s the morning after prom, but with such a young roster, only two players are attending.
“We always try to do something special if we can,” Wallin said. “That’s our trip this year.”
For Wallin, the draw of coaching hasn’t changed. It’s the kids, the growth, the small moments that show how quickly a teenager can change from one spring to the next.
“They make me laugh. They make me swear. They make me cry,” he said. “It’s really watching the kids grow.”
