Cubs return to Worthington

WORTHINGTON — After a seven-year absence, a wooden bat team has found itself once again in Worthington.

The team, part of the First Nite League, will join various organizations such as Wilmont, Jackson, Windom and Heron Lake in an amateur baseball league where the players swing wooden bats instead of the aluminum used in high school and college.

The Worthington Cubs haven’t been in existence since 2005, when the team had to disassemble because there weren’t enough players. Many of the remaining players traveled each week to Wilmont to be a part of that team.

But under the organization of Josh Wasmund, there is enough interest once again to have a team in Worthington.

“I played for the Cubs back when they had a team and they just fell apart,” Wasmund said. “There weren’t enough kids that wanted to play. But Wilmont got crowded, so I decided to try to get a team together here.”

Wasmund, who will be the coach and first baseman for the Cubs, graduated from Worthington High School in 2001. He played baseball at Minnesota West for a couple of seasons before taking a job with the Worthington girls’ softball team as an assistant coach.

Joining Wasmund is Jerrad Meinders, who will be the Cubs’ bench coach as well as their third baseman. Meinders has been in both the First Nite and Gopher leagues for quite some time now, playing for teams such as Wilmont and Heron Lake.

Both coaches are excited to bring a team to Worthington once again.

“I love to play the game and I wanted to start the Cubs so more people could get on the field,” Wasmund said. “The closest team previously was in Wilmont and since you can only play nine at a time, you had 11 people not getting to play.

“I think with the amount of people around the area who just want to play, this will be a good thing for Worthington.”

Wasmund said one thing he is most looking forward to is having to drive just four blocks to get to a home game instead of making a 14 minute drive.

Another thing both coaches are excited about is having more of an opportunity to be out on the field because the bench won’t be as crowded.

“On the teams around here, there was just kind of an overkill of players,” Meinders said. “There’s plenty of close teams people can play on, but me and Josh wanted to keep local home kids here that way their families and friends can come out to watch the games without having to travel far.”

And luckily for interested players, anyone is welcome to play.

There is no age limit in the league, so the Worthington team consists of high school-aged kids to middle-aged adults.

However, with the key differences between wood bats and aluminum bats and with older players participating, Wasmund suggests that people who sign up for the team have some experience under their belts.

“There really isn’t an age limit, but you don’t want someone who is inexperienced or can’t handle it,” Wasmund said.

“The wooden bat has the sweet spot the size of a dime, whereas a metal bat has about three inches. So you have to hit it on that precise spot. We’re going to be playing against college and adult players. It will be harder competition, but I still think it’s a great experience for the younger kids.”

There are still spots open on the roster. The Cubs have enough players to compete, but wouldn’t mind having a little bit more cushion to their roster.

Anyone interested should contact any member of the Cubs team. To find more information, please visit: http://www.ballcharts.com/teams/index.php?team=wgtncubs.

“This league is a lot more difficult than what you’re going to see in high school ball just because you’re playing with more experienced people,” Meinders said. “But if you keep working at the difficulties, you’ll find it’s very enjoyable. And that’s what it comes down to. We’re all here because we love and enjoy playing the sport and weren’t ready to give it up after high school or college.”

Daily Globe Sports Reporter Jocelyn Syrstad can be reached at 376-7335.

Wasmund said one thing he is most looking forward to is having to drive just four blocks to get to a home game instead of making a 14-mile drive.

Another thing both coaches are excited about is having more of an opportunity to be out on the field because the bench won’t be as crowded.

“On the teams around here, there was just kind of an overkill of players,” Meinders said. “There’s plenty of close teams people can play on, but me and Josh wanted to keep local home kids here that way their families and friends can come out to watch the games without having to travel far.”

And luckily for interested players, anyone is welcome to play.

There is no age limit in the league, so the Worthington team consists of high school-aged kids to middle-aged adults.

However, with the key differences between wood bats and aluminum bats and with older players participating, Wasmund suggests that people who sign up for the team have some experience under their belts.

“There really isn’t an age limit, but you don’t want someone who is inexperienced or can’t handle it,” Wasmund said.

“The wooden bat has the sweet spot the size of a dime, whereas a metal bat has about three inches. So you have to hit it on that precise spot. We’re going to be playing against college and adult players. It will be harder competition, but I still think it’s a great experience for the younger kids.”

There are still spots open on the roster. The Cubs have enough players to compete, but wouldn’t mind having a little bit more cushion to their roster.

Anyone interested should contact any member of the Cubs team. Wasmund can be reached at (507) 360-5451 for more information.

“This league is a lot more difficult than what you’re going to see in high school ball just because you’re playing with more experienced people,” Meinders said. “But if you keep working at the difficulties, you’ll find it’s very enjoyable. And that’s what it comes down to. We’re all here because we love and enjoy playing the sport and weren’t ready to give it up after high school or college.”

Cubs open up play May 13 at Worthington Middle School.

Daily Globe Sports Reporter Jocelyn Syrstad can be reached at 376-733

Tags: sports, baseball