Capahas eager to build off last season's finish at World Series

With the Plaza Tire Capahas, it's never a question of whether they will have a good season.

That's a given.

The question is how good?

Last year the answer was very good as the Capahas went 32-8 and finished seventh at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan.

"It was a good team," manager Jess Bolen said. "We had a good bunch of guys."

Bolen begins tonight his 42nd season in charge of what is believed to be the nation's oldest amateur baseball team. The Capahas host Valmeyer, Ill., at 8 p.m.

The Capahas also have 1 p.m. doubleheaders at home Saturday and Sunday.

"We're anxious to get started," Bolen said.

Bolen, sporting an amazing 1,309-341 record, has led the Capahas to 26 consecutive appearances at the prestigious NBC World Series.

All signs point to No. 27 in a row for the squad that was formed in 1894.

"The way summer ball is, there's going to be a lot of games where we'll be missing guys," Bolen said. "But if we can keep everybody together down the stretch, this can be a pretty good team.

"Like last year, I think we've got a good bunch of guys who enjoy playing with each other."

Bolen will start the season with a 26-man roster, although that could fluctuate one way or the other as the summer progresses.

Thirteen of the players are back from last year, with another three having played previously for the Capahas.

Eighteen of the 26 play or have played at Southeast Missouri State. Only five of the 26 are current college players, with most being former collegiate standouts.

"I think it's a good mix of guys," Bolen said. "I'm interested to get going and see what we've got."

Returning position players are catchers Levi Olson, Chad Mercado and John Amschler; and outfielders Tom Bolen, Zach Johnson and Asif Shah.

Tom Bolen, the manager's son, is the Capahas' longest tenured player with 13 years of experience.

Other position players are infielders Zach Borowiak, Kendal Deason, Josh Eftink, Jerry Hodges, Denver Stuckey and Matt Wagner, along with outfielder Daniel Schuh.

Hodges has played for the Capahas in recent NBC World Series but not during the regular season, while Wagner recently completed a big junior year at Southeast although he likely will miss the first several games of the season as he returned home to Nebraska for a while.

Borowiak and Stuckey are both former Southeast standouts who used to be with the Capahas. Borowiak played the past five years in the Boston Red Sox organization before deciding to end his professional career.

Eftink, who spent a year at Southeast before starring at Central Missouri State, also has been with the Capahas in the past, while Deason was a walk-on for last season's Southeast basketball team.

Returning pitchers are Shah, Jason Chavez, Shayne Mabury, Anthony Maupin, Jamie McAlister, Josh Parham, Phillip Riley and Stan Skakalski.

Newcomers on the mound are Cameron Heath, Brad LaBruyere, Ivan Nails, Ryan Poole, Lance Rhodes and Dustin Renfrow. All but Heath were part of this past season's Southeast pitching staff. Heath played at Shawnee (Ill.) Community College this year.

"I like our pitching," Bolen said. "With as much as we play, you need a lot of pitchers."

Local high school products on the roster are Bolen (Central), Chavez (Central), Deason (Kelly), Eftink (Notre Dame), Heath (Jackson), LaBruyere (Central), Parham (Jackson), Rhodes (Sikeston) and Stuckey (Kelly).

Bolen said Chavez will be tonight's opening-game starter, with Maupin and Riley going Saturday. Sunday's rotation is to be determined.

What also is to be determined, Bolen said, is how long he'll keep managing the Capahas.

Bolen, 66, said he'll let his son Tom start handling some of the managerial duties so he can be ready to take over at some point in the future.

"I still feel good and I still really enjoy it, but I'd like to kind of start phasing out," Bolen said. "This year Tommy is going to take more of an active part in managing and coaching to get him ready to take over some day."

Noteworthy

• The Capahas will have an old-timers game June 14, probably in the evening although the time has not yet been set.

Bolen said he is inviting anybody who has played for the Capahas since he began as manager 42 years ago, with the exception of those who played in very recent years.

"We haven't had an old-timers game in a while and it should be a lot of fun," Bolen said.

Any ex-Capahas wishing to participate should call Rick Wieser at 335-1335, Darrick Smith at 334-4453 or Bruce Qualls at 204-1962.

• The Capahas' schedule is highlighted by a visit from the Crestwood (Ill.) Panthers, a perennial national power.

Crestwood finished third in the past two NBC World Series.

The Panthers will be at Capaha Field for a contest June 21 and a doubleheader June 22.

"I'm tickled to have them come in," Bolen said. "They're one of the top teams in Wichita every year."

• For the second straight season, all Capahas home games — along with any games at the NBC World Series — will be broadcast live on ESPN 1220.