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Eastview baseball matures

By AARON PAITICH, Special to the Star Tribune, 04/06/12, 3:39PM CDT

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A group of seniors who first played together in youth leagues is poised to finish on a high note.


Eastview senior pitcher Adam Moorse, shown here in 2011, has a fastball that reaches 90 miles per hour, and he is working on changing speeds. Star Tribune photo: Kyndell Harkness

It's family reunion time for the Eastview Lightning baseball team, with a Hawaiian twist.

This year's group of seniors won back-to-back state championships together at the younger traveling levels, but it's been a while since they've all played together on the same team.

The boys have embraced the regathering behind a team motto, "Ohana," a Hawaiian term meaning family. Ohana is used for immediate, extended, adopted or any other accepted member of the family. Perfect for the Lightning.

"We've been using that for our age group since sophomore year, even though we haven't all been together for a while. We've been knowing for the last couple years now that we're going to have that as our senior motto," senior pitcher Adam Moorse said. "We've been looking forward to it ever since."

Eastview's lineup this season is senior-heavy. It's the kind of team people get excited about because this group played together for so long, there's a feeling it will break through and win some big games at the varsity level.

"It's a group that is balanced throughout all positions," head coach Tom Strey said. "It's a group that's had success in the past, and we're hoping that continues."

Moorse can help them do that from a key position: the mound.

The righthanded fireballer finished 4-3 with a 3.09 ERA while notching 48 strikeouts in 45 innings last season. He can touch 90 miles per hour and has been rounding out his arsenal of pitches.

Moorse, who committed to play college ball at North Dakota State, dominated at younger ages with his fastball. Since joining the varsity team as a sophomore, he's been working on more movement and changing speeds effectively to complement his bread and butter.

"That's been developing for him," Strey said. "We're kind of eager to see the results of all his work because I know he's been going hard at it."

Pitching and defense will be the strength of Strey's team this year. He is confident the Lightning has both.

Senior Evan DeCovich will help fill out the rotation. He brings experience from last season. His batting average also tipped over the .300 mark while driving in 18 runs as a junior. After that, there is a deep pool of relievers that everyone feels confident in.

Defensively, Eastview will be as strong as anyone. Senior Scott Nelson captains the infield as a rock at shortstop. Pat Strey plays third base and also takes the hill. He drove in 12 runs and nearly hit .300 last spring. Senior catcher Ryan Reger backstops the Lightning. The outfield is rangy and can track down almost anything.

Of course, Eastview will have the formidable task of sifting through the South Suburban Conference, including the likes of defending Class 3A state champion Burnsville, Eagan and Prior Lake. Those three teams also appear in the Lightning's section.

But in today's game, pitching and defense will go a long way. The new BBCOR bat standards are expected to be more pitcher-friendly, which puts a smile on the Eastview ace's face.

"I'm loving it," Moorse said.

In turn, the Lightning will have to scrape up some runs to win ballgames. The family feels confident enough and re-energized by each other to do just that.

"We're finally all back together," Moorse said. "There's going to be some juniors in there, too, but it's a senior-heavy class, so we're looking for something special this year."

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