For the first time in several years, Wessington Springs is fielding a 13-14 year old baseball team. Fifteen kids from Wessington Springs and Woonsocket have been working towards learning the ins and outs of playing on the big baseball field.
The boys started the year playing Redfield on May 28. They lost the game 13-1 but gained important experience as this was the first time for most of the kids playing by standard baseball rules. Wyatt Feistner and Trey Weber combined to do the pitching.  John Witte, Trey Weber, Wyatt Feistner, Drew Olinger and Chandler Flowers all had a hit for the W/WS teeners.
Next the boys traveled to White Lake to play a doubleheader.  In game one, Coy Fastnacht, Gunnar Brandenburg and Clayton Dornbush all took turns on the mound. All three were on the mound for the first time throwing from 60 feet and had trouble throwing strikes. The walks led to a loss of 21-5. Trey Weber, Wyatt Feistner, Jordan Linn, Chandler Flowers and Noah Hainy had hits for W/WS offensively.
The second game saw the boys lose again. This time starting pitcher Noah Hainy threw strikes but gave up a bunch of hits to a good offensive club from Kimball/White Lake. Wyatt Feistner relieved Noah and finished the game.  Feistner and Jeremy Howard provided the only hits in the 17-3 loss.
Last Friday, the W/WS teeners were back at home for a doubleheader with Chamberlain. Game one found Trey Weber back on the mound for his second appearance of the year. He was much better this time around and allowed only five runs in three innings. The offense was vastly improved and scored 15 runs to give the boys their first win of the year. John Witte paced the offense with two hits, including a double. Noah Hainy, Coy Fastnacht and Jordan Linn each added hits as well.
The second game didn’t go quite as well as the first, ending in a 23-13 loss. John Witte, Gunnar Brandenburg, Noah Hainy and Clayton Dornbush each took turns on the mound for the W/WS teeners. John Witte had three hits, including a double. Trey Weber, Noah Hainy, Coy Fastnacht, Shay Swenson and Nathan Huisman added one hit each.
Despite the losses, coaches Nathan Hainy and Rod Weber are happy with the improvements the kids are making.
“We had so many kids that had not played on the big field before. Through the games and practices, they are adjusting pretty well. Once our pitchers get more comfortable on the mound, we will be more consistent and win a few more ballgames,” said coach Hainy.