Anamosa feeling good about baseball again

ANAMOSA - Losing is a disease.

But over the last three years, Anamosa baseball coach Nick Norris has proved to be the man with the antidote.

Under Norris, the Anamosa program has been steadily improving, taking a team accustomed to getting 10-runned just about every night four seasons ago to one that has already knocked off two state-ranked top-10 teams this season.

Norris knew when he took this job he had his work cut out for him, but he was willing to do anything it took to turn the program around.

His first few years on the job, Norris had an extraordinarily young roster. Likely, the youngest in the entire state.

Six out of the nine starters on the 2012 Anamosa squad were either eighth-graders or freshmen. Although it was tough for the Raiders to compete that summer, they knew their future was bright. All of those young players were gaining experience playing varsity ball. By the time they would become seniors, this program could be completely turned around.

That time is now.

The rebuilding project has lasted three years, and 2015 is the summer everyone in the Anamosa baseball program has been waiting for.

On June 5, the Raiders had a tremendous opportunity to gain some momentum by getting a huge win early in the season. They hosted second-ranked Dyersville Beckman in a Wamac Conference doubleheader. In the first of the two games, Anamosa showed it was not afraid of the state runners-up from a year ago. It competed extremely well and ended up losing a heartbreaking one-run game.

All that did was motivate the Raiders to come out even stronger in Game 2.

Though Anamosa trailed Beckman, 11-9, going into the seventh and final inning in the nightcap, Jay McLean stepped to the plate with two runners on and one out. The Raider sophomore saw a pitch he liked and smacked the ball over the left field fence.

The three-run shot not only gave Anamosa a thrilling, 12-11, walk-off win, it also gave the Raiders the momentum and confidence they'll need for the rest of the season.

It's taken some time, but Raider players and fans are feeling good about baseball - again.