Early competition good gauge for Linn-Mar

CEDAR RAPIDS - Any blurriness from preseason practice will come into focus with the start of the prep baseball season.

For Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner, the first few games will provide a good measuring stick.

'For us, it's more to see where we're at and what we need to work on. Hopefully, we can come out and play well,” Lechner said about the 2014 Bob Vrbicek Metro Baseball Tournament hosted by defending champion Cedar Rapids Xavier and Cedar Rapids Jefferson, starting Monday at 10 a.m. 'You might think you know what it is but until you get out there and play sometimes it is hard knowing what they need to improve.”

The Lions opened last season with a third-place finish in this tournament and capped it with a Class 4A state tournament appearance. They play Cedar Rapids Washington in the first quarterfinal at Jefferson. Numbers are strong and the Lions have strong camaraderie, pushing each other in practice. Lechner said they could have up to 14 players getting action in early double-headers as he looks for players to merge on the varsity level.

'We'll see who can hit varsity pitching,” Lechner said. 'That's our question right now, the inexperience of varsity innings.

'We have some talent. We have to get people's feet wet at varsity speed.”

The bats may have to power Linn-Mar to start as the Lions look to replace the strong arms from a year ago. The Lions' top two pitchers graduated after last season, but they return offensive leaders Brandt Ollinger, who was an all-state pick as a sophomore, and Ben Larson. Lechner is also hoping for production from Caleb Reimer.

'Hopefully, we'll be able to score some runs, especially early in the year,” Lechner said. 'I don't know if we have the dominant power pitchers we had last year.”

Marion will face Jefferson in another quarterfinal with the winner playing the winner between Linn-Mar and Washington. At Xavier, the Saints take on Cedar Rapids Prairie at noon with the winner playing the winner of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Mount Vernon.

'We have some good seniors and getting some tremendous leadership from them,” Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. 'We're ready to get the season started.”

The tournament is a two-day event this year. Teams will play two games on Monday with the championship game set for Tuesday at Memorial Stadium, following the third-place game at 5 p.m. Xavier will host the fifth- and seventh-place games Tuesday.

The schedule will test pitching depth for each team.

'You have to be real careful with pitchers,” Hoyer said. 'It's early in the season. You have young arms. It's going to require more pitching to play three games in two days.”

Lechner said it will benefit the Lions, giving them an extra day of rest before traveling to face Bettendorf's top pitchers at the end of the week.

'It will be all right,” Lechner said. 'It will be interesting. It will be a little different.”

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