Opening Day is right around the corner for Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus baseball, and the Wolves are hoping to make a jump from going 9-12 last season to earning their first winning record since 2015.

While top pitcher Cael Phillips is gone from last year’s roster, most of the starting lineup returns. That includes senior Riley Kaalberg, who had a .431 batting average and the team’s lone home run in 2024 while also scoring a team-high 16 runs.

Tyson Kaalberg is also back for WMU/Columbus after hitting .306 with 12 runs scored, while fellow junior Trevor Phillips brings back a .400 average and a team-high 18 runs batted in.

Phillips is also the Wolves’ best returning pitcher after an even earned-run average of 3 and racking up 59 strikeouts in 35 innings of work last summer. New head coach Josh Dean tells KCII Sports that he likes the way his roster shapes up.

“We’ve been practicing now for about three weeks, and I’m really excited about this group,” Dean says. “We have some great upperclassmen and some younger guys coming up that should be really exciting.”

The first pitch of the season for Winfield-Mount Union/Columbus baseball will be Tuesday in a home game against West Burlington.