Back from Florida, VCC looks to build

Baseball team gains four wins

The Vermilion Ironhawks got their season off to a solid start in the Sunshine State, but they hope that’s only the beginning.

At 4-5 overall, the community college baseball team matched a program record for wins on a Florida trip and showed off an offense that averaged more than 10 runs per game.

Weather permitting, the Ironhawks will be back on the field as soon as this weekend with nonconference action on the artificial turf at Aurora.

Vermilion still has some time to work out the kinks, which include inconsistent defense and pitching, before Northern Division action begins in early-April.

“I think we have a lot of things to build on,” said head coach Tom Coombe. “Our lineup and our team overall are probably deeper than ever, and we showed that we can put some runs up on the board. We’re also a little banged up which tends to happen down in Florida. I think if we can stay healthy the pieces are there for a good spring.”

Vermilion hit a lofty .329 for the trip, more than 90 points higher than in 2023, with freshman shortstop Chris Arambula (Wray, Col.) leading the way.

Arambula is hitting a team-best .560 and compiled an on-base percentage in excess of .700 for the week.

Sophomore outfielders Jake Casazza and Franklin Wildes are both flirting with the .500 mark at the plate, while another sophomore catcher/first baseman Kelbee Woodham - has a team-best 13 runs batted in.

Sophomores Mason Kostka (9 RBI) and Desoto Hood have both hit home runs, while two freshmen - Landon Wilkins and Will Thibodeau - have reached base over 50 percent of the time.

Wilkins, who hails from Reno, NV, was named Northern Division Pitcher of the Week after tossing five no-hit innings in his first collegiate start - a 12-2 victory over Lake Region, N.D.

Wilkins is expected to get his second start this weekend, when Vermilion takes on Hibbing as part of a fourgame set at Aurora.

While the Vermilion bullpen couldn’t hold a lead in a 15-9 loss to Marian-Ancilla (Ind.) in the next-to-last game on the trip, sophomore Marcus Haire had a masterful outing out of the pen in the finale, a 10-9, 10-inning loss to NJCAA Division II Schoolcraft (Mich.).

Haire came on in the fourth inning in relief of Arambula and went the rest of the way, tossing six-andone- third innings and giving up only two runs on four hits. Both Hood and Wildes had two hits and two RBI in the game, while Woodham ripped a two-run double.

Former Ely Timberwolf Erron Anderson was also in the lineup and went two-forsix at the plate with two RBI.

At 4-5, Vermilion joins Itasca (4-4) and Northland (6-6) among the teams with the best records in the division on their respective spring trips.

Rainy River is 1-3, Mesabi is 1-8 while Hibbing has played extensively against higher-level competition and is 1-14.

“Records can be deceiving,” said Coombe. “I don’t know if you can put a whole lot of stock in them, especially Hibbing as they have played almost exclusively Division I and Division II JUCO opponents. They are going to be a force to reckon with in the division.”