Wolves boast pitching depth

Marolt, Chittum among key returnees for Ely’s HS baseball team

A perennial contender in Section 7A, the Ely Timberwolves are already looking ahead to the end of the high school baseball season and another postseason run.

But first, the Wolves have some work to do, with regular season play getting underway in earnest this week.

The Wolves, who have reached the final four in Section 7A in nine of the last 12 seasons including a thirdplace finish in 2023, opened at Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin over the weekend and make their home debut Monday against Littlefork-Big Falls.

The 4:30 p.m. tilt at Veterans Memorial Field gives local fans their first look at an Ely team that again expects to be in the mix of contenders in the section, with hopes of toppling four-time defending champion South Ridge.

Ely could have the personnel to do it, returning a strong mix of pitching and defense and the core of Ely Legion and Junior Legion teams that both finished as substate runners-up last summer.

Frank Ivancich, who has coached the Wolves since 2002, welcomes back a loaded arsenal of pitching led by senior Drew Marolt.

“Drew is our number-one pitcher back, and he had an ERA under two,” said Ivancich. “He and Hunter Halbakken are our top two returners in terms of innings.”

Halbakken, a sophomore, will be joined by senior Elliot Levens and junior Caid Chittum as part of a deep pitching staff.

Sophomores Jack Davies and Drew Johnson and freshman Owen Marolt could also all see time on the mound, while Ely also hopes to get a boost from senior Brecken Sandberg, who had a big summer season.

Chittum anchors the Ely defense at shortstop when not on the mound, and he’s coming off a sophomore year in which he hit .412 with 35 hits, 30 runs batted in and four doubles.

Levens is another returning infielder while Johnson and junior Blake Schaller are in the mix to replace all-conference first baseman Erron Anderson, who graduated last year and now plays for Vermilion Community College.

In the outfield, senior Deegan Richards is a multiyear starter while fellow senior Sam Leeson is likely to patrol left field.

Davies and senior Zander Lislegard are part of the outfield rotation, and sophomore Otto Devine could also break into that mix.

Depth shouldn’t be an issue for the Wolves, who have 18 players on the varsity roster and more than 50 players overall in the program, from grades 7-12.

For a second consecutive year, Ely is paired with Northeast Range for high school baseball, with Levens and Lislegard two of the former Nighthawks who are now part of the Wolves’ program.

Monday’s game kicks off a 10-game home slate that includes the annual Veterans Memorial Showcase from May 17-18.

Ely’s junior varsity and junior high teams also have separate home dates, with the junior high group hosting International Falls Tuesday

Ely Timberwolves Baseball - 2024 Schedule

April 12: at Greenway/NK April 15: Littlefork-Big Falls April 19: at Kenyon-Wanamingo April 20; at Hayfield, 11 a.m. April 22: Silver Bay April 23: at North Woods April 25: at Deer River April 29: at South Ridge May 2: Mt. Iron-Buhl May 4: at Cook County May 7: Mes. East May 9: Chisholm May 11: at Blackduck Tournament (2) May 17: Warroad, noon May 17: Cherry, 7:30 pm May 18: To be determined, 5:30 p.m. May 21: at Int. Falls May 22: Rock Ridge May 23: Two Harbors Home games in bold Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted and Rock Ridge coming here Thursday for junior varsity and ninth-grade action. Both are doubleheaders beginning at 4:30 p.m.