Mar 15, 2025
Staff file photo / Neel Madhavan. Harding pitcher Corey Kuhn delivers during an AAC game against Boardman last season.
Entering the 2025 season, there’s plenty for Warren G. Harding’s baseball team to be excited about. With six returning starters, a lot more depth making its way into the program and a new way to practice when the weather inevitably sours, there’s no shortage of sources for optimism as the new season approaches.
“We got the new Wellness Center up, so we’ve been able to get a lot of work in,” Harding coach Andrew Burnett said. “We’ve had one of the biggest classes of freshmen come out. We’re actually gonna have a freshman team this year for the first time ever, as far as I know, at Harding. It should be a good year. We’re looking forward to it.”
Highlighted by a group of strong returners like sophomore pitcher-infielder combo Gummy Hart and speedy centerfielder Airiz Coleman Bey, the Raiders look to utilize that speed as much as they can this season.
“They’re scrappy and athletic. This is the fastest team I’ve ever had since I’ve been here. I mean, top to bottom, they can run. They can flat out fly. So we’re going to try to put some pressure on teams and go from there. We’ve got to get guys on base. We’re going to do a lot of small ball. We’re going to steal bases and just try to make things happen.”
Along with Hart and Coleman Bey, senior first baseman Corey Kuhn, second baseman Jacob Borsic and catcher Bryttain Fuller, Harding will have talent and experience everywhere in the field and at the plate.
Over the years, depth had proven to be an issue for the Raiders. They’ve had talent, but with a league slate of Howland, Boardman, Canfield and Austintown Fitch, the schedule is a war of attrition, and every capable bat helps.
“That’s one thing we’ve struggled with,” Burnett said. “I mean, our starting lineup, since I’ve been here, can compete with anybody, but we haven’t had that depth that you need to compete, especially in our league. It’s one of the toughest leagues around, so to have the numbers, and finally, have some kids you can rely on if, God forbid, somebody gets hurt or something happens. It’s unbelievable.”
This year, it’s not just the league schedule that’ll be a true test.
Canton McKinley, Massillon, Lakeview and LaBrae make up some of the non-conference opponents this season, so there’s no days off this season for the Raiders.
“You’ve got to play Boardman twice, Canfield twice, Fitch twice and Howland twice. That’s something that’s going to kind of get you up. That Monday, Tuesday, every week you look forward to going into it, and it’s gonna be a battle,” Burnett said. “I made (the schedule) a little tougher this year, just because of the numbers we had and the way I expect our team to be. We tried to schedule as hard a schedule as we can, just to kind of get us into tournament and see where we go from there.”
The main concern going into the year will be finding which of the upperclassmen step up into leadership roles.
Having that coach on the field the way Harding did last season with Carter Knupp was an important part of the team in 2024. Burnett hopes that someone can step in and take the leadership reins. While not as vocal a group as he’s had in the past, Burnett is confident that someone will take on that challenge.
“It’s going to be important to get a couple of those seniors, or even the juniors to step up and be that leader if something’s not going right on the field or in a game,” Burnett said. “Somebody’s got to be that guy out there that’s going to get everybody back where they’re supposed to be. It almost seems like it means more coming from a player on the field, so that’s going to be the big thing. Somebody’s going to step up and be that leader. But we have a lot of kids coming back, which is great, because everybody knows what we expect from them, and we won 14 games last year. We’re just going to try to build on that, and then take it into the tournament and maybe win a couple tournament games.”
Harding struggled in close games last season, so the main goal this year is to close out those games. And it all starts in league play. If they win those games and win the games they’re supposed to win, the Raiders will be in good shape.
“We got in a lot of close games last year, but we only squeaked out a couple wins,” Burnett said. “We’ve got to start at the league games and at least try to split with some of those powerhouses that we play. Then we just got to get back to where we win the game we’re supposed to win. We always have a few breakdowns here and there and with our schedule and the teams we play, you can’t afford that, because anybody can beat anybody on any given day. We got to stay in the zone and play our ball the whole year through.”
Harding opens the season with Bristol on March 28. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
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