Austin Scott is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Highland High School for AZPreps365.com.

Several weeks ago, head coach Erik Kehoe emphasized that the Highland Hawks had only five innings of returning experience on the mound and pitching would be the question mark surrounding the team. Now just a month into the season, there is no question that the young pitching core represents the present and future of Highland baseball.

Freshman right-hander Aiden Stenberg has established himself as the ace of the starting rotation, which is a remarkable feat at the varsity level. Outside of Stenberg, freshman left-hander Logan Gutterman, sophomore right-hander Max Mousser and sophomore left-hander JT Oldfield are just a few other arms drinking from the fountain of youth on varsity this season.
 

“The reason they are getting these opportunities is they’re competing and they’re throwing strikes and that’s really what we’re looking for as a program,” Kehoe said.

With an immense amount of young talent to work with, Kehoe will use these next couple of weeks to spread the opportunity around in effort to find out how to put the pieces to the puzzle together.

“Just trying to get all our pitchers some work and ready for the two-thirds left of our season so to speak … and see who’s filling what role,” Kehoe said.

Mousser, who is 2-0 to start the season, is somebody that Kehoe has confidence in and expects him to be a staple in the rotation for the rest of the season. 

With all the young pitchers around, Mousser talked about the potential for chemistry and growth that this core has compared to if the core was made up of juniors and seniors.

“I think it makes it a little bit better that we’ll be able to play together for longer than if they were upperclassmen … we’re able to have a good friendship and that’ll create a better working-oiled machine,'' Mousser said. “We gotta stay good teammates to each other and not get down on one another. We got to make sure if we have any anger or stuff like that we bring it out on the field and we get rid of it there.” 

Gutterman, who profiles as a soft-throwing relief pitcher with the potential of being a starter in the future, is still trying to find his groove but is just grateful to be at the varsity level.

“The first time I got the text from him (Kehoe) saying I was going to be pitching a varsity game I didn't know how to respond or what to do,” Gutterman said. “Then I got on the mound for the first time in the fall and it was just a great atmosphere.”

In fact, even during lunch at school, Gutterman and Stenberg often sit together and talk about baseball and each other's outings.

Although the future pitching looks promising for Highland, Kehoe understands it will take time for the expectations to manifest itself.

"We expect them to take their lumps as well. It’s just all part of the process,” Kehoe said. “We emphasize the word process … as long as you’re learning, whether you had success or you got hit around a little bit, you just learn from it so it makes you better in the future.”