The Webster City baseball team battled through the 2024 season with less than a full deck.

Now, Lynx head coach Adison Kehoe has his aces back as he heads into battle in a new-look North Central Conference.

The league has adopted a different schedule for this year, playing weekly doubleheaders instead of the typical home-and-away format. That has Kehoe excited for his ‘team first’ group to hit the field.

“This is a crazy game but I believe they care more about the person to their left and right and their success more than their own,” Kehoe said. “We’ve preached how this year, your approach between the ears will trump most times your approach as a player.

“With that being said, I’ve used it before but this team has bought into ‘teams grabbing their best nine, we will grab ours and meet up wherever and see what happens after seven innings.'”

Key returning players include all-NCC selections Braylon Dyvig, Jaxon Griffith and Matthew Tesdahl. Dyvig, a second team pick, can play anywhere on the infield and pitch, while Griffith, a first team selection, is the utility guy for Webster City.

Tesdahl, a third team pick, handles shortstop and is one of the captains.

Brady Asklund, who missed the entire 2024 season with Tommy John surgery, is back after being the ace of the pitching staff in 2023.

Other returning players include Gavin Griffith, Carter Mickelson, Aiden Hrnicek, Kaleb Hansen, Boston Farley, Gordon Bargfrede and Jamey Stansfield.

“We need to continue to work on the ability to stay ‘water,’ meaning regardless of the outcome, don’t change your heart rate and mindset,” Kehoe said. “We’ve approached time and time again, ‘don’t focus on the outcome, fall in love with the process,’ and these kids have ran with it.

“There’s been some things outside of their control this offseason, and it’s made them a team unit that’s an absolute blast to be around. They aren’t afraid of the white noise because they’ve taken it upon themselves to play for the love of the game.”

Dyvig went 3-2 with 21 strikeouts last year on the mound, Griffith won two games and had 18 strikeouts as a freshman, and and both Tesdahl and Hrnicek picked up wins.

Asklund was 4-4 with 55 strikeouts in just under 49 innings his freshman season, leading the team in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and earned run average.

At the plate, Jaxon Griffith hit .333 with Tesdahl sporting a .261 average. They had a combined 25 RBI, as Dyvig drove in 13 more. Griffith stole a team-leading 35 bases and Hrnicek added 11.

“Go out, play the game the right way and don’t expect to win — know you will,” Kehoe said. “Continue to be ‘obnoxiously loose’ but do it in a manner that’s respectful to the game, themselves and their opponents.”

Webster City has won at least 12 games each of the past eight seasons, with each one ending at .500 or better. That includes four years with at least 20 wins, including a 26-2 campaign in 2020.

2025 WEBSTER CITY BASEBALL

Schedule

May 19 — at Clarion-Goldfield/Dows; 20 — at Eagle Grove; 21 — at Carlisle; 22 — Ballard; 27 — at St. Edmond; 28 — Newell-Fonda; 31 — vs. Urbandale in Rippey.

June 2 — at Iowa Falls-Alden; 3 — at Storm Lake; 7 — at Newell-Fonda Tournament; 9 — Algona; 12 — at Pocahontas Area; 16 — Humboldt; 20 — at Boone; 21 — at Jim Gebhart Tournament; 23 — at Clear Lake; 26 — at Charles City; 30 — Hampton-Dumont/CAL.

July 1 — at North Polk; 2 — at Forest City; 3 — at Osage; 8 — Fort Dodge.