"Any way I can help the team": Petoskey's Goeldel leading by example for Northmen

HARBOR SPRINGS — After getting his first taste of the varsity baseball starting lineup a year ago, Petoskey senior Tyler Goeldel is willing to do pretty much anything to help make it another memorial season.

That includes adding some equipment to his uniform in the field.

A second baseman throughout last season, Goeldel will indeed see the positon in 2024, though he was also showing off his crouch behind the plate Monday in Harbor Springs as the team’s catcher.

While it’ll mainly be returnee Ely Pethers’ position this season, an injury elsewhere in the lineup forced the Northmen into looking for another option as well.

“Ely can’t catch every game, so having some time catching behind the dish is something that I haven’t done since (Little League), but it’s fun, it’s different and any way I can help the team and contribute is crucial,” said Goeldel. “And, I like it.”

Goeldel is one of those players that would play pretty much anywhere to just be on the field. His passion for the game is evident whenever he’s out there, which included sliding into home and getting the jersey dirty in a situation that likely didn’t call for it Monday.

But, he’s the kind of player that loves getting his hands dirty and doing what it takes to win games. It’s certainly the mentality head coach Shawn Racignol has seen from his senior.

“He’s a great teammate,” Racignol said on Goeldel stepping up to fill the backup job. “He said, ‘Whatever we need to win, coach.’ So you’ve got to tip your cap to a kid like that. You love having that kind of kid in the program.”

Goeldel caught both games of a doubleheader against Harbor Springs Monday, with Petoskey pulling in wins of 15-0 and 12-2, their first two of the year after a weekend trip to Grand Blanc.

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The two games behind the plate came as Goeldel’s first since his Little League playing days as he mentioned, but Racignol had faith that they chose the right player to help give Pethers a breather in the outfield.

“Tyler being such a great athlete, he can really play anywhere on the field,” said Racignol. “He pitches, he catches, he plays shortstop, second base, third. He can play outfield if we need him to. So it was a natural thing with Wyatt Hahn’s injury to have him as a 1B at the catching positon.”

It’s not just his presence in the field that’s being felt so far this season either, as he singled and drove in a run in the season opener this weekend, then went 3 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored in the 15-0 win Monday. He followed it up with a 2 for 3 game that included a double and two RBIs in the nightcap.

“The first weekend we went down and saw some really good arms, so I’m working on staying back and taking the ball the opposite way because that’s where I’m best at,” Goeldel said.

Along with his work at the plate and doing what’s needed in the field, Goeldel wants to be an asset to everyone else around the lineup the way seniors should be.

Having that experience last season and knowing what to expect this year is something he knows he can use.

“For sure,” he said. “It’s a different mentality when you look at it and say, ‘This is the varsity experience, I know what the game is like.’ With just one other senior and all these young guys coming in, they ask questions and I know exactly what to say. It’s nice.”

Along with Goeldel, fellow senior Lucas O’Donnell drove in three runs in the opener, then Drew Olson and Kam Horn each had a pair of hits. In game two, O’Donnell, Garrett Wodek and Brendan Swiss also had multi-hit performances.

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It’s a team full of versatile guys, like Goeldel, that Racignol can plug and play and really work with around the lineup. And they all share that same willingness to do what it takes to be great come June.

“There’s a lot of guys that really like the game of baseball, they’ve spent a lot of time playing it and I wouldn’t say there’s a superstar, but they will grind,” Racignol added. “This team is going to show up and they’re going to give it their all every day. I love coaching a team like that.”

Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey baseball enters 2024 with a 'team first' approach around the lineup