File photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s Sam Keckeisen delivers a pitch during a Big South Conference baseball game with Marshall on Tuesday at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — New Ulm High School baseball coach Kevin Briggs said that he is not surprised by his team’s 9-2 overall mark and 7-0 in Big South Conference play following his team’s 4-3 win over Big South and Section 2AAA opponent Marshall on Tuesday.

One of the reasons for the Eagles thus far success is simple.

“We have gotten pretty good pitching every outing,” Briggs said. “That is what is responsible for our record. We are led by seniors and there is always something to be said about seniors. They did get to play a little last summer and some played fall ball. So they did not necessarily take a year off (because of the pandemic) even though we did not play in the spring.”

That good pitching has come from two left-handers in Ethan Stade and Hunter Sehr, along with right-hander Sam Keckeisen.

And defensively, Briggs has the luxury of being able to move his players around like chess pieces for different moves.

“This team has lots of versatility,” he said. “We have players who can play different positions and do that well. Defensively our line-up is not set in stone in as far as positions go and as far as our final roster goes.”

One of the players that has emerged this season is junior Carter Lang.

“He put a lot of time in the weight room in the off-season, “Briggs said. “He played summer baseball for the VFW and he is having a good year. But that is to be expected when you put in the time like he has. He played fall ball here last year and got to face some varsity pitching.”

Briggs also said that in addition to the team’s success because of the pitching, when his team plays good defense they win.

“Our two losses (Mankato West and Hutchinson) came from not keeping the error column clean,” Briggs said. “(Tuesday) was the first time that we won a game in which we committed an error.”

Briggs said that the win Tuesday over Marshall (the second win of the year by New Ulm over the Tigers) was big especially for sectional seedings.

“Marshall is one of those teams that is always going to be there at the end,” he said. “They are well-coached and they have a lot of pitching depth.”

Briggs thinks that Mankato West (11-1) is the top team in Section 2AAA.

“They pitch and hit well and I expect them to be the No. 1 seed,” he said.

As far as the Eagles go?

“We still have four section games to play,” Briggs said. “I don’t know where we will be seeded — that is not important — we just need to be playing our best baseball.”

And the section will be tough in postseason.

QRF rankings for Class AAA have four teams from Section 2 in the Top 10 and six teams in the Top 20.

West is No. 1, New Ulm is No. 3, Willmar is eighth, Mankato East ninth (New Ulm hosts East on May 22), Marshall (May 13), Waconia (May 19) and Hutchinson (May 20).

New Ulm hosts conference and section opponent Worthington at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Johnson Park for a doubleheader.

“They (Worthington) are playing well so we need to come out and play our best also,” Briggs said.

The first round of the Section 2AAA tournament will have games at the high seed with games after that played in New Ulm at Johnson and Mueller Parks.