By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Topeka Golden Giants are scheduled to open their 2021 season with a home exhibition game at 7 p.m. Tuesday against the Centennial League All-Stars before opening their regular season on Wednesday at home againt the Kansas Cannons (7 p.m.).
The Golden Giants will play their 2021 home games at Rossville's historic Joe Campbell Stadium.
Jacob Kirmer, who played at Hayden and Benedictine College and is an assistant coach at Seaman, returns for his second season as the Golden Giants' head coach while former Giant and Holton native Justin Rieschick will serve as assistant coach.
The Golden Giants' roster is built around a nucleus of Topeka products as well as current and future Washburn University players.
Former Seaman standout Kolby Dougan, a right-handed pitcher, posted an 8-5 record this past season for Cloud County Community College, compiling an earned run average of 3.86 with 100 strikeouts in 70 innings.
Former Hayden and current Washburn University player Andrew Schmidtlein will play for the Topeka Golden Giants this summer. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Hayden product Andrew Schmidlein, a third baseman and pitcher, hit .357 in spot duty for Washburn this past season as a freshman, with two home runs and six runs batted in.
Washburn Rural graduate Shawn Marquis, an outfielder, hit .273 with 33 RBI for Barton County Community College.
The Golden Giants' 35-player roster includes 14 Topekans and seven players with Washburn ties.
TOPEKA GOLDEN GIANTS 2021 ROSTER
Pitchers -- #4 Griffin Huiatt, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Washburn); #6 Kolby Dougan, Topeka (Cloud County CC); #10 Logan Redeker, Topeka (Barton County CC); #12 Grant Papenhagen, Firth, Neb. (Fort Scott CC); #13 Cameron Murphy, Torrington, Wy. (Miles CC); #22 Peyton Medeiros, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Fort Scott CC); #25 John Cross, Lawrence (Washburn); #27 Cole Martino, Pueblo, Colo. (Washburn); #31 Colton Spencer, Midland, Tex. (Fort Scott CC); #34 Noah Schneider, Topeka (Kansas Wesleyan); #36 Teron Williams, Belton, Mo. (Highland CC); #39 David Lucero, Topeka (Newman); #48 Cal Leonard, Iola (Washburn); #52 Tyler Norris, Arvada, Colo. (McPherson); #99 Devon Richardson, Topeka (Allen County CC).
Catchers -- #7 Noah Buss, Lincoln, Neb. (Sioux Falls); #20 Ethan Imel, Noblesville, Ind. (Central Missouri); #26 Damon Siefer, Topeka (Allen County CC).
Infielders -- #2 Cameron Bogan, Magnolia, Tex. (Fort Scott CC); #3 Shaun Gomez, Topeka (Barton County CC); #5 Andrew Schmidtlein, Topeka (Washburn); #15 Griffin Stuewe, Topeka (Cloud County CC); #16 Teagan Tamiya, Hilo, Hi. (Washburn); #18 Brandon Brewer, Richland Center, Wisc. (Schoolcraft); #19 Ethan Haufler, Topeka (Barton County CC); #23 Adler Pierson, Wamego (Cloud County CC); #32 Mickey Coyne, Reno, Nev. (Sierra)/
Outfielders -- #8 Shawn Marquis, Topeka (Barton County CC); #9 Kade Folmar, Broken Arrow, Okla. (Fort Scott CC); #11 Jake Markert, St. Louis, Mo. (Washburn); #21 Brock Hillebert, Topeka (Cloud County CC); #24 Micah Kobuszewski, Topeka (Butler CC); #28 Danny Favazza, St. Louis, Mo. (Benedictine).
Utility -- #1 Calvin Delich, Iola (Central Missouri); #33 Caleb Brown, Topeka (Kansas City Kansas CC).
2921 SCHEDULE
(Home games at Joe Campbell Stadium, Rossville)
June -- 1 vs. Centennial League All-Stars (7 p.m.), 2 vs. Kansas Cannons (7 p.m.), 3 at Lawrence Travellers (5 p.m.), 4 vs. Lawrence Travellers (7 p.m.), 5 at Lawrence Travellers (1 p.m.), 7 vs. Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 8 at Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 9 at Kansas City Monarchs (7 p.m.), 10 vs. Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 11 at Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 12 vs. Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 14 vs. Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 15 at Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 16 vs. Midwest Bruins (7 p.m.), 17 at Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 18 vs. Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 19 vs. Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 21 vs. Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 22 at Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 24 at Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 25 vs. Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 26 at Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 28 at Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 29 vs. Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 30 at Kansas Cannons (7 p.m.).
July -- 1 vs. Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 2 at Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 3 vs. Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 6 at Sabetha Bravos (7 p.m.), 7 at Baldwin City Blues (7 p.m.), 8 vs. Lawrence Travellers (7 p.m.), 9 at Lawrence Travellers (5 p.m.), 10 vs. Lawrence Travellers (7 p.m.), 13 at Midwest A's (7 p.m.), 14 vs. Kansas City Monarchs (7 p.m.); 15 vs. Junction City Brigade (7 p.m.), 16 vs. Building Champions (7 p.m.).
