If the Shakopee Coyotes want to play baseball next summer, they may need to add more players.
Dick Steinhoff, the general manager of the Coyotes, said the team is facing two issues with the 2023 season set to start this coming April.
One is getting more younger players to play and finding a coach to lead the team. Steinhoff said the team is also looking for a someone “to take care of the management of the finances and daily operations of the team.”
The Coyotes are planning a meeting at the Shakopee Community Center Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Enigma Room for any players or coaches interested in joining the club.
Shakopee has two amateur baseball teams in the city, including the Shakopee Indians, a Class B team that was established in 1938. The Coyotes are part of Class C, competing in the Dakota-Rice-Scott League and in Region 3C.
Last summer was a tough season for the Coyotes as the team finished with just one win (1-22 overall). Shakopee went 0-2 in the playoffs, losing both games to New Prague.
The last time Shakopee made the Class C state tournament was in 2016 when it qualified for a second straight year. The Coyotes also qualified in 1999, 2002 and 2012.
Four of the 10 teams from Region 6C make the 48-team state field. But the Region 3C is strong with New Market, St. Patrick, Montgomery, New Prague, Union Hill, St. Benedict, Webster, Lonsdale, Prior Lake and Veseli all part of the field.
According to the rosters on the Minnesota Amateur Baseball website, Shakopee had 19 total players last summer and 13 were former Shakopee High School graduates.
Only two 2022 Shakopee graduates were on the roster last summer — Joe Grim and Cole Leighton. There were seven Shakopee players who graduated in 2013 or earlier, hence the need for more younger players for the team.
For more information on Minnesota amateur baseball, the Dakota-Rice-Scott League or the Coyotes, go to mnbaseball.org. Follow the Coyotes on the Twitter at @ShakopeeCoyotes.
