The 2021 season for the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys was a season of new beginnings for the red and black, as Ryan Nail entered his first season at the helm of the Cowboys program. Year one wasn’t exactly a hit at the box office, with CGD finishing with a 1-21 record. However, more than half the roster was made up of underclassmen, giving reason for marked improvement in 2022.
The Cowboys do lose a pair of senior contributors from 2021, with Mateo Martinez and Damien Bjorklund having since moved on. Martinez held a slash line of .297 AVG/.348 OBP/.391 SLG with 19 hits and 11 RBI last season, as Bjorklund had a line of .130/.355/.174 with 4 hits and 2 RBI, as well as being the Cowboys #1 starter on the mound.
The returnee list is a long one for Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, as they return their top 2 overall hitters from last season with junior Preston Gardner, holding a slash line of .333/.408/.397, with 21 hits and 12 RBI, and senior Cael Chase, whose slash line read .435/.470/.565, with a team-high 27 hits and 16 RBI. Chase and Gardner will look to lead the improvement of Cowboys offense after finishing last in the NCC in 2021. Other notable returnees include Nevan Foss, Porter Chase, Nick Carpenter, Mason Allen and Thane Jackson.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows kicks off their season on Monday, May 16th as they travel to North Iowa, Buffalo Center, with first pitch slated at 7:30 PM in Buffalo Center.