HASTINGS, Neb. - The Hastings Sodbusters baseball team begins its 51-game slate tonight at home with a former player leading the team this year. 

The Sodbusters are a collegiate wood bat summer team that fields college players from all around the country to get more experience during the college offseason. 

Leading the Sodbusters in 2025 is Josh Prinner, who played for Hastings the past two summers as the starting shortstop. 

After graduating from college from Arkansas State-Mountain Home last year, Prinner served as an assistant coach for the Trailblazers this spring, a team that finished 33-20 at the NJCAA Division II level. 

Sodbusters General Manager and Co-Owner Scott Galusha has full support in hiring a young gun as the team's head coach this year. 

"When we were looking for a coach, I thought what better way to do it than hire a person that I know, and what a better opportunity to learn in a place that I know he's comfortable." said Galusha. 

The Busters finished their 2024 campaign with a team-best 32-20 record and missed the Independence League playoffs by one game. 

They return several locals and players on last year's roster: Markus Miller (Hastings College), Tyler Welsh (Hastings College), Creighton Jacobitz (Cloud County CC, Adams Central alum), plus Drew Vega and Jackson Crain for Arkansas Tech. 

The Hastings Sodbusters open the season with a seven-game homestand at Duncan Field in Hastings, starting with opening night on Friday against the Spearfish Sasquatch at 6:35 p.m.