Video by Eric Keith

The sound of horsehide smacking glove leather had barely begun to echo inside the Hard Ball indoor baseball facility Tuesday morning when St. Joseph Mustangs pitching coach Caleb Balbuena made his first observation about the team.

“At least we’ll win the bus award,” Balbuena said. “You know what the bus award is, don’t you? That goes to the biggest team to step off the bus.”

St. Joseph’s newest team in college summer wood bat baseball is big, to be sure. With catcher Adam Nelson (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) taking pitches from 6-4 pitcher Ryan Carbah and others, and 6-8, 212-pound Johnny Coy taking a few cuts nearby, Balbuena’s observation was on target.

“Hopefully we can win the bus award, along with some games,” joked 6-5 first baseman Kyle Wooden, who himself weighs in at 245 pounds.

For the next three days, fans can see all the size and talent on display at Phil Welch Stadium. The Mustangs open their inaugural season with a trio of 7 p.m. non-league games. They take on the Omaha Diamond Spirit tonight and again on Saturday, sandwiched around a Friday night game against Building Champions.

Manager Matt Johnson plans to play everyone available during those three non-league games in order to assess the talent. That is especially important since rain flushed the Mustangs indoors for much of their short, two-day training period.

“We’re going to see what we’ve got live,” Johnson said. “There’s going to be a couple of different lineups. Pitchers are going to be set on a certain number of pitches just so we can get everybody innings.”

Johnson already tabbed right-hander Blake Thomas as his opening night starter. Thomas, a senior-to-be at Missouri Western, led the Griffons this spring with a 2.69 earned run average. He posted an 8-4 record in 14 starts, including one shutout.

Thomas will be on a pitch count, in keeping with Johnson’s desire to see as many players as possible in live game action.

“We’re going out to win those ball games; don’t get me wrong,” Johnson said. “If somebody’s dealing through three innings, we’ll probably stretch him to a fourth. But the main goal is for us to get ready for league play. We want everybody to get in the ball game and see what we’ve got.”

Thomas is one of three Missouri Western pitchers on the squad, which also includes the top two hurlers from Northwest Missouri State. The Raymore, Mo., native has previously played college summer ball for the Liberal BeeJays and the Dodge City A’s in the Jayhawk League, and as a freshman played summer ball on the West Coast. He decided to stay in St. Joseph this summer at the encouragement of Western assistant coach Brandon Freeborn, who helped coach Balbuena with the defunct St. Joe Blacksnakes independent minor league team two years ago.

“(Freeborn) told me it would be a good opportunity for me to get with him, because he’s a high-velocity type of guy,” Thomas said. “I’m looking to increase my velocity and hopefully get picked up, or at least get some looks.”

Whatever success Thomas has this summer won’t come without a little run support, and Johnson is confident Wooden can provide some of that. Wooden batted an NCAA Division III-leading .514 at Guilford (N.C.) College this spring after getting little playing time the previous season.

Wooden credits his breakout year to the

experience he gained last summer in the Carolinas-Virginia League.

“A lot of pitchers didn’t really know who I was, coming into the season,” Wooden said. “Later in the season I started adjusting to pitches.”

Wooden hit 10 home runs this spring and hopes to send a few more over the shorter fence at refurbished Phil Welch Stadium this season.

“Actually, I’ve got a lot of opposite field power,” Wooden said. “Eight of my home runs were to left-center this year. I’ll be surprising some pitchers, hopefully.”

NOTES: Recently-signed right-handed pitcher Travis Clifton has decided not to join the team after all. The Hartnell (Calif.) College sophomore signed last week with the University of North Dakota and wanted to spend the summer making that transition. ... Johnson plans to fill Clifton’s roster spot in the near future. He is looking primarily in California because of the lack of summer wood bat leagues in that state could make it easier to find a prospect who is still available. ... The Phil Welch Stadium box office will be open at 9 a.m. today to sell single game tickets for opening night. ... Following the three non-league games, the Mustangs will open their MINK League schedule at Nevada and Joplin. The MINK League home opener will be June 5 against the Chillicothe Mudcats and will feature an appearance by The Famous Chicken.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be reached at rickd@npgco.com