Members of the Carroll Athletic Association welcomed Merchants players and coaches to town Thursday evening as they prepared for their season-opener Friday night. Most of the team arrived in Carroll only a few days before the game and the Merchants’ coaches, Zak Larkin and Cody Gardner, have been busy settling their players into their new homes for the summer. Larkin says coming into a new community can be difficult but says everybody has been welcoming. Gardner echoed that sentiment.
Many of the Merchants players compete at varying collegiate levels, and Pitcher, Patrick Morrow, of Robinson, TX, says he jumped at the chance to play in a summer league when the opportunity presented itself.
This season will be the second since the Merchants returned to Carroll. Merchants Park just recently completed a $900,000 renovation. The stadium was built in 1949 and has hosted the high school state tournament and semi-professional teams over the year. Coach Larkin and his team are excited to play in a stadium with such a storied history.
The Merchants opened their season Friday, June 2 against the Storm Lake Whitecaps. Admission was free for the game courtesy of the Farner-Bocken Company.
