St. Rita coach John Nee has high expectations next spring for outfielder Steve Sanderson.

It was apparent Tuesday against Marian Catholic why Nee believes Sanderson can be an impact player.

Sanderson, a junior, reached base four times and drove in three runs during a 16-2 victory at the St. Laurence Summer Baseball Regional.

Sanderson singled, doubled, walked and was hit by a pitch.

Carter Berg doubled, tripled and had a sacrifice fly, while Bobby Atkinson, Jason Reis and Liam McKillip each drove in two runs for St. Rita (1-0).

“Sanderson has all the tools,” Nee said. “He’s very raw, but ultra, ultra-talented. He has a plus arm, a plus bat, he can hit for power and he can run. Most years he would have been up with us last spring.”

Sanderson understood why he spent most of the season on the sophomore team. The Mustangs had a glut of outfielders who were getting the job done on varsity.

Sanderson could have sulked. Instead, he worked at improving his craft.

“I was a little frustrated but I just told myself that I’ll get my chance and be patient,” Sanderson said. “Play the game hard and my time will come.”

Sanderson, a right-handed hitter, looked at Tuesday’s game as a way to showcase his skills.

He led off the second inning with a single and eventually scored on Berg’s triple.

In the fourth, Sanderson hammered a two-run double.

He hopes his performance inches him toward a starting spot in the outfield.

“I’m trying to show what I can bring to the team,” Sanderson said. “I want to prove myself and win a job and hopefully, help bring home St. Rita’s first state championship.”

Atkinson, a junior, spent all spring with the varsity and was a key contributor to the Mustangs’ third-place finish in Class 4A.

That production elevated him from the bottom of the batting order in the spring to the clean-up spot Tuesday.

He walked twice and singled in three at-bats.

Atkinson believes Sanderson will fit nicely into the lineup.

“He hits the ball hard a lot,” Atkinson said. “He squares it up. I think our offense is going to be real good.”

Marian Catholic coach Tony DeCarlo is confident his team will be much better in the spring than what it showed Tuesday.

Travel ball robbed the Spartans (0-1) of six starters.

Marian Catholic coaxed eight walks in the first two innings, but managed just one run.

“When you have guys choose travel ball over high school ball this is what happens,” DeCarlo said. “We didn’t throw strikes or take advantage of our early scoring opportunities. We’ll be a much stronger team in the spring.”