2017 Baseball Preview: El Dorado Springs

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By Shelley Ebbrecht/For OzarksSportsZone.com

Experience is on the side of the El Dorado Springs baseball team this spring as they bring back their entire varsity roster, minus one.

Granted, that lone graduated senior is top hitter and pitcher Spencer Young.  In his senior campaign, Young hit .410 with 21 RBIs, 20 runs and 10 stolen bases while ending with an ERA of 2.50 on the mound.

While the team will certainly miss Young’s power this year, the team is moving on and looking for someone to step up and take his place while relying on the talent of the rest of the experienced group to pick up where they left off.

“We have a good group of upperclassmen leading the team,” said head coach Jeremy Barger. “They are an experienced group who if they are willing to work hard, can really do some things.”

Barger begins his first year at the helm of the Bulldogs.  He said the team’s pitching staff will be an elemental part of the team’s success this season.

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Senior Riley Boyd will anchor the pitching rotation after going 6-4 last season with an impressive .597 ERA and 94 strikeouts.  Junior Jake Schieffer split time on the mound and behind the plate, ending with a 4-1 record and 3.2 ERA.  Sophomore Trey Babcock is expected to contribute more to the pitching staff after limited experience last year, going 1-2 with a 4.6 ERA.

“Our pitching, led by senior Riley Boyd, could be a strong point,” Barger said. “We are looking for some guys who haven’t pitched much at the varsity level to step up and compete this year.”

Boyd was also an offensive threat for the Bulldogs, who ended last season 15-10 overall after losing to Ash Grove in the semifinals of their district tournament.  Boyd hit .296 with 17 RBIs and 18 runs on 21 hits.

Ethan Dubois is El Dorado Springs’ other returning senior, appearing in the outfield.  He had 30 runs and 23 hits with a batting average of .299 and 20 stolen bases last year.

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Junior Colton Collins had the team’s second highest batting average with .303 last season.  He had 16 RBI, 23 hits and crossed home plate 10 times.

Fellow juniors Kaiden Simmons and Branden Hayes will return to the Bulldog infield while Kade Collins and Wyatt Graves take to the outfield.

Babcock, Hayes and senior Nate Marsh and junior Blake Holder are expected to see more time on the field this season, according to Barger.

“All of these players contributed some for the varsity team last year, but their roles this year will have to increase,” he said.

The team will kick off the season with an appearance in the Bolivar Tournament on March 17 before playing their next three games on the road.  They will play on their home field March 28 against Pleasant Hope.

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