By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
When Carl Junction baseball coach Jake Stevenson thinks of his senior class – 13 players strong – he still pictures the players as sophomores.
It’s been that long since any of them have seen varsity action in a regular high school game due to last season’s cancellation. But the group taking the field this spring has made huge strides in the weight room and looks the part.
“I think about them as sophomores when they’re playing and all of these kids have bought into the weight room,” Stevenson said. “All these kids are coming in 10 to 15 pounds stronger than they were as sophomores.”
The Bulldogs finished 11-17 in 2019 and placed second in Class 4 District 12 after a 3-2 loss to Monett. They shook off an eight-game losing streak in the month of April and won five of eight to finish the year.
Last year’s team would have relied on seniors like Cooper Cook, Garret Taylor and Jackson Huffman. Cook was a .294 hitter in 2019 and Taylor stole nine bases. They’re now gone to graduation, but Carl Junction still has five full-time starters back from that 2019 season.
And the team was still able to work on player development last year with a 30-game summer schedule and 45 players participating.
“We feel like the senior class has made an impact since they came into the program as freshmen,” Stevenson said. “I have high expectations for some of these guys and it’s crazy – they didn’t have their junior year and you can still say many of these guys have experience at the varsity level so we’re fortunate for that.”
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Carson Johnson, Alex Baker, Drew Beyer, Dylan Eck and Noah Southern were all starters as sophomores.
Johnson, a second team all-district honoree in 2019, is an infielder and pitcher who batted .293 with eight doubles and eight RBI’s. He pitched to a 3.33 ERA and recorded one save. He’ll be Carl Junction’s shortstop this season and will also serve on the pitching staff.
“He’s got good hands on defense and a strong arm across the diamond,” Stevenson said. “He’s gotten a lot bigger and stronger at the plate, handles the bat with a little bit better bat speed now. Look for him to have a big year on defense and offensively.”
The 6-foot-3 Baker was a first team all-district player who plays in the outfield and pitches. He batted .264 with eight doubles and nine RBI’s and earned two wins on the mound with a 3.99 ERA. A three-sport athlete, Baker was the area’s top passing quarterback last fall with 2,922 yards and 29 touchdowns.
“He’s an outstanding character kid and look for him to start big games for us this year,” Stevenson said. “He’s another kid who’s gotten stronger at the plate and offensively I’m excited to see what happens with him this spring.”
Beyer is an infielder and pitcher who could start at second base and can also fill in at shortstop. He was a .265 hitter two years ago. Like the other seniors, he’s bigger, faster and stronger.
“Great speed on the basepaths,” Stevenson said. “He can really swing it well. Look for him to bat towards the top of the lineup and control the bat whether that’s bunting or swinging and when he’s on base look for him to be a threat … He really came on strong pitching in the last calendar year. (Velocity) jumped and just has good command of his fastball and a secondary pitch.”
Eck could see time in the infield and outfield and Stevenson described him as “super explosive” and fast on the basepaths. He pitched to a 4.90 ERA and recorded one save as a sophomore.
“Look for him to have a good year offensively,” Stevenson said. “He’s played infield for us in the past and he’s going to be a mix between infield and outfield. We gave him a nod in the outfield last summer and he really did some great things out there. He’ll kind of play wherever we need him on defense. He’s another kid on the mound who will throw some big innings for us.”
Southern will be the team’s catcher and also pitch. He was a .260 hitter and the team’s leading returning run producer with 12 RBI’s as a sophomore. He went 1-1 on the mound with a 2.33 ERA.
Stevenson said he’s really liked what he’s seen of Southern pitching and said he’s a “big, strong, athletic kid with a strong arm.” He also looks good offensively.
The team also returns Cole Stewart, a senior who pitched in some big moments late in the 2019 season and threw four scoreless innings in the district championship. He finished the year with a 1-2 record and a 1.80 ERA. He was an all-state wide receiver in football and is “super fast and very coordinated.” He’ll play in the outfield.
Varsity newcomers like seniors Keaton Johnston and Brendyn Downs should also factor into the lineup. Johnston was a .531 hitter at the junior varsity level with nine RBI’s and the 6-foot-5 Downs batted .462. They’ve continued to progress in summer ball, Stevenson said.
Lance Smith and Jaxson Mackney are two more seniors who’ve been with the program for several years. Mackney should pitch some innings on the mound and Smith is a “high-character kid.”
Carl Junction’s junior class includes players like Kyler Perry, Dalton Mills, Shane Diskin, Jordan Woodruff, Cole Wilson and Hunter Cantrell.
“All kids that we think are going to do some good things for us whether it’s this year or next,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson once again expects pitching and defense to be the team’s strengths, but he hopes the program takes a step forward offensively this spring. The Bulldogs averaged 4.1 runs per game in 2019, scoring a run or fewer in seven contests. They scored five or more 11 times. The team’s offense picked up by the last few weeks of the year, averaging better than five runs a game following the April losing streak.
“I can’t say that Carl Junction since I’ve been here has been an offensive juggernaut,” Stevenson said. “We’ve had some good kids offensively that we’ve lost to graduation. We’d like to see that become a strength for us more this year. Some more offensive production.”
Carl Junction will travel to Webb City on Friday, March 12 for a jamboree with the Cardinals and Republic. The Bulldogs open the regular season against Lebanon and Neosho on March 20.
