By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The 2020 cancellations caused a considerable amount of disruption for teams.
For Strafford and longtime skipper Shane Pierce, the lesson should give all players a renewed sense of gratitude and determination heading into the spring campaign.
“Last season being cancelled has made it difficult going into this spring to know who are your ‘guys’ and who are the teams to beat,” Pierce said. “In preparing for this season, I think that our attitude will be the same as it always has been, ‘never take days for granted,’ and these guys truly will understand what that means.
Graduates Mason Foley, Nick Oliver and Jacob Stow all move on from the program.
Foley will play at Drury University this season.
Strafford will be led by a trio of seniors in pitcher/utility Hunter Allen, catcher/infielder Kyle Schatzer and outfielder Vance Mullins.
“Our seniors have stepped up and taken the lead, and I think that last summer helped being able to have that time together,” Pierce said.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Pierce also expects a host of juniors to step in and make and make an immediate impact on the varsity roster.
First baseman/outfielder/pitcher Evan Helton, infielder Ben Peterson, catcher Lane Boswell, shortstop Mason Denning, outfielder J.D. Hunt and pitcher/outfielder Blake Cowan will all compete for starting spots and playing time.
Pierce believes Strafford’s pitching and defense will need to set the tone early on in the season while the Indians’ bats develop.
“I think our biggest strength will be our pitching and defense,” Pierce said. “I know we will continue to improve offensively. We always like to think that we are a good defensive and pitching team.”
On the mound, the Indians will be deep and talented.
“Our pitching staff will be fun to watch develop,” Pierce said. “We have several guys that I felt like threw well this summer. It will be fun to watch them develop as the season progresses. I would say we have four or five guys that will throw most of our innings, and a few others that will help out along the way.”
At the plate, Pierce believes Strafford’s focus on strength and fundamentals will help the lineup develop quickly and maintain consistency this season, thanks to a commitment to offseason workouts.
“We have been preaching the weight room for the last few years, and our hope is that many of them bought into that. Strength will be key for us from a hitting standpoint. I know that bunting the baseball will be very important to us this spring, and being able to execute will be important to us.”
Despite all the offseason development, there is no substitute for live, in-game experience at the varsity level, and Pierce believes it will just take some time for most schools in the area to adjust with so many inexperienced players.
“Our biggest challenge is that none of the guys on our team have played varsity baseball,” Pierce said. “So they are going to have to figure out what that is all about. Fortunately all of the other teams will be in the same boat. Time and playing games is the only cure for this obstacle.”
Following a March 15 jamboree at Skyline with the host school and Seymour, Strafford will open its season at home in the Pleasant Hope Invitational Tournament on March 19.
