By Chris Parker
Exeter baseball is hoping to use a good fall season to springboard into a strong spring season.
“Having our fall season was an excellent opportunity for us to get back into a routine as a school, coaches, and student athletes,” Exeter head coach Matthew Tripp said. “We were able to find some serious potential this fall with some of our younger players. While our record was not much to write home about, it was the best fall season we have experienced at Exeter since I have been here.”
Senior Hank Woods will look to lead the Tigers to that strong spring season.
“Hank Woods is a very talented senior with a ton of potential. He will probably be the ace of our pitching staff. He is a tough competitor and physically strong. He ends outings as strong as he starts them. He can field any position we need and will be asked to move around a bit to cover for our other pitchers. He has led the team in batting most of his high school career and should be right in the mix to do so again this season,” Tripp said.
Junior Corey Hilburn will be another key pitcher for the Tigers.
“Corey has competed on the bump since his freshman year and has grown physically substantially since last season. Corey should be a highly effective starting pitcher and helps us on offense and in the field. He can play almost anywhere for us defensively but will probably see time in the middle infield or maybe center field and should find himself in the middle of the lineup,” Tripp said.
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Freshman JJ Felipe, Zach Lee and Aaron Beck are all in the mix for innings on the mound as well as time at other positions.
“(Felipe is) a lefty that came to us by way of Purdy and has a ton of experience between school and travel ball. His lefty bat should work its way towards the top of our lineup this spring. (Lee) worked his way into the number two pitching spot this last fall. He is just now getting the hang of pitching and is already advancing rapidly. He may well get some starts in when we can get him out from behind the dish. (Beck) has a ton of potential and has great velocity, especially for a freshman. He will be working on controlling that heat and hitting his spots this spring. I look for him to get some innings,” Tripp said.
Senior Kris Allen will be used in limited, high-intensity innings throughout the year.
Seniors Dylan Shaw and Dakota Vasey along with junior Gretzky Lee will all work to eat innings in relief.
“Dylan Shaw leads a group with Dakota Vasey and Gretzky Lee that will eat some innings in relief, get the occasional start, and overall give us the depth we need to get through the season with our starting rotation intact and healthy. These steady as a rock pitchers give you consistency and are always willing to give whatever the team needs,” Tripp said.
Lee will be the team’s catcher when not pitching.
“Zach Lee will be our primary receiver behind the dish. He blew us away this fall as a freshman. He has a powerful arm, quick hands and ever improving footwork. Most importantly he enjoys the position, embraces the challenges, and gets the most out of our pitching staff. We are looking for great things from this freshman moving forward,” Tripp said.
Tripp is still working out an infield alignment.
“We have some new faces and will have to figure that out as we go. A few things we know are Gretzky Lee is a beast in the middle infield. He will most likely be partnered up with Hank Woods or Corey Hilburn up the middle. These boys have worked together since middle school. Aaron Beck did a great job at the hot corner this fall and probably has a good chance to keep it. We’re hoping to see more out of his bat and sure his focus will be on his offensive output. Senior Clayton Rose will be trying to take that spot back after some time away. He has done a solid job there in the past. Ultimately, we will probably make that decision once seeing performances at the plate. We have several options at first that can defend well. Again we will have to see whose stick is going to perform to make that determination. With our depth in the outfield this season we may have the luxury of bringing a talented corner outfielder up to the dirt for help at first,” Tripp said.
That outfield depth starts with Felipe.
“With his athleticism we’re sure JJ Felipe will be competing for a spot in the outfield, and of course the aforementioned first base is an option. Corey Hilburn, and Hank Woods will probably see some time in the tall stuff. We know the abilities of Dakota Vasey, Dylon Shaw, and Kris Allen are a proven commodity anywhere in the outfield. Trenton Raney, junior, has shown great improvement over the years in a corner outfield spot and has an arm to go with it. Jamison Nichols, senior, and Cooper Patterson, junior, have come back to us after short layoffs and have both held outfield positions in the past. Morgan Zinn, freshman, joined us this fall and routinely started in the outfield for us,” Tripp said.
Experience will be a strength for Exeter, but focus and intensity will need to improve.
“We have the most experienced team I have had the privilege of coaching at Exeter. Many of these young men started playing for me when I was their seventh grade baseball coach. We have a lot of hard workers and not much drama to drag us down. I believe we will be able to hit the ground running and make the most of our few weeks of practice before the season grind sets in,” Tripp said. “We will have to raise the level of focus and intensity on a daily basis at practice and every game if we are going to take this next step. We have the talent. We have the depth. We have to have the commitment to improving daily and holding ourselves and each other accountable moving forward. It’s one thing to know what it takes to succeed. It’s another thing to understand what it takes to succeed. It’s another level altogether to have the discipline to execute what it takes to succeed at a high level. I believe we’re ready for it and look forward to experiencing this with the guys.”
Exeter opens the season on Mar. 19 at home against Miller.
“I want to see us get that district championship this season. I know many of the boys are tired of knocking on the door. I’m looking forward to being there when they kick the door down and take that championship. I believe we can compete for our conference and it’s definitely a goal I have for us,” Tripp said. “Mainly I want us to improve every day and reach our potential. I’ve always said I can live with someone beating us, I just can’t live with giving it to them. If a team gets you on a given day and you performed well, oh well. You just gotta know you lived up to your end of the deal and gave everything you had from the first moment of the first practice.”
