By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Marionville baseball completed a magical run last season.
The Comets posted a 23-6 record, culminating with a win over East Buchanan to capture the school’s first Class 2 state championship.
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The team was led by first-year head coach Alex Weathermon, who is quick to play off any fairy tale aspects of the team’s postseason run.
“I wouldn’t say our run is magical, it just came down to the young men buying into what the coaching staff was teaching them,” Weathermon said. “Once the kids stopped listening to outside distractions and realized we had a chance at doing something special, our entire team’s attitude changed. Our 2021 season is one that none of us will ever forget.”
A trio of graduated seniors depart the program in Jordan Williams, Kyle Brattin and Duane Hammonds.
Williams received all-state honors last season.
“I have nothing but amazing memories from these seniors,” Weathermon said. “Even if we would’ve lost in the first round of districts, I would still say these same things about them. The best part is our seniors this year have a chance to leave a similar legacy and impact.”
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Marionville’s returning seniors include Cale Clark (.419 BA, 1.90 ERA, 70 Ks), Lake High, Wyley Brown (1.30 ERA, 52 Ks), Jakey Davis and Jacksen Smith.
Clark, a pitcher/utility player, received all-state, all-conference, all-district and all-Ozone honors last season. He has committed to play at Allen County Community College.
“Cale has one of the sweetest swings in the Ozarks,” Weathermon said. “He brings energy to our team and has developed into a better leader over the course of the last year. He is such a crazy competitor that he has taken a role in helping our underclassman with their swing this offseason while still providing a challenge to them.”
High, a shortstop and pitcher, received all-state, all-conference and all-district honors last season after returning from shoulder surgery in 2020.
“Lake is a tremendous defender who regularly sets himself up for success with his footwork and routes to the ball,” Weathermon said “The leadership he has already provided this year has been crucial to developing our team. Just from observation, I can tell that he will set the bar high for everyone this year and continue to keep working his tail off.”
Brown is a pitcher capable of playing multiple positions and a Highland Community College commit. He earned all-conference and all-district honors in 2021.
“Wyley could start anywhere from center field, right field, first base, or even second base for us this season,” Weathermon said. “He’s a high character kid who is always wanting to learn more about our game. His competitive drive from football translates to the baseball field and he produced in many huge spots for us last year.”
Davis, a pitcher/outfielder, has committed to play at North Arkansas College next season. He was named to all-conference and all-district teams.
“Jakey Davis has improved more than any player I’ve ever seen over a two-year period,” Weathermon said. “His metrics have skyrocketed through the roof for us this offseason. We look at him to take a big step forward this year in his mental game and be a great player.”
Smith, a three-year starter and all-state/all-conference honoree, will catch and possibly see time in the outfield for the Comets.
“Jack has a bulldog mentality and wants to compete in everything he does,” Weathermon said. “I’m excited to see him this season after having time to rest.”
Blane Young also returns for the Comets.
The junior utility player earned all-state, all-conference and all-district honors as a sophomore.
“Blane Young is the definition of a utility player and was also the winning pitcher in the state championship game,” Weathermon said. “He does all of the little things we need him to in order to win. Blane is unselfish and raises everyone’s game around him.”
Newcomers to the varsity roster include sophomores Preston Herd (3B), Garrett Grimm (P/1B/OF), Isaac Stimpson (P/2B/OF), Owen Bright (P/UT) and Kanien Klineline (C/OF).
A trio of Marionville freshmen will also compete for varsity playing time, including Will Crumpley (P/UT), Jace Vickers (OF) and Michael Gilliland (OF).
With plenty of talent and experience returning to the lineup, Weathermon believes his program will continue to benefit from lessons learned during last season’s postseason run.
“That state championship has our kids extremely excited about baseball this year,” Weathermon said. “My seniors already have the fire needed to play at a high level, and I believe they will do a great job helping our younger kids learn how to play the game the right way.”
“Our biggest strength will be our defense and pitching,” Weathermon said. “We should play both of those at a high level, as they are always emphasized heavily in our program. The team is looking to continue developing at the plate and we will continue to talk about base stealing as a focal point in our offense.”
On the mound, Marionville will benefit from a deep and talented staff.
“I’m very happy with how our staff has shaped up after last season,” Weathermon said. “We return three of our four best pitchers. Our young guys have live arms and are continuously learning how to become competitors on the mound. We have seven guys I feel comfortable competing with on the varsity mound this season.”
While no longer situated in an underdog role, Weathermon believes his team is capable of tuning out distractions and continuing to grind towards success this season.
“We have to continue to play unselfishly,” Weathermon said. “The players on our team are expected to be coachable every day, learn something new and continuously improve. We know that we have a target on our backs and our goal is to embrace that as a challenge.”
Following a March 12 jamboree, the Comets will open the regular season March 19 with the Pleasant Hope Tournament.
