By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Stockton baseball enjoyed a banner year in 2022.
The 18-8 Tigers captured the program’s fifth district title in the past seven seasons before falling to Lawson in the Class 3 quarterfinal round.
“Last year’s group put together a special season,” head coach Darin Henderson said. “We started off kind of rocky – starting three or four freshmen. We developed all year, and by the end of the year, we started to put things together. We found a way to play good baseball at the end of the season.”
Entering his tenth season at the Stockton helm, Henderson’s first order of business will be finding replacements for a pair of graduated all-state honorees in Tanner Boyles and Calvin Johnson, who combined for 53 runs batted in last season.
The Tigers will look to Wyatt Downs and junior Koten Goodman to step into leadership roles heading into the spring campaign.
Downs, a senior outfielder and all-conference/all-district selection, hit .304 with 1 home run and 14 runs batted in last season.
“Wyatt is blessed with natural ability,” Henderson said. “He is a smooth defensive outfielder with plus range. He gets to balls that most outfielders don’t. Offensively, he has a big year ahead of him. He has quieted his swing, and we are expecting a big year from him.”
Goodman, a junior pitcher and infielder, posted a 4-0 record and 2.124 earned run average last season with 35 strikeouts. At the plate, the all-conference and all-district honoree hit .351 with 24 runs batted in.
“Kolten has become an RBI machine over the last two years,” Henderson said. “He will also be one of our top arms in the rotation. He can throw three pitches for strikes and has a knack for getting ground balls.”
Seniors Cade Mehl and Cale Johnson will also play key roles for the Tigers this season.
Mehl, an outfielder and pitcher, will look to move into the starting lineup this season.
“Cade is a player that has been looking to crack the starting lineup for a couple years now,” Henderson said. “He also should see some innings on the mound.”
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Johnson, an infielder and designated hitter, hit .304 last season with 15 runs batted in.
“Cade has a knack for getting the barrel on the baseball,” Henderson said of the all-conference selection. “Sometimes, it is not the prettiest swing but usually he gets the job done.”
A quartet of sophomores, including Easton Hubbard, Preston Rains, Jack Rickman and Cade Johnson round out Stockton’s returning core.
Hubbard, an infielder and pitcher, finished the season with a .412 batting average and 12 runs batted in. On the mound, the all-conference and all-district selection posted a 2-0 record with a 2.154 earned run average and 16 strikeouts.
“Easton is a middle-of-the-order bat, as well as our shortstop,” Henderson said. “He is a really good baseball player and can do things on the field that most players can’t.”
Rains, an all-conference and all-district pitcher, finished with a 6-2 record on the mound with a 2.333 earned run average and 66 strikeouts. At the plate, he hit .296 with 1 home run and 17 runs batted in.
“Preston is our No. 1 guy on the mound,” Henderson said. “He has electric stuff and a very distinct presence on the mound. He is having some arm trouble and may miss some games at the beginning. After he returns, we expect him to make a huge impact on our team. He has also improved a lot at the plate and will be a middle of the order guy for us this year.”
Rickman, an outfielder and pitcher, hit .284 with 10 runs batted in last season. On the mound, he posted a 1-0 record with 6 strikeouts in limited action.
“Jack’s speed is a game changer,” Henderson said. “He is a threat to take the next base at all times. He has gained some confidence this off-season and we think he is going to have a good year offensively.”
Johnson, the team’s catcher, will look to see an increased role at the plate this season.
“Cale is the unsung hero of the group,” Henderson said. “He doesn’t get the accolades or the notoriety, but he is the glue that holds it all together. He caught every game for us last year as a freshman. He has gotten a lot stronger this offseason and we are expecting a better year from him this year on both sides of the ball.”
Henderson also expects a host of varsity newcomers to make roster impacts this season, including junior transfer Sayge Painter, sophomore Lance Cahill, freshman Colter Woods, freshman Isaac Leonard and sophomore Bowen Bird.
While Stockton will field a relatively young lineup, Henderson feels his team will be well prepared to compete heading into the season.
“We are young, but we feel we will have a very competitive group,” Henderson said. “We will start 5-6 underclassmen; however, they have played a lot of baseball.”
On the mound, the Tigers will feature a staff full of underclassmen; however, Henderson believes its overall depth and variety will serve as a team strength.
“We believe that our pitching is the strength of our team,” Henderson said. “We have around seven guys that could throw varsity innings. Some guys are power guys, some are offspeed guys and some throw from the left side.”
Henderson also believes the addition of Painter could be a huge x-factor for his team’s success this season.
“Sayge moved into our school district this year, and we feel like he is a difference maker,” Henderson said. “He can play multiple spots of defense and has good bat speed. He also could be a top arm in our rotation. We haven’t seen a lot out of him but what we have seen has been impressive. He could have a great year for us.”
Following a March 11 home jamboree with El Dorado Springs, Lockwood and Weaubleau, Stockton opens the regular season March 13 in the Bolivar Tournament.
