2023 Spring Preview: Purdy Baseball

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By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Purdy baseball enjoyed a successful season in 2022.

The Eagles finished with a 23-3 record, falling to Marionville in the district final.

“We had a great 2022 season with winning our conference and being a few hits short of pushing some runs across against a good Marionville team in the district championship game,” longtime head coach Joshua Hughes said.

Purdy features a solid returning core of seven starters this season, including Bosten Goetz, Ezequiel Garcia, Travis Hughes, Trey Hughes, Alexis Aldaba, Josh Brown and Hunter Lee.

Goetz, a senior catcher, hit .380 with 19 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases last season.

“Bosten is our field general,” Hughes said. “He has been our varsity catcher since his freshman year. Bosten had a great season in the top of the order last year and we look forward to him being there again.”

Garcia, a senior infielder and pitcher, hit .420 with 1 home run, 35 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases. On the mound, he compiled a 4-1-1 record with a 2.31 earned run average.

“Ezequiel has been our shortstop the past three years and in the top of our rotation on the mound,” Hughes said. “We look forward to him having a huge season at both positions and the plate.”

Travis Hughes, a senior outfielder and pitcher, hit .402 with 35 home runs and 19 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he finished with a 7-0 record and 1.92 earned run average.

“Travis had a breakout season on the mound for us last spring and produced in the middle of the order for us,” Hughes said. “He will continue to throw and be in the middle of the order.”

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Trey Hughes, a senior infielder and pitcher, hit .310 with 1 home run, 15 runs batted in and 7 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he recorded a 5-2 record and 4.41 earned run average.

“Trey has had injuries the past few years and hasn’t had a full fall or spring,” Hughes said. “When he is healthy, he gives us a great bat and some power from the left side. He will also see innings on the mound for us. He starts this spring healthy and working hard this off season.”

Aldaba, a senior infielder and pitcher, hit .367 with 1 home run, 18 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases.

“Alexis was our number two or three on the mound coming into the spring, but an early injury limited him on the mound,” Hughes said. “This fall we saw him thrive in a relief role and has earned the ball to get tough outs in crucial situations. He also gives us a great middle of the order bat.”

Brown, a senior utility and pitcher, hit .312 with 1 home run, 24 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he notched a 1-0 record and 4.20 earned run average.

“Josh has become a crucial part of what we do,” Hughes said. “He can play multiple positions and has worked his way into the top of our rotation after a great fall season. He will be given bigger innings on the mound this spring and we look for him to be huge for us.”

Lee, a junior outfielder and pitcher, hit .272 with 20 runs batted in and 6 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he finished with a 5-0-2 record and 1.40 earned run average.

“Hunter stepped up as a sophomore after some injuries to some of our pitching staff,” Hughes said. “He will continue to get big innings on the mound and we look for him to take off at the plate.”

Sophomore Will Henderson also returns for the Eagles.

“Will played a lot of first base and outfield as a freshman, and we look for him to continue to fight for those positions,” Hughes said. “His defensive skills will help us win games. With more time in the cage, we could see him become a huge part of our lineup.”

Newcomers to the varsity roster include freshman Easten Goetz, freshman Damon Mahurin and junior JJ Felipe.

“As always, we plan to be prepared for anything that we have come at us,” Hughes said. “We have really beefed up our schedule to prepare us for the playoffs. We have a great pitching staff and defense. As our bats come along, we should be a competitive baseball team.”

Purdy opens its season March 18 in its host tournament.

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