By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Marshfield baseball enjoyed a winning season in 2023.
The Blue Jays posted a 16-15 record, falling to Glendale in the district tournament.
“We finished the season 16-15 last year, which was much improved than the year before,” head coach William Pate said. “We had quite a few young players on our team that gained valuable experience, so we are excited to bring them back.”
Marshfield’s graduating class included a pair of all-state honorees in Jackson Rovig (Mission University) and Wyatt Brockman (Jefferson College).
Fortunately for the Blue Jays, a third all-state selection returns to the 2024 lineup in Carson Adams.
Adams, a sophomore pitcher and infielder, recorded a 5-3 record and 7.35 ERA. At the plate, he hit .456 with 1 home run, 26 RBI and 8 stolen bases.
“Carson is coming off a really solid freshman year and we look for him to up his production as a sophomore this season,” Pate said “He will be in the rotation on the mound and be a top of the order guy.”
Adams is joined by a pair of all-conference honorees in Henry Berkstresser and Tyce Jones.
Berkstresser, a junior outfielder, hit .310 last season with 24 RBI and 4 stolen bases.
“Henry is our most experienced varsity hitter returning this season and he will be called on a lot to step up in big spots and be a presence in the order,” Pate said. “ He will start in the outfield for us this season.”
Jones, a junior outfielder, hit .431 with 8 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 2023.
“Tyce was a two-sport player last season with baseball and track, so we did not have him full time,” Pate said. “He is a major threat on the basepaths and is very solid in center field.”
Seniors Easton Arthur, Eli Reynolds and Tyler Medlock also return for the Blue Jays.
Arthur, an outfielder, hit .190 last season with 3 RBI and 5 stolen bases.
“Easton was primarily a defensive specialist for us last season but will compete for time in the lineup,” Pate said. “He’s a great kid who works really hard and wants to help the team win however he can.”
Reynolds, a pitcher, posted an 0-4 record with a 7.15 ERA in 2023.
“Eli will be a vital part of our pitching staff this spring, and we look for him to step up as a leader amongst the pitching staff,” Pate said.
Medlock, another pitcher, recorded an 0-3 record with a 6.90 ERA.
“Tyler was big late in the season for us as a relief pitcher,” Pate said. “We will look to use him as one of our main go-to arms this spring.”
Junior infielder Sam Perkins rejoins the lineup after being sidelined by an injury last season. He hit .222 with 5 RBI and 4 stolen bases during his time on the field.
“Sam missed about half of the season last year due to injury, so we are excited to have him back,” Pate said. “He will be up the middle for us defensively and will be an important bat in the order. He understands his role in the lineup and is ready to produce for the team.”
Sophomores Hunter Fryman, Carter James and Carter Day round out Marshfield’s returning core.
Fryman, an infielder, hit .253 with 3 home runs, 25 RBI and 12 stolen bases last season.
“Hunter is an extremely athletic player who can hit for power and utilize the short game with his speed,” Pate said. “He will start at short again this season and will be a bigger part of our pitching staff this spring.”
James, a catcher, hit .308 in 2023 with 1 home run 13 RBI and 7 stolen bases.
“(James) will look to take over catching duties this spring,” Pate said. “He’s an athletic kid who moves really well behind the dish and can be a threat on the basepaths. His bat will be a key piece to our lineup this spring.”
Day, a pitcher and infielder, finished last season with a 2-1 record and 5.15 ERA.
“(Day) mainly saw time on the mound as a freshman at the varsity level and will bring back some solid experience this season,” Pate said. “He will compete to take over first base.”
Pate also expects a pair of varsity newcomers – junior Roman Leppert and sophomore Keegan Reynolds – to compete for playing time.
“We are very excited for this season and the opportunity to come out and compete against some really solid opponents,” Pate said. “We feel we can compete for a conference title this year but know it will be a tough road to get there. As far as districts we are in a very competitive district and are looking to make a run this year.”
On the mound, Pate will utilize his team’s overall depth as roles are developed early in the season.
“Our biggest strength is our depth at pitching right now,” Pate said. “We have a lot of guys who can go out and give us competitive innings which will allow us to keep pitch counts down for a lot of guys and hopefully keep them fresher for big games. I don’t know that we’ve had the depth at pitching in the past like we will this season, so we are very excited for that.”
At the plate, Pate believes experience and lessons learned last season will help greatly with his team’s development and approach to hitting.
“We bring back a good amount of our lineup from last year but will have to replace some really
key components,” Pate said. “We believe guys have bought into their role offensively and are excited to see them get after it. Early on we will try to figure out where everyone fits and try to get the right combination.”
Following a March 8 jamboree, Marshfield opens its season March 15 at Independence against William Chrisman.
