By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Logan-Rogersville ignored the hype – or lack thereof – last season.
Low expectations lit a fire under the Wildcats, who notched their fourth straight 20-win season and won a district championship.
While there will be extensive lineup changes this year, the Wildcats are confident a new cast of players can continue the program’s lofty standards.
“We are very excited about our returnees and have a very solid pitching staff, several key hitters returning and an exciting group of young underclassmen ready to contribute,” said Wildcats coach Casey Ledl. “The future of our program is very strong for the next several years. This group is hungry to get back to the playoffs and hopefully do some damage at that level, which has become our expectation year in and year out.”
Four seniors lead the way for Logan-Rogersville, which graduated seven starters.
Charlie Greer (3B/P) is expected to become a full-time starter this season. In limited innings a year ago, he tallied eight hits, five RBIs and six steals.
“Charlie has worked extremely hard to become a better athlete on the field and in the weight room,” Ledl said.
Brayden Kent (OF/1B), Eli Craft (P/INF) and AJ Muncy (OF) are in a similar scenario as they vie for starting roles. The Kent, Craft and Muncy trio will try to utilize their football athleticism on the diamond. Muncy had nine hits and four RBIs in varsity action last season.
“Brayden has a great attitude and will do anything we need him to do, including moving to the outfield or playing first base,” Ledl said. “We are looking for Eli to take the next step on the mound and compete for an infield position. AJ will try to lock up one of the outfield spots and continue his advancement at the plate.”
Logan-Rogersville’s top returning hitter is Teagan Trent. The former all-conference outfielder will make a position switch to catcher this season.
Trent hit .302 with 12 extra-base hits, 21 RBIs and six steals as a sophomore.
Several other juniors are competing for full-time varsity roles. Easton Hampton (P/IF) was a spot starter, defensive specialist and relief pitcher for the varsity Wildcats.
Jaxon Parent (INF), Greyson Ritter (OF), Cash Clark (OF) and Roman Menke (P/INF) could also factor into the Logan-Rogersville lineup.
“Jaxon is a solid middle infielder who has some great range,” Ledl said. “Greyson is a left-handed hitter with some pop in his bat. Cash is extremely quick and can be a force on the base paths with his speed.
“Roman is a tall, righthander who threw several innings for the JV. We are looking for him to take that next step and compete for varsity playing time on the mound and infield as well.”
Three sophomores who earned varsity playing time as freshmen are back in the fold.
Nate Eakins made an immediate impact at the plate and on the mound. He went 3-1 with one save and a 1.43 ERA. As a hitter, Eakins tallied 18 total hits, 22 RBIs and seven steals. He was all-conference honorable mention.
“He was in our pitching rotation and hit in quite a few spots in the lineup,” Ledl said. “By midseason, he was playing a lot of innings on the infield as well. We are looking for him to take the next jump at the varsity level and become a major force on the mound.”
Jackson Purse (OF/P) tallied three varsity wins in mostly a relief role. Cole Evans (OF/P) is a lefty who could earn playing time in the lineup or on the mound.
“Our kids know that every year the goal is to win the conference, win the district and go compete in the playoffs to try to win a championship,” Ledl said. “Our pitching depth will be a strength for us with several returning kids who can fill innings and a few returning from injuries.
“I also believe this lineup can really provide some pop. Our kids have had a great offseason with weights and agility training, getting stronger and faster.”
The Wildcats’ 2024 campaign saw them win their second district title in three seasons.
Logan-Rogersville finished 26-7 overall after losing to Blair Oaks in the Class 4 sectional round. They went 7-0 to win the Big 8.
The Wildcats graduated a seven-player senior class who had a large role in helping the Wildcats win 76 games over a three-year span. All seven were everyday starters and earned all-conference or all-state honors.
Ross Lawrence (Missouri State), Jackson Rousey (Fort Scott) and Zane Hunter (Missouri State-West Plains) are continuing their baseball careers in college. Lawrence was an all-state honoree who finished his stellar prep career as one of the winningest pitchers in program history.
Also gone are Ethan DeSanti, Shane DeSanti, Chase Hampton (all-state) and Carter Hill.
“All seven of these young men will be greatly missed,” Ledl said. “They provided leadership and pride in our school daily. Their work ethic is unmatched, and they worked tirelessly on their craft. They never took a day off.
“We challenged those kids in the offseason with (season) expectations being rather low by people outside of our school and team, and they rose to the occasion.”
The underclassmen may not see a lot of varsity action this year, but the future is very bright with the Wildcats.
Nine sophomores will compete on JV or in complementary varsity roles.
Dallas Boyer (C/1B), Wyatt Lewis (INF/P), Wyatt Moore (INF), Levi White (C), Kade Sturdefant (P/INF), Fisher Dedmon (UTL/P), David Johnson (OF), Cam Panique (INF) and Caden Panique (INF) could see varsity playing time off the bench or from the bullpen.
“We are very excited about our underclassmen. We have a lot of talent running through those levels that should keep us in that playoff talk for the next several years,” Ledl said.
Logan-Rogersville has several more prospects coming through the pipeline. A freshmen class of about 19 players is expected to come out this spring.
“It’s by far and away our biggest class,” Ledl said. “We are excited to see what contributions (the freshmen) can bring at all three levels.”
Logan-Rogersville will host its jamboree scrimmage on March 17. The Wildcats begin the regular season March 22 at home versus Webb City.
The Wildcats have enhanced their non-conference schedule and will face the likes of Aurora, Hollister, Springfield Catholic, Nixa, Republic, Fatima and Father Tolton.
They will also compete in the newly formed Ozark Mountain Conference; the Wildcats have the smallest enrollment among the seven schools.
“Our schedule is as tough as ever,” Ledl said. “Even with the strength of schedule we are facing, we feel we can still get some wins, compete at a very high level, and hopefully be ready to play our best baseball come playoff time. To play at the level we want by postseason time, it’s important for us to play the best possible schedule we can.”
