By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Hartville baseball posted a successful 15-10 season in 2025 before falling to Miller in the Class 2 quarterfinal round.
Heading into the spring campaign, optimism abounds, as the Eagles return all nine starters and are led by all-state selection Gus Sunning.
Sinning, a senior utility and pitcher, hit .386 last season with 2 home runs, 19 RBI and 17 stolen bases. On the mound, he compiled a 7-2 record with a 1.79 ERA.
“Gus is someone we need to be on top of his game all season,” Hartville head coach Bradey Welsh said. “If he is then he is a big piece of this team. He can dominate on the mound and deliver clutch hitting.”
Classmates Truett Coryell, Brock Jones and Jacob Meglan also return to the lineup.
Coryell, an all-district pitcher/outfielder, finished with an 0-2 record and a 2.42 ERA. At the plate, he hit .242 with 9 RBI and 8 stolen bases.
“Truett is one of our better pitchers and outfielders,” Welsh said. “He is hard to hit when he is throwing strikes. He can keep us in any game when he is on the mound.”
Jones, a catcher, hit .154 as a junior with 6 RBI and 5 stolen bases.
“Brock is our catcher and someone we have to have behind the plate,” Welsh said. “He is a great catcher and works hard every single game. He has saved many runs for us and gives our pitchers confidence when he is behind the plate. We are a completely different team when he is not catching.”
Meglan, a first baseman, hit .077 last season with 3 RBI and 1 stolen base.
“Jacob is our first baseman,” Welsh said. “We need Jacob at first base for our team to have success. He has also been someone we rely on to put the ball in play when we need it.”
Hartville’s returning junior starters include Brodyn Hulsey, Hunter Walker, Heston Lowery and Dallas Jordan.
Hulsey, a pitcher/infielder, finished with a 3-3 record and 1.81 ERA last season. At the plate, he hit .253 with 13 RBI and 7 stolen bases.
“Brodyn pitches and plays the infield,” Welsh said. “He is a great pitcher for us when he is throwing strikes. If he is hitting well and pitching well then we will have a chase of winning.”
Walker, a pitcher and shortstop, compiled a 2-1 record on the mound with a 6.1 ERA. At the plate, he hit .220 with 13 RBI and 9 stolen bases.
“Hunter is a pitcher and shortstop,” Welsh said. “He made a lot of big plays for us last season. We need him to be solid at shortstop for us to be successful.”
Lowery, a pitcher and infielder, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.59 ERA, while hitting .040 with 4 RBI and 1 stolen base.
“Heston is a pitcher and infielder,” Welsh said. “Heston is someone we need to be solid for us on the mound this spring. He can get a lot of weak contact and keep hitters off balance.”
Jordan, an outfielder, saw limited action last spring
“Dallas is an outfielder for us,” Welsh said. “We need Dallas to step up this season for us at the plate and on defense. He showed he is capable from the fall season.”
Sophomores Cole Sinning and Maddox Jones round out Hartville’s returnees.
Sinning, a utility player, hit .164 last season with 10 RBI and 2 stolen bases.
“Cole is a utility player for us,” Welsh said. “He is always ready to play any position. He has the capability to be a big bat for us this spring and he will pitch a lot of innings this spring.”
Jones, an outfielder, hit .137 as a freshman with 5 RBI and 4 stolen bases.
“Maddox plays outfield and can pitch if we need him to,” Welsh said. “He can be a big part of this team this spring if he is putting balls in play and is solid in the outfield.”
Welsh also believes a pair of varsity newcomers in freshman TJ Kline and sophomore Tre Smith could compete for innings this season.
“TJ is an infielder for us,” Welsh said. “He could start most games for us this spring. He has the potential to be a solid bat for us in our lineup. Trey will be someone we rely on to pinch hit or run for us. He showed a lot of growth from last season. He had multiple quality at bats in the fall.”
With nine returning starters, Welsh has high expectations for his team as it heads into the new season.
“We have a chance to be successful this season if we can execute on offense,” Welsh said. “We have a strong pitching staff going into the spring season and that is something we will rely on tonkeep us in every game and compete. Our hitting is what can hold us back from being the best team we can possibly be. We will put in the work to improve on that.”
Hartville opens its season March 21 in the Purdy Tournament.
