By Chad Hayworth (for OzarksSportsZone.com)
Change is in the air for the East Newton baseball program. Or, more precisely, it’s on the ground, and in the in dugout.
In what’s been an ongoing effort to improve the playing surface at East Newton’s field, school officials this spring brought in Brock Phipps, the Springfield Cardinals legendary groundskeeper, to work on infield drainage and other issues.
The work has included adding dirt and leveling the infield, laying new sod along the edges of the infield and cutting them in for a crisper look.
The work is the culmination of a process that started a few years back, when school officials approved raising the entire field to help ease water retention, especially in right field, which sits atop what used to be a pond when the school campus was a farm in the 1960s.
And the Patriots, who are coming off a record-setting 15-13-1 season in 2025, will have a new man leading the program. Jaron Dishman takes over for Alex Wheeler.
Dishman comes to East Newton from Blue Eye, where he coached alongside his father, Jeff, in 2025 after three years at Springfield’s Mission University, his alma mater.
The Patriots return Braiden VanLue, who was named to the Class 4 All-State team as a junior. He’ll play shortstop and pitch, likely as the No. 2 starter behind staff ace Carson Rinehart, a junior, who will also play at short when VanLue is on the mound.
They’ll deliver to senior Tanner Woods, who is penciled in to do most of the catching for the Pats.
Kaden Cole, a junior, could play in both the infield and outfield, and is likely East Newton’s lead-off hitter, Dishman said.
“He’s a guy that sees a lot of pitches and works a lot of deep counts,” he said. “And once he gets on, he’s a base stealing threat.”
Senior Grant Friend will take over at first base for the graduated Will Eichelberger. A lefty, he could also see some innings on the mound.
Brady Siler should be the Patriots’ second baseman, where both his defense and offense will be needed, Dishman said.
Tucker Larsen, a junior, is the likely starter in left, while senior Wyatt Dunn will play in centerfield and pitch.
Layton Pilcher could also see time in the field, but is likely to serve as the Patriots’ designated hitter most days, Dishman said.
Right field could be a spot where a freshman works into the lineup, but it’s going to be a battle. Any of three guys with deep East Newton roots could end up patrolling over the old pond, Dishman said.
They are Boone Johnson, whose father Seth once coached the Patriot baseball and football teams and is now the district’s curriculum director; TJ Ellis, whose dad Tom is the East Newton football coach; and Isaac Friend, whose father Matt is an East Newton alum who now sits on the school board.
“I’ve been fully transparent with all of them even before baseball started,” Dishman said with a laugh. “Hey, your kids are going to be in a dogfight and it’s up to them. That’s a great thing about East Newton, they all understand.”
Dishman said he wants his team to be aggressive, both at the plate and on the base paths.
“Not a lot of our guys have the true ability to leave the yard,” he said. “So we are going to bunt a lot. We’ll play small ball, and we will be ultra-aggressive, stealing a lot of bags.”
The Patriots open the season March 20, hosting Miller, before heading into the Cassville/Seneca tournament, which will be a family reunion of sorts.
On the tournament’s opening day, the Patriots will play Cassville, where Jordan Savage – the last coach to lead East Newton to a district title – serves as an assistant coach. Then, they’ll face Wheeler and his new team, Lebanon.
A game with Class 5 Bolivar looms on day two of the tournament.
“Our kids learned a lot from him,” Dishman said of Wheeler. “They are thankful for their time with him. It should be a great matchup for us. Facing those bigger schools right off the get-go will be a good test for us and we’ll see how tough we are, how prepared we are.”
