By Chad Hayworth (for OzarksSportsZone.com)
Mt. Vernon, the reigning Big 8 champion from a season ago, will have to find some new faces to fill in around returning starter Jackson Hood in 2026.
As a freshman, Hood went 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA, giving him the second-most wins for the Mountaineers behind now graduated Braden Dodson.
“He was second in innings pitched last year,” said coach Allen Stolte. “Having him back will be a huge plus for us.”
This will be Stolte’s first year coaching the Mountaineers, having most recently coached softball at Republic after a run coaching baseball at Billings.
“My philosophy is a bit different than what they’ve had in the past,” he said. “But the buy-in has been incredible. I could not have asked for a better group.”
The Mountaineers will look to play fast in 2026, he said.
“We want to put as much pressure on the defense as we can,” he said. “The best way to put it is we are going to play without fear of failure.”
The Mountaineers should be solid up the middle, with junior Jax Evans returning. He has the potential to settle into the lead-off spot, especially if he can continue to improve his on-base percentage, Stolte said.
“He hit .296 as a sophomore with a .438 OBS,” he said. “We’d like to get him above .500.”
Senior Brody Wilmoth will likely fill a corner infield spot, at least when he is not pitching.
“We had him on the gun the other day and he was 83-84, which is an improvement over last year,” Stolte said. “We just need him to command the strike zone.”
Aaden Tennison, a junior, will likely be the third man in the Mt. Vernon rotation, while also anchoring the middle of the batting line up.
“I’m still looking for a reliable closer,” Stolte said. “We need someone that can throw the sixth or seventh for us.”
Junior Matthew Hodgson stepped in last season when the starting catcher got hurt late in the year.
“He’s got a strong arm and good footwork behind the plate,” Stolte said. “He could be one that is a big surprise for us.”
Senior Austin Rawlings and sophomore Jenson Swihart will likely battle for the starting spot at third, though Swihart can also catch and play other positions.
Sophomore Cash Garner is penciled in start at short, after using his speed primarily as a courtesy runner last season.
Sophomore Landon Wilmoth could find a spot in the outfield, alongside senior Zarrik Pham, senior Trevor Smith and others, Stolte said.
Junior Josh Vernon is a utility player that can take over at several positions and could see time on the mound, Stole said.
“We’re going to be scrappy,” he said. “We’re going to go out and play whoever shows up, we won’t bow to anyone. But that said, we’re not going to just go out and run the table on the conference because we said we were. We have some big hurdles to overcome, but I think these guys are up to the challenge. It’s not easy to win the Big 8, but somebody has to. Why not us?”
Mt. Vernon opens the season at the Stockton tournament on March 22, followed by the Cassville/Seneca tournament March 27.
