By Chris Parker
Halfway baseball has a new head coach in Calvin Dryer this season. He takes over a program coming off a 25-win season with back-to-back district titles.
The Cardinals graduated all but three starters from last season’s team. Shane Gallivan, Maddox McCarthy and Graham Hensley will be key leaders in their senior seasons.
“Shane Gallivan, Maddox McCarthy, and Graham Hensley are our three seniors and will be tasked with leading the team,” Dryer said. “These three have been a part of a very successful run during their time at Halfway and will help show our younger players how we play the game. These three men have helped create an unmatched culture in our weight room and really set the tone for work ethic and accountability.”
McCarthy will be the ace on the mound after posting a 2.40 ERA across 46.2 innings last season. He will also play shortstop. Offensively, McCarthy had a 1.048 OPS 13 extra-base hits, 43 RBI and 40 runs scored.
Past McCarthy on the mound, Dryer is looking for new players to step up.
“We lost a lot of depth on the mound and defensively,” Dryer said. “We will need some newcomers to gain confidence and make plays for us. We will look to Jackson Fisher, Keaton Carter, and Jayse Smith to step up big for us this year on the mound.”
Colby Maggard will also be in the rotation.
Gallivan returns to anchor the catcher position and will also pitch. He was an all-state selection last season after he hit .500 with a 1.399 OPS including 21 extra-base hits and a team-high 46 runs driven in.
Smith, Carter, Owen Stock and Jack Butler will all look for time on the infield. Maggard, Fisher, Jake Radford, Tucker Horn and Isaac Ballinger will compete for spots in the outfield.
Offensively, Halfway should be strong.
“Our guys are really confident at the plate,” Dryer said. “We compete a lot in practice with live at bats. We expect to put the ball in play hard and be aggressive on the base paths.”
Halfway opens the season on Mar. 19 at Humansville.
“I want to see this group play together as a unit,” Dryer said. “There will be a lot of new faces in new spots this year, and guys will be asked to play new spots they aren’t familiar with. I want to see this group come together and compete for one another. If we can do that, we will compete with anyone we line up against.”
