By Kary Booher
There are so many reasons to think the Neosho High School baseball team could be a factor this year. And here is one – its finish to last season.
You see, the Wildcats broke in a new coach, started slowly, labored through injuries and yet caught fire down the stretch. In fact, they had Webb City tied in the seventh inning of a district championship game before a crazy sequence on a double-play ball allowed the Cardinals to score the winning run.
“They really bought in last year and we have started to see some things pay off,” Neosho coach Danny Powers said. “And this offseason, we’ve really seen some good things.”
Powers has reason to be optimistic, considering the Wildcats have 10 seniors, including seven who saw significant innings last year as the team finished 16-13.
Among the notable returnees is Colton Marion, a first team All-State selection by the Missouri High School Baseball Association as well as All-District and All-Conference.
Powers moved him to leadoff at the midpoint of last season, and Marion finished by hitting .382 with six doubles, five triples, a home run and 19 RBI. Even better, he’s got speed, having stolen 30 bases in 31 attempts, and is looking to play for Crowder College.
Another key is junior Clint Winchester, who was All-District and All-Conference. He hit .357 last year and drove in 22 runs.
“He’s 6-1, 195. He definitely has the body of a baseball player,” Powers said. “He had an outstanding summer by hitting the ball gap to gap.”
Other notable seniors are second baseman Jacob Galbraith, pitcher-first baseman Austin Wren, third baseman-outfielder Cameron Gorham, catcher-infielder Carter Ezell and pitcher-infielder Jordan Greenstreet.
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Four juniors also should factor in. They are pitcher-outfielder Kaleb Moreland, outfielder Gavin Kelley and infielder-pitcher Hank Selig.
The team is hoping to see the return of Wren, who suffered a shoulder injury last season and could bat at the top of the order.
“(Shortstop) is going to be the toughest thing to figure out,” Powers said. “If we can find someone to play there with Colton in the outfield, that’s going to make us deeper.”
One advantage for the pitching staff is Powers himself. He was a standout pitcher for the University of Central Missouri, whose program was recently inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and was an eighth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2005. He reached Double-A.
Last season was Powers’ first year coaching Neosho after he coached basketball at Cassville High School and was a basketball and baseball coach previously at Liberal.
Galbraith was the team’s No. 2 starter last year and finished with a 2.12 earned run average. He muzzled No. 1-ranked Staley in an upset and mostly handled Webb City twice.
Greenstreet, Selig and Moreland also could see time on the mound.
“He’s got a lot of run on his fastball and an outstanding change-up with some sink,” Powers said of Galbraith.
The roster also includes sophomores Jared Stephens, Brett Cook, Kaden King and A.C. Marion.
Overall, the end of last season is a motivator.
Webb City had runners at first and second with one out, and a ground ball set up a potential inning-ending double play. But the ball popped free on the transfer at second base and, before Neosho could get the third out, the winning run scored.
It’s led to a focused offseason.
“A lot of seniors and a lot of juniors here have a lot of aspirations to play at the next level,” Powers said. “Everybody’s been taking it seriously. Hopefully we can play the right way.”
