By Shelley Ebbrecht/For OzarksSportsZone.com
The Fair Grove Eagles are ready to hit the field for their baseball season. After finishing at .500 last year, they are hoping to tip the scales in their favor this spring.
With five starters lost to graduation, the team will have a new look and will focus on defense and base running to push up their win column.
“We are definitely a lot younger this year than we have been in the past,” said fifth-year head coach Christian Overstreet. “We will rely heavily on playing solid defense and running the bases well.”
MSHSAA will be enforcing new rules this year in regards to pitch count allowed per player which is causing Fair Grove to change their strategy on the mound as well.
“With the new implementation of the pitch count, we are also going to put a lot of emphasis on trying to develop each kid in our program to be a pitcher,” Overstreet said. “Even at the varsity level, there will be several kids who we will expect to eat up some innings for us who maybe weren’t asked to do that last year.”
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One player who is no stranger to the pitching circle is senior pitcher and outfielder Collin Breckner. Breckner went 2-1 last season with a 4.38 ERA as a starter and relief pitcher. At the plate, Breckner averaged .294 with 25 hits with 6 doubles and 3 triples, 12 RBI and 8 stolen bases.
“Collin is expected to pitch in a lot of big games for us this year as our ace and also be a run producer in the middle of the lineup,” Overstreet said. “I expect Collin to have a phenomenal senior season.”
Ryan Burks returns for his senior campaign as the Eagles’ four-year starting shortstop. Burks had 14 hits and 8 RBI last season and Overstreet said he has been a staple at the top of the order for the last few years. He will also be looked on more to get some innings on the mound in relief.
“We will depend on Ryan’s experience to help guide our younger players and set a positive example for them,” Overstreet said.
Leading for the returning Eagles, three-year catcher Noah Argenta, junior, hit .294 last year with 25 hits, 12 RBI and 8 stolen bases. Overstreet said Argenta is one of the best blocking and receiving catchers in the area and he expects him to take on an increased leadership role this season.
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Rhett Hill is a three-sport athlete who started as a utility player for the Eagles during his freshman season last year. He went 2-0 on the mount with a .778 ERA and picked up 12 hits and 12 RBI on offense. Overstreet said his versatility is valuable to the team and he will play infield this season as well as compete for one of the top spots in the rotation.
Juniors Brett Tolbert and Drew Edwards along with sophomore Josh Thompson round out the returning letter winners for Fair Grove. Tolbert hit .235 with 17 hits last season and went 2-0 on the mound as the team’s token left-handed pitcher. Thompson, primarily as pinch runner and defensive replacement last season will be looked at to take over centerfield this year.
“Though we may be young, I feel like our team has had a great offseason and our team chemistry and culture are in a good place,” Overstreet said.
The team opens their schedule by cohosting the Fair Grove/Pleasant Hope Tournament March 20-25. Their regular season home opener is set for March 28 against Bolivar and the team will compete in the Strafford Wood Bat Tournament beginning April 17.
“With a tough regular season schedule, we are going to have to fight for every win we can get,” said Overstreet. “I think this will definitely help us when Districts roll around. At that point, we want to be playing our best baseball of the year and trust that we have put in the work throughout the year to compete and make a run in the District tournament.”
