By Amanda Perkins/For OzarksSportsZone.com
The Norwood Pirates are adapting to their second coach in as many seasons and the loss of five lettermen. On a learning curve after their 8-10 fall campaign, they’ve been working to improve for their spring debut.
“Our coaching philosophy this year is simply ‘be better,’” said head coach Drew Miller. “This means to be better than you were yesterday in school, baseball, and in life in general.”
Miller, who most recently coached a successful freshman baseball program at Neosho, said he was grateful for “working out the kinks” in the fall season with his new players. “They are responding really well,” he said. “The players and I have a great relationship and we are eager to start the season.”
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The Pirates went 15-11 last spring, one year after qualifying for the Final Four, and took second place in the district behind Mansfield. Norwood graduated a handful of contributors to those achievements. Joel Ogletree, first-team all-conference and all-district and second team all-state infielder, boasted a .493 average and .598 on-base percentage and took his talents to Hesston College. Weston Chadwell is playing infield at Ecclessia College. The first-team all-conference and all-district player was the team leader and had a .329 average. Ben Campbell has moved on to Mineral Area College and Levi Mason and Max Malone will also be noticed absences.
Miller said he will be relying on his senior leadership to fill the gaps. “They will start every game for us and will be a huge factor in our lineup,” he said. “Tyler Prichard (.364), AJ Barnes (.253), and Lukas Brown will see a lot of time on the bump. We need them to be big for us.”
Prichard is an athletic asset who will bat in the middle of the line-up and will attempt to improve upon his 4.88 ERA from last season. Brown will also contribute in the middle of the diamond.
Sophomore Hunter Gray was a big part of the offense last season, and the .314 batter will help on the mound as well.
Tim Thornton, junior first baseman, will be a good bat for the Pirates in the middle of the lineup at .250. Junior Mason Sawyers is the asset behind the plate, and classmate Seth Harris will play the infield. Riley Vaughn, a move-in from Mountain Grove, will play outfield and rounds out the junior class.
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Seth Bradshaw will fill the role of third baseman as a sophomore, and Hesston Gray, freshman, will play shortstop.
“I feel like good things will happen this year for our baseball program,” said Miller. “The conference race will be exciting this year…every team in the conference has a chance of winning the championship. The district tournament will be very similar. It will be a fun spring.”
The Pirates open their season at Hurley on March 17.
