By Derek Shore/OzarksSportsZone.com
Head Coach: Joshua Hughes
2015-16 Record: 23-6 – Won Class 2, District 12 title, but lost to Plato in Quarterfinals
Top Players: Ricky Aldaba (P/C), James Hughlett (P/CF), Hunter Cook (SS), Adam Humphrey (3B), Kyler Propps (2B), and Mason Schallert (1B)
With one of the better Class 2 baseball programs in southwest Missouri, the Purdy Eagles reached familiar heights in the spring of 2016, but uncharted territory on the diamond.
The Eagles season was highlighted by a school record 23-6 overall record (5-0 in Ozark 7 play), finishing the year on a 13-game winning streak en route to their second straight district title before Plato eliminated them in the quarterfinals.
The bad news: Purdy graduated three all-state players in Dusty Videmschek (Conference Player of the Year), Sydney Birge, and Jonatan Salazar while losing glue guy Isaac Brattin as well.
“Dusty ended his senior season with the most hits in a single season and will be a hard piece to replace,” Purdy head coach Joshua Hughes said. “Not only his bat but his defense at the corners and his leadership. Sydney was our No. 1 on the mound and earned it. He pitched three straight shutouts to end his career.
“Jon played a key part in our offense and was a table setter in the two hole for our middle of the order. He was solid in right and center. Isaac took a role of defense and baserunning as a senior and his play in the District Championship game in left was a huge momentum turner.”
The Eagles will look to plug those holes with eight returning lettermen and six starters, headlined by all-state honorable mention Ricky Aldaba, who compiled an 8-1 record with 1.53 ERA as a pitcher while hitting .282 with 7 RBIs at the plate.
“He will be expected to be our number one guy on the mound this spring,” Hughes said of his senior. “He will also take a bigger role in the lineup, and we expect him to step up in the middle of the order.”
The other returning senior, James Hughlett, who has toed the rubber and patrolled center field, had his most success on the bump last spring. Hughlett went 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA but batted .264 while collecting seven extra-base hits, 12 RBI, and 19 stolen bases. He will continue to hit atop the order.
To round out this year’s returnees includes a pair of juniors in Hunter Cook and Adam Humphrey as well sophomores, Kyler Propps and Mason Schallert, who all will compete for mound time to replace the vacant innings of Birge.
Coming off a year with the second-most RBIs (33) on the team, Hughes expects Cook will fight for the 3-4 hole in the lineup this spring, anchoring the defense up the middle at shortstop. Humphrey will challenge to be the ace of the pitching staff and will be looked upon as a huge source of offense, leading the Eagles with a .460 average this past fall.
Propps was said to have had a great freshman year and played a lock down second base, continuing that on into 2017 while Schallert will move into the full-time first base spot.
Hughes listed five top newcomers, including senior Chris Ramos, junior Jose Sanchez, sophomore Carl Hughlett, and freshman Andrew Martinez and Zane Brown.
With a good combination of pitching and defense back, Hughes had a terrific fall and looks to translate that into a winning product in 2017 despite McAuley being the early conference and district frontrunner with Pierce City on their heels on the latter side.
“We were 15-2 this fall and expect big things out of our guys,” Hughes said. “We will work hard every day and look to compete at the conference and district levels. With McAuley and Pierce City bringing back everyone from last year, we look at them as the team to beat in the district and McAuley in the conference.”
Purdy opens the spring season with a doubleheader at Monett against the Cubs and Spokane on Sat., Mar. 18.
