By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Changes were not kind to Mountain View-Birch Tree/Liberty last spring; the Eagles suffered a first round loss to Ava in district play and ended the season 3-15 after battling through restrictions on pitchers and a tougher schedule. Now the Eagles will try to capitalize on the experience they gained last season.
“The new rule has put a strain on our program,” said head coach Allen Hedden. “We only have around fifteen players each year and it’s made us have to pitch kids that have never been on the mound before. Kids that would spend a year on the JV team have now been put into the varsity games. That can be a tough situation for a young pitcher who is not yet ready for varsity.”
And while the ramped up schedule didn’t help Liberty’s win column, Coach Hedden said it was nonetheless beneficial.
“It can only make you better by playing tough teams,” he said. “Our schedule had several teams on it that were ranked at one time or finished in the top 10 of their class. Our guys have seen up close what it takes to have a really good program.”’
Liberty will miss two key athletes this year: Brenton Bush and Devin Hedden. Bush was athletic and successful at the plate, speedy on the base paths and in the outfield. Hedden started on varsity for three years at first base and was a contact pitcher with a 3.23 ERA and all-conference honorable mention nod.
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Five seniors will return to the squad. Koel Orchard earned first team all-district and second team all-conference honors as a junior, batting .423 and adding 21 stolen bases. The athletic leadoff hitter is versatile, fast, and can cause problems on the basepaths. He will also lead the pitching staff. Senior catcher Riky Williams (.318) has developed into a good hitter in the middle of the lineup and has put in the hard work in the off-season to perfect his game. A.J. Foster has played second base for two years and will move to first. The senior is also a good contact hitter. Corbin Allen will play in the outfield and Caleb Clark, a team leader, will be in right field.
Coltin Foster is a returning junior centerfielder with good speed and a strong arm and has been working to improve upon his average.
Coltin Weldon, sophomore, played second and shortstop as a freshman and will remain at second. His classmate Mathew Ledgerwood played some varsity innings last season as an outfielder and will compete for a spot there.
Newcomers include freshmen Kaden Daniels and Koleman McDaniels. Kaden plays first base and can pitch, and Koleman will be a pinch runner for varsity. Zeb Cornman, shortstop, will also join the pitching staff. He is a tough competitor and strong and quick. Junior Kendell Vandervort will play in the outfield.
Coach Hedden said his team will be working toward efficiency and consistency from the pitching staff. “We need to attack hitters this year and trust our stuff,” he said. “We have to bring our best game every night.” Hedden is in his fifteenth year as head coach at Liberty and is looking forward to this spring. “This is a great group of guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach the last four seasons.”
The Eagles host Alton in their home opener March 17.
