By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Expectations are high for the Stockton Tigers this spring – and for good reason. The team returns eight starters from last year’s club that finished 12-10 and 4-2 in the Mid-Lakes Conference. Seventh year coach Darin Henderson sees the talent on his team and knows the pieces are there for a fun spring.
“Our focus in this program is to be playing our best baseball at the end of the season and make playoff runs,” Henderson said. “We have been extremely blessed with those opportunities in the past. I think by the end of the year, we will put ourselves in a position to compete for a district championship.”
Last year, the Tigers were young and inexperienced. A 1-0 district semifinal loss to El Dorado Springs ended their year.
“Last year was a learning curve for us,” Henderson admitted. “We had ups and downs. At the end of the year we started to play really well.”
This year’s club will be led by first-team all-state pick Drew Wheeler. Last season, Wheeler batted. 543 with nine doubles, two homers, and 34 RBIs. On the mound, he went 5-2 with a 1.06 ERA with 88 strikeouts and only 17 walks. As a utility player, the senior can play all over and will need to be a constant offensively for the Tigers.
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“Drew had as great a year as I have ever seen last year,” Henderson said. “He has a knack for getting the barrel on the baseball. He is a utility player for us and our No. 1 starter on the mound. He doesn’t have outstanding stuff, but his control is superb. He throws all of his pitches where he wants and when he wants to.”
Senior Garrett Haden all returns after a stellar junior year that saw him be named honorable mention all-state. Haden, the team’s catcher, batted .394 last year with five doubles and 12 RBIs.
“Garrett is our motor,” Henderson said. “We go when he goes. He is a skilled defender behind the plate and has put the time in to have a great senior year.”
Junior Tate Wheeler (Drew’s brother) also garnered honors last year, receiving second-team all-conference and all-district honors. He batted .362 last spring with seven doubles.
“Tate could play any position on the field, but we plan on keeping him at shortstop this year,” Henderson said. “He played really well there in limited action last year. At the plate, when he stays inside himself, he has a really pretty swing and can drive the ball to all fields.”
Stockton will also look for key contributions from returning senior outfielder Tyler Mehl, senior first baseman Zack Burns, senior infielder Cole Garretson, sophomore infielder Tanner Boyles, sophomore outfielder Layne Colvin, and junior outfielder DJ Bays.
Six newcomers also join the fold this spring. Sophomores Calvin Johnson, David Barnes, and Colton Bock all figure to compete for starting jobs. Freshmen Quinn Barr, Jay Baxter, and Wyatt Downs all could see time in limited roles.
“We will compete every pitch and continue to get better each and every day,” Henderson said. “We believe in this team and think it could be something special if everything comes together.”
