By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
“Last year’s team, like many other teams in the area, would have been senior heavy with a lot of experience back on the field,” said James Sharp, who enters his third year as the West Plains Zizzers’ head baseball coach. “We were returning seven starters and had all of our arms back from the previous season; unfortunately, we were unable to see it play out in the spring.”
Team leader Bo Crites, now on the roster at St. Louis Community College, was a reliable arm and middle of the order batter. Jacob Ackerson was also a top arm who manned centerfield and impressed in the outfield. Jonathan Bibb would have started on the mound, and the athletic player contributed all over the field. Ryan Johnson will be tough to replace on defense; his infield and shortstop abilities were crucial for the team. James Snodgrass was the returning all-conference DH, and Jake Newberry, Dalton Harper, Allen Marcak, and Eli McGinley were also key losses for the Zizzers.
Despite these absences, the Zizzers are ready to compete after an unexpected year off.
“Everything about this season is exciting,” said Coach Sharp. “We will be back on the field playing official games for the first time in well over a year, getting to see the hard work the boys have put in this off-season come out in games, and to see a bunch of players get their first innings at the varsity level.”
He said his team is full of skilled newcomers battling for starting positions. Every baseball coach is also responsible for a fall sport, throwing a bit of a wrench into the off-season, but the team has focused on physical fitness in their down time. “We have been working mostly on core strength and making sure our arms are ready to hit the ground running March 1,” said Sharp.
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Four experienced players return to the field. Senior shortstop Haidan Barnard averaged .370 two years ago and added 16 RBIs. He was the team’s go-to arm as a sophomore and has strong off-speed pitches. The former lead-off hitter is expected to be a big offensive contributor.
Colt Hickson, 6’2” senior second baseman, played nearly every inning as a sophomore. “He is a slick-fielding second baseman with a pretty good bat to go along with it,” said Sharp. Colt hit .321 as a sophomore and his coach has high expectations for him this season.
Kyler Stowers is another 6’2” senior who was injured at the start of his sophomore season and had to miss a varsity start. He will finally get his shot this year with a corner infield position and batting in the middle of the order. His coach said his work in the off-season will show on the field this spring.
Colby Hoover is an area standout who was a key part of the district championship team at Dora in 2019. The 6’5” junior moved in last year and is expected to contribute immediately for the Zizzers. “He seems to always have a plan at the plate, plus power, and is disciplined,” said Sharp. “He should add another element to our offense that we haven’t had in the past few years.”
Coach Sharp expects his team to be strong on defense and has a goal for the team to have an ERA under five. He said they will focus on doing the little things right. Sharp also wants the Zizzers to finish in the top half of the conference and to win a district game while developing the young talent coming in. “All stepping stones to getting the program back to where it should be,” he said.
The Zizzers participate in a Jamboree March 13 and host their home opener vs. Mansfield on March 25.
