By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Marionville baseball team enters the season with a new head coach, but Alex Weathermon is hardly a stranger to the program.
He practically never left.
A Marionville native, Weathermon played baseball and football for the Comets until he graduated in 2015. He then double-majored at College of the Ozarks, which is about an hour away on a bad day, and rejoined the baseball team as an assistant coach in 2019.
After what would have been his second season as an assistant under Jason Grose was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Weathermon was named head coach in April.
Grose is now coaching at Marion C. Early, leaving the Marionville program to a native son.
“I am originally from Marionville and my family still lives here,” Weathermon said. “It is always exciting to be able to pour into a program that you got to play for. I am most excited to continue to develop the young men of Marionville into better people and baseball players.”
Weathermon said the transition has been “extremely smooth” because he had familiarity with the roster. Seniors on this year’s team were sophomores when he first joined the staff — and in sixth grade when he last wore the uniform as a player.
“The players knew who I was and what I expected of them before we started playing our summer schedule,” Weathermon said. “The players are buying into the program standards we have set and are looking forward to getting the season started.”
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Marionville won 17 games in 2019, a five-win improvement from 2018, but was upset in the opening round of the district tournament. Heading into 2020, the biggest question about the team was who was going to replace the players who combined to throw over 70 innings for them in the school’s most successful season since Weathermon’s senior year, when the Comets won 18 games and advanced to the second round of the state playoffs.
This year, the coach sees pitching as one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Jordan Williams, Kyle Brattin, Jacob Davis, Wyley Brown, Cale Clark and Wil Carlton all have high-level experience, either on the varsity team or travel baseball clubs, and Weathermon called the group “the deepest staff that Marionville has ever had.”
“There is never a challenge they will turn down,” Weathermon said. “Our biggest issue on the mound is learning how to play one pitch at a time this year. I plan on challenging several young pitchers early in the season to see where everyone starts to fit in.”
Williams, a senior, went 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA in 2019, striking out 27 in 27.1 innings. He also hit .397 and drove in 23 runs, earning a spot on the all-conference and all-district teams.
Weathermon said Williams made “tremendous strides in strength” during the off-season and has grown into his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame. He’ll be the team’s starting third baseman when he’s not on the mound and has committed to play at College of the Ozarks.
Brattin has also signed with the Bobcats and will start in center field in his senior year.
“The leadership he provides along with his work ethic make him one of our best players,” Weathermon said. “He has a strong bat that will catch several eyes this year.”
Davis and Brown are juniors who are expected to hold down the corner outfield slots when it’s not their turn in the rotation. Davis could be a candidate for a breakout year.
“His work ethic on the field has been unmatched and he is going to be a big impact player for us this spring,” Weathermon said. “He reads the ball off the bat extremely well and will continue to get better with more experience.”
Carlton, the star quarterback on the Marionville football team that reached the state quarterfinals in the fall, will return to the diamond after not playing baseball for several years. The sophomore will also see some time in the outfield.
“I expect him to compete for starts and be a steady arm on the mound,” Weathermon said. “Once he gets into the groove of things he will be a tremendous player for us.”
Clark, a sophomore catcher, is recovering from a recent knee surgery, while junior shortstop Lake High is dealing with a shoulder injury that could keep him out for a significant time.
High’s absence would be a major blow for the Comets, as he started every game as a freshman, hit .342 with 17 RBIs, excelled on defense and also saw time on the mound. If High can’t go, look for sophomore utility man Blane Young to see more playing time.
Fellow junior Jacksen Smith also started every game in 2019, hitting .292 with 17 RBIs while splitting time behind the plate and in the outfield. This year, with Clark rehabbing an injury and so many capable outfielders, he will likely spend most of his time as a catcher.
“Jacksen is a workhorse for our program,” Weathermon said. “He is the type of kid you love to coach, because he does what you ask and he does it with a bulldog mentality. He will provide a steady glove and arm from behind the plate this season.”
Weathermon also expects senior first baseman Duane Hammonds to be a key contributor on offense, calling him “our most consistent bat.” Jacob Gray is projected to start at second.
“His bat has developed very well,” Weathermon said of Gray. “He makes consistent hard contact and also has a high baseball intelligence. He is looking forward to gaining a lot of experience at the varsity level this spring.”
A pair of freshmen — Gage Guerin and Preston Herd — could see significant time for the Comets this season. Weathermon said he liked Guerin’s competitive nature and defensive skills, while Herd is a 6-foot, 200-pound versatile player “who has a ton of potential.”
Sophomore Jackson Stewart and freshmen Isaac Stimpson, Garrett Grimm, Owen Bright, and Kanien Klineline will all compete for playing time, giving Weathermon plenty of options.
“I think the motivation for our underclassmen this year has been at an all time high,” Weathermon said. “I have several newcomers that are hungry to win and compete at a high level this year.”
The Weathermon era officially commences when Marionville opens the season in the Pleasant Hope Tournament, which begins on March 19. To win the Southwest Conference, the Comets will have to overcome solid opponents in Ash Grove, Miller and Lockwood.
“We are not focused on making runs in the playoffs, but we are focused on playing the baseball we can when the time comes,” he said. “We have the potential to start something special at Marionville, but it will all begin with our hard work and dedication to getting better every day.”
