By Brock Sisney (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
MONETT — A 168-88 overall record, good for a .656 winning percentage.
Nine winning seasons.
Three 20-win seasons.
Four district titles.
Those are some of the accomplishments of the Monett Cubs baseball program over their last decade of play under head coach Michael Calhoun, who has seen 252 victories come the Cubs way during his 21 seasons as head coach.
The Cubs last played on May 23, 2019, against Helias Catholic in the Class 4 quarterfinals, and they’re itching to return to the field after not playing the 2020 season due to COVID, like every spring sports program in the state of Missouri.
“It really just magnified and made real what we always say, ‘You never know when playing might be taken away from you,’” Calhoun said. “Usually that refers to maintaining your grades, citizenship, and physical/mental health and not a pandemic. So excited to get back to the normalcy and everyday grind that is the great game of baseball.”
The Cubs officially open their latest season Mar. 20 with games against Purdy and Clever, a week after their participation in the jamboree hosted by Joplin.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
“I am so looking forward to this upcoming spring,” Calhoun said. “After the first two weeks of practice and our jamboree (last season), I was thinking we were on the right track to come together and have a successful season. But we were shut down and that was that.
“I am looking forward to see how this group comes together, since I only have two players with any real varsity experience returning. It will be a challenge, but a fun one, to figure where will be the best place for each of our players to fit in our puzzle.”
Both returning starters are seniors and one of the two has been a starter throughout his prep baseball career.
“Estin McBroom and Tanner Wright are our only two players returning from a very successful team in 2019,” Calhoun said. “Estin will attend State Fair Community College to play baseball and Tanner has yet to make his college choice official. I see Estin being one of the best two-way players in the area and Tanner being one of the best catchers. They have already embraced the leadership role as well as many of our other seniors.”
McBroom earned all-Big 8 West second team honors during his sophomore campaign, and he’s expected to be the No. 1 starter and middle-of-the-order bat for the Cubs this season. Calhoun called Wright an excellent receiver and thrower behind the plate. Both players earned Academic All-State honors two seasons ago.
Rounding out the roster are seniors Keith Fields, Jack Goodman, Miles Laning and Doss Nation, juniors Daniel Geiss, Caleb Sperandio and Isaac Lindsey, and sophomores Jason Garner, Blaine Salsman, Josh Wallace, Marcus Young, Matthew Fillinger, Kaden Palmer, Isaac Ticknor and Daven Madrid.
“I think our overall versatility and ability to persevere will be key,” Calhoun said. “I think the lack of some upper level varsity experience may show its head early in the season, but we will push through it and grow.”
The Cubs could end up with a deep pitching rotation and it remains true that you can never have too much pitching. Beyond McBroom, other potential arms in the mix are Garner, Geiss, Goodman, Nation, Salsman, Sperandio, Fillinger, and Madrid.
In addition to a full slate of Big 8 opponents, Monett has scheduled games against Central Ozark Conference schools Carl Junction, Republic, Webb City, and Branson, as well as Bolivar, Helias Catholic, and Parkview. The Cubs host their own tournament and play in the Bill O’Dell Tournament hosted by Carthage.
“We will have a very competitive conference and we will not know what the district will look like until the season begins and it’s released,” Calhoun said. “I am excited about the new players coming in and getting that experience and seeing who may adjust to the speed of the varsity competition. By the end of the season, I am hopeful that we will need to be where we want to be to compete for another district title.”
