By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Aurora baseball enjoyed another successful campaign in 2021.
The Houn Dawgs posted a 17-8 record, falling in the district title game to Hollister.
Longtime head coach James Hoffman pointed to inconsistent pitching performances late in the season as a significant challenge faced by the program.
“When you take everything into account over last season there were a lot of bright spots for our kids, and they got better and competed the entire year,” Hoffman said. “For us to win 17 games with our struggles on the mound really says a lot about our kids and how they compete.”
A quartet of graduated seniors depart the Aurora program, including Carson Barr, Clayton Reed, Dalton Cline and Tony Martinez.
Reed will continue his baseball career this season at Lincoln Christian University.
Despite the graduation losses, the Hound Dawg cupboard is far from barren.
A pair of all-state selections return to lead the team in Jaesik Friggle and Hayze Hoffman.
Friggle, a senior infielder/pitcher, hit .361 last season with 1 home run, 11 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases. He also garnered all-conference, all-district and all-Ozone honors.
“Jaesik is a dynamic infielder that can get to balls that the majority cannot,” Coach Hoffman said. “He has a knack for getting good reads off the bat and taking away a lot of would-be hits. Offensively, he set the tone for us and will again anchor the lead-off spot. He is a savvy player with a high competitive IQ.”
Hoffman, a junior infielder and pitcher, hit .433 with 18 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases. He, too, was an all-conference, all-district and all-Ozone selection.
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
“Hayze had a really good sophomore season both offensively and defensively,” Coach Hoffman said. “He has very good strike zone discipline and does a nice job on the basepaths as well. Last year he really did a great job defensively for us. He saved a lot of errors with his glovework and length. We look for him to have another strong year and hit in one of the top four spots in the lineup.”
The dynamic infield duo is joined by a trio of returning starters in Trey Mullholland, Aaron Fisher and Kelton Brown.
Mullholland, an all-conference and all-district pitcher/infielder, hit .270 last season with 3 home runs, 32 runs batted in and 3 stolen bases. On the mound, the senior collected 7 wins, 3 losses and posted a 3.17 ERA.
“Trey is an impact player whether he is playing the infield, on the mound or in the box,” Coach Hoffman said. “With his power he has the potential to be one of the most dangerous hitters in southwest Missouri. He can impact the game on both sides of the game.”
Fisher, a senior outfielder/pitcher and all-conference/all-district honoree, hit .269 with 6 runs batted in and 7 stolen bases. On the mound, he posted a 1-1 record with a 4.59 ERA.
“Aaron is one of the best outfielders that we have ever had in our program,” Coach Hoffman said. “He has played every outfield position for us and done it well. Offensively we have used him as a double-leadoff in order to turn the line-up over and he has really embraced the role. He is dangerous on the bases and could really be a threat on the mound if he finds his command.”
Brown, a junior utility/pitcher, also garnered all-conference and all-district honors. He hit .301 last season with 21 runs batted in and 7 stolen bases. On the mound, Brown posted a 3-1-1 record with a 3.31 ERA.
“Kelton did anything and everything we asked him to do last year,” Coach Hoffman said. “He played a different position virtually every game for us based on who was pitching. He also provided us with some quality innings on the mound. Offensively he had a slow start to the season but the second half he was one of our most consistent hitters. We look for Kelton to build on last year and really provide more quality innings throughout the season.”
Sophomore outfielder/pitcher Heath Hoffman also returns for Aurora after hitting .143 with 10 runs batted in last season as a freshman.
“Heath started the first ten games for us and led us in doubles and RBI through the first five games,” Coach Hoffman said. “He has surprising power for his size. He has really worked hard in the weight room and his arm has gotten considerably stronger. He has the potential to make an impact offensively, defensively and on the mound this year.”
If Aurora is to build on last season’s success and make another deep postseason run (the Houn Dawgs won back-to-back state titles in 2017 and 2018), Coach Hoffman believes things will start with the pitching staff.
“For us to be successful, we are going to have some kids step in and be competitive on the mound,” Coach Hoffman said. “We have to be more consistent and competitive on the mound. We also have to have someone step up and handle our pitching staff. Right now we are wide open behind the plate and may wind up with several different kids back there before we find one who is capable of stepping up and doing the job we expect.”
Following a March 12 jamboree at U.S. Ballpark, Aurora will open its regular season March 19 at New Covenant Academy.
