By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The hope is that his team looks at the small positives, the little things it does right in games and builds on those.
And that may be the best way to approach the 2022 season for the Hillcrest High School baseball team.
In fact, the best example is at the district tournament last year, when the Hornets stayed within striking distance of top-seeded and eventual Class 5 state champion Willard before falling 2-0 in the postseason opener.
“We have some returning players on this year’s club that I really like,” Hillcrest coach Ryan Schaffitzel said. “They work very hard and are good students and people. They make coming to practice enjoyable. I know the guys we have this year will work as hard as they can and will get the most out of the talent that they have.”
Hillcrest finished 3-25 last season and graduated two of its top players. That’s why Schaffitzel is realistic about the road ahead but also plans to give everything to the program, considering he is alum himself.
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Pitching staff
The Hornets will see what they have in a pitching staff of juniors London Hayes and Braxton Baker, and seniors Ethan Cates, Shane Stafford and Kannon Brayfield. Sophomores Holten Pyle and Ethan Lewis also could see time on the mound.
Hayes is a 5-foot-9 left-hander.
“He often drew the tougher matchups and held state champion Willard to two runs in the district game,” Schaffitzel said, noting that Hayes will play first base and the outfield when not pitching. “We are expecting a lot from Landon this year.”
Baker’s frame could make a difference.
“His length gives his ball excellent tilt at 6-5, so it makes him difficult to hit. He also throws a ton of strikes,” Schaffitzel said. “Braxton is also very athletic. He needs to develop a consistent third pitch to help his effectiveness.”
Brayfield will handle most of the catching duties.
“He has worked hard on his defense and receiving, and it has paid off,” Schaffitzel said. “Kannon will hit in the bottom third of the order, and we will need him to put the ball in play and make productive outs to move runners up and score.”
Lineup
Defensively, the Hornets could have junior Cole Griesemer at first base, sophomore Holten Pyle at second base, Stafford at shortstop and junior Isaac Hann at third base. Baker could man center field.
Because the Hornets may not have much fire power on offense, they’ll need to play small ball.
“We teach everyone to bunt well and minimize strikeouts,” Schaffitzel said. “We don’t have a ton of pop in our lineup, so we will need to make productive outs to score runs.”
That’s where Cates could become an important factor. He’s tough to strike out.
“We will need him to move runners and execute bunts and hit-and-runs to help our offense go,” Schaffitzel said.
One of the potentially better bats could be Stafford, who could play either third base or shortstop.
“He will be asked to hit in the middle of the order and knock in runners from first and second,” Schaffitzel said.
A couple of others could have an impact. Hann is raw but athletic and could be asked to move runners when at the plate. Cole Griesemer is a 6-foot-5 athlete who played football and basketball and was recruited to the team last year. He hadn’t played since the seventh grade.
Newcomers include Colt Tate, Cooper Huett, Holten Pyle, Ethan Lewis, Kellen Lester and Eric Kepler. Tate is versatile defensively. Huett is a basketball player who was asked to join the team last year and made improvements. Holten could be at second base or the outfield. Lewis spent last summer playing with Hillcrest’s older group. Kellen Lester moved in last spring and played in the summer.
“This will likely be another tough year for us on the Hill,” Schaffitzel said. “We play a very difficult schedule, and our numbers in all sports continue to decline. Our team will proudly represent our school and play hard, fundamental baseball. As a coach, that’s all I can ask for.”
Hillcrest opens the season March 18 at Republic.
