By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The great thing about baseball is that, like spring, there’s always a sense of optimism, that the slate is wiped clean from a year ago and a team can write a new narrative.
That’s certainly the hope for the Mt. Vernon High School baseball team, especially for coach Nick Swillum. He’s seen it all in his 26 years of coaching, in which he has a record of 316-293.
A year ago, the Mountaineers were 6-19. However, 11 lettermen return, including three starters.
“This year’s team has much more depth than we had a year ago and so the competition for playing time will be much more intense,” Swillum said. “I believe that competition on the practice field will help us when we get into game situations. I definitely expect our team to see a dramatic improvement this year and for years to come.”
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Pitching staff
Many eyes will be on senior pitcher Tristan Jones, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder. He was honorable mention all-conference and second team all-district. He was 2-5 with a 3.89 earned run average.
“Tristan will be our ace on the mound,” Swillum said. “He has good velocity with good off-speed. At the plate, he has power and should be hitting in our four-hole.”
Other pitchers include seniors Matt Milsop, Austin Meyer and junior Aiden Morton.
Offense
Senior Brady Brown will play center field and bat leadoff.
“He has good speed along with a good glove,” Swillum said. “At the plate, he will be our leadoff hitter. He has worked hard in the offseason to prepare for his senior year.”
Jones batted .315 last year with 23 hits and 14 RBI.
Sophomore Sean Raucher gained valuable experience last year.
“Sean was thrown in to our starting role at shortstop as a freshman,” Swillum said. “He continued to improve throughout the season and has worked hard during the offseason. He will be an excellent defensive shortstop and supply power at the plate.”
Another bat could be junior Clayton Turner.
“Clayton is a strong-armed catcher who could provide power in our lineup,” Swillum said.
Junior Payton West “is one of our hardest workers,” Swillum said. “He has improved himself in the weight room, and I look forward to seeing his hard work pay off on the field.”
Sophomore Sawyer Anderson could be a nice versatile player for the Mountaineers, as he can play either second base or third base – and could pitch.
Jake Leeper will start in the outfield, and junior Owen Smith should find a spot in the infield.
Mt. Vernon has a number of newcomers in juniors Caleb Rinker and Dominick Harris, and freshmen Braden Dodson, Christian Demasi, Gavin Johnston, Payton Jones, Braden Jameson and Jarrett Zerby.
Dodson is one of the best athletes in the school and could compete for time at catcher and pitcher.
Rinker missed last year due to injury, and Harris, an infielder and outfielder, is with the team after moving back into the district.
The challenge, of course, is surviving the Big 8 Conference’s East Division. It features Rogersville, Springfield Catholic, Marshfield, Hollister and Aurora.
Mt. Vernon hosts a jamboree on March 12 against Marionville and Pierce City.
“We’re relatively inexperienced, but we are athletic,” Swillum said. “As we gain experience, I am confident that we can become a district contender.”
