By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’d be all so easy to assume that last year’s record will define this year’s team, that the youthful roster wouldn’t have the horses to push for better days.
However, that may not be the case for the Stockton High School baseball team.
Asked what is motivating his team this year, coach Darin Henderson said, “Our youth and desire to get back to a high level of baseball. We struggled last year, but we have a chance to be good at the end of the year and make a run in the playoffs.”
The Tigers finished 9-12 last season, but he anticipates this year’s roster carrying 18 players – with a dozen likely to play a lot of innings.
Pitching staff
Depth will be a plus for Stockton’s pitching staff. The Tigers could have eight available arms in seniors Tanner Boyles and Colton Bock, along with freshmen Easton Hubbard, Preston Rains, junior Wyatt Downs and sophomore Kolton Goodman.
Those are all right-handers, and two freshmen left-handers, Layne Cahill and Jack Rickman, are in the mix with Cade Mehl.
Boyles is a 5-foot-11, 150-pounder who was a first team all-conference and all-district catcher last year. But he also threw a lot of innings and enters as the No. 1 pitcher on staff.
“He throws a lot of strikes and gives us a chance to make plays behind him,” Henderson said. “Tanner has played since he was a freshman. He has the most experience of anyone on my roster. Other than Tanner, we don’t have anyone with more than a year’s varsity experience. We will be relatively young, but they have all played a lot of baseball so we won’t really be inexperienced.”
Mehl’s work in the offseason didn’t go unnoticed.
“He is physically stronger and more mature,” Henderson said. “He is throwing with much more velocity than he did at this point last year. He was a spot starter last year but he will have a chance to win a job this year.”
Rains is among those who could make a dent, too.
“Preston is a strong physical athlete that has played a lot of baseball,” Henderson said. “He has worked hard to put himself in position to be one of our best arms. He will see a lot of innings for us this spring. He also will see some time on the infield and hit towards the middle of our order.”
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By position
Whoever is on the mound likely will be throwing to one of those freshmen, Cale Johnson.
“Cale was the surprise of the summer,” Henderson said. “We knew he was a good defensive catcher. We didn’t know how solid he was offensively. Cale is a solid player that will immediately make us better. His bat control gives us some options with him offensively. Having an everyday catcher will help our depth tremendously.”
The rest of the projected infield looks like this: senior Calvin Johnson or junior Quinn Bahr at first base, Rains or Mehl at second base, Boyles or Hubbard at shortstop and sophomore Goodman or Rains at third base.
Calvin Johnson was an honorable mention all-conference and all-district last year and provides a good left-handed bat.
Goodman was a good utilityman last year.
“He will be able to settle in and be an infielder for us,” Henderson said. “He is a smart baseball player that continues to grow physically and athletically. Kolten will be an impact player for us this season. He will also be an asset on the mound, as he can throw multiple pitches for strikes.”
Bahr was injured all of last season, when the Tigers were planning to have him be the catcher. Look for him to play multiple positions this spring, and Henderson appreciates his hardnosed style and the fact he’s coachable.
In the outfield, look for Downs in center field, with Bock or Cahill in right field and Rickman or Mehl in left field.
Downs was a first team all-conference and all-district outfielder last season.
“Wyatt is extremely athletic,” Henderson said. “He makes the plays in the outfield that most others don’t. And he is getting better and better at the plate.”
Bock also could be the designated hitter.
“He has gotten a lot more consistent offensively over the summer and winter,” Henderson said. “We think he can be an impact bat for us.”
Other freshmen include Beaux Brogden, Bowen Bird and Layton Colvin.
Stockton’s coaching staff is well-positioned to help the team improve. Henderson is a former Skyline standout who played for Evangel University. Assistants Matt Coyle (Lion College), Kenyon Breedlove (Southwest Baptist) and Camden Burns (Crowder College, Evangel) have college experience.
Stockton hosts El Dorado Springs and Lockwood in a jamboree and opens the season March 18 in the Bolivar Tournament.
“Our goal is to always win district and compete for a state championship,” Henderson said. “Since I have been here, we have had that chance multiple times. I expect us to be back in the hunt for a district title.”
