By Chris Parker
The Blue Eye baseball program is on the rise after going 7-9 last year with no seniors on the roster.
“Although it is not ideal for a program to have no seniors, it gave our underclassmen a chance to see varsity time,” Blue Eye head coach Dustin Ewers said. “The team grew tremendously from the fall to the spring. In the fall we won one game and in the spring we were able to finish 7-9. That growth carried into last fall where we finished 10-5. The biggest lesson we learned was how to compete for seven innings and win close games.”
This year the Bulldogs return a much more experienced squad.
“The biggest factor is team depth and maturity,” Ewers said. “Our underclassmen gained a lot of experience last year and learned how to compete at the varsity level. We improved in every facet of the game. The trend will need to continue upward in order to compete in districts.”
Ewers will look to four seniors for leadership. That group includes: Brandon Box (P/DH), Braeden Boyd (OF), Daniel Jones (2B) and Dakota Powers (OF).
“The team leaders will be our four seniors,” Ewers said. “We will go as far as they take us. We will rely on them heavily to produce and hold other players accountable.”
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The pitching staff will be Box, Colton Spinning (sophomore), Logan Isbell (junior) and Trey Lippe (sophomore). Box went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 32.1 innings in the fall while hitting .325 with 15 RBI. He has developed a strong curveball. Spinning can throw three pitches for strikes in any count. He led the team in innings pitched in the fall with 41 to go with 40 strikeouts. Isbell came on strong in the fall and pitches well low in the zone. Lippe has great movement on his fastball and curve ball. He is looking to become more consistent this year.
Cayden Murray (sophomore) and Brady Isbell (freshman) will be the catchers for Dadeville. Isbell hit .357 in the fall.
Here is what the lineup around the infield will look like: Trey Lippe (3B), Logan Isbell (3B/SS), Colton Spinning (SS), Daniel Jones (2B) and Landon Murray (1B).
Spinning was the team’s top hitter in the fall with a.451 batting average and a team-high 18 runs scored. He tied Box for a team high in RBI with 15.
The outfield will be set up like this: Dakota Powers (LF), Braeden Boyd (CF) and Cayden Murray (RF).
“Our strengths will be our team depth,” Ewers said. “There are several guys competing for a varsity spot this spring. 1-9 in the lineup can hit, defensively we’re sound, and on the mound, we throw strikes. These ingredients give us a chance to win in any game.”
Blue Eye opens the season Mar. 21-25 at the Exeter Tournament.
