By Chris Parker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Dan Dryer takes over as head coach of the Buffalo baseball program this year. He is a familiar face for the program, as he served as an assistant at Buffalo from 2000-10.
Dryer will look for leadership from seniors Jaren Smith and Cameron Portis along with juniors Easton Skinner and Cole Potter this year.
Dryer on Smith: “Jaren has a great work ethic. He is a leader both on and off the field. He will be our lead-off hitter and our ace on the mound. Jaren was awarded second-team all-district and Second-Team All-Ozark Highlands Conference honors last year. We look for Jaren to be a top player not only for our team, but our conference and district as well.”
Smith hit .342 with a .495 on-base percentage last season. He scored 20 runs and drew 19 walks while stealing 12 bases.
Dryer on Portis: “Cameron is a great all-around athlete. He will play multiple positions for us this season. We look for Cameron to be one of our top defenders and drive in runs at the plate.”
Portis had a .317 on-base percentage last year.
Dryer on Skinner: “Easton is a returning second-team all-district and second-team all-conference player. He is a vocal leader for us. He works to get better every day. We expect Easton to be the anchor of our infield as our shortstop and be one of our top hitters. He had a great summer offensively; we look for him to build upon that throughout the season.
Skinner was the team’s top hitter with a .361 batting average to go with a .471 on-base percentage. He drove in 12 runs and scored another 15 while stealing a team-high 15 bases.
Dryer on Potter: “Cole brings a lot of experience to our team; this will be his third year on our varsity team. He is a quality returning pitcher and just a well-rounded player. We look for Cole to be competitive on the mound and hit in the middle of our lineup.”
Potter had a .413 on-base percentage last season with 17 runs scored.
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Smith and Potter will be joined by Blake Louderbaugh (senior) and Jacob Burns (sophomore) as Buffalo’s top pitchers. Smith pitched 34 innings with 41 strikeouts last year. Potter led the team in innings pitched with 42 to go with his 39 strikeouts.
Junior Bradley Meade will handle the catching.
Potter (third base), Skinner (shortstop), Jimmy Jenkins (senior second base) and Parker SIssel (freshman first base) will lineup around the infield. Smith (centerfield) along with Portis, Louderbaugh, Noah Ames (senior) and Stephen Cox (junior) will compete for time in the outfield. Blake Chyka (junior) will also look to make an impact.
“We expect to be strong defensively. Our field has a lot of experience. We have several returning, competitive athletes on the mound as well – in Jaren Smith, Cole Potter and Blake Louderbaugh,” Dryer said. “We will need to work on our mental toughness. We are working to build their confidence as a team, so we can compete in tight games without focusing on our mistakes or mental let downs.”
Buffalo opens the season on Mar. 18 at Cassville.
“We expect to compete with every team we play night in and night out and to get better every game,” Dryer said. “Our hope is to be at the top of our conference and to earn a conference title.”
