By Chris Parker
Cassville baseball is on the rise after winning double-digit games for the first time since 2016 last year. The Wildcats finished with a 10-18 record overall in 2021.
Cutter Hicks (catcher/pitcher), Corey Thomas (utility) and Isaac Hadlow (pitcher/infield) will be team leaders.
“Our leaders will be Cutter Hicks who is our catcher and will also pitch. He is a senior and was the quarterback on the football team and has worked really hard at getting better on the baseball field,” Cassville head coach Ron Hudson said. “Another leader is Corey Thomas. Corey will pitch, play centerfield, and also infield. He is another guy who has worked really hard and made tons of progress. Our final leader will be Isaac Hadlow. Isaac is a junior and will pitch and play infield. He has played a lot of travel baseball in the summer and has lots of experience, on top of being talented.”
Hadlow, Thomas, Hicks and Corey Thomas will be the team’s key pitchers.
“All of these guys’ strengths will be throwing strikes and limiting walks,” Hudson said. “They are also big time competitors which is a wonderful.”
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Hicks is the No. 1 catcher, but Landon White and Dany Roper are both candidates to catch when Hicks is pitcher.
The lineup will be dependent on who is pitching, but it will look something like this:
1B – Keaton Shellenberger – Junior
2B – Eli Leach, Corey Thomas – both seniors
3B – Landon White, Corey Thomas – both seniors and Isaac Hadlow – junior
SS – Evan Butler – freshman and Isaac Hadlow – junior
LF – Ethan Fuchs, Devin Bailey – seniors and Tylar Burnette – Junior
CF – Corey Thomas and Ethan Fuchs – seniors
RF – Tim Hudson and Devin Bailey – seniors and Tylar Burnett – junior
“I hope the strength of our team is our pitching depth. I hope to have eight or nine guys who can throw varsity and get outs. We don’t have anyone that is overpowering but they all do a good job and can throw strikes and get outs,” Hudson said. “Another strength of our team should be our defense. They guys have worked really hard on defense and have taken ownership of it and hopefully it is a strength.”
Cassville opens the season on Mar. 18 at home against Buffalo.
“My expectations for the season is that we will throw strikes, make plays, play hard, and have a good time doing it,” Hudson said. “The guys worked hard over the summer and have been working really hard during our practices. I am really happy with them and proud of them. They want to practice longer and want me to challenge them more and more. I can’t ask for anything more than what they have given.”
