By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Willard baseball’s ten-year run has been nothing short of dominant.
The Tigers have rolled to six Final Four appearances during that span, including last season’s Class 5 third-place finish.
Heading into his 16th season at the Willard helm, it feels safe to say head coach Scott McGee made a decent career choice.
“We had a successful 2022 season, going to our third consecutive Final Four,” McGee said. “We finished 33-8 and won the district for the 8th time in the past decade. We played well in all facets of the game, and were very junior heavy.
While graduated senior and all-state honoree Kade Biellier is no longer on the roster, the Willard lineup won’t exactly be rebuilding this season.
At least not when said lineup features five additional all-state selections.
Cooper Wilkin, Kyden McMain, Owen Bushnell and Klayton Kiser all return to lead the Tigers after receiving all-state honors in 2022.
Wilkin, a senior pitcher and Evangel signee, finished with a 10-0 record and 2.61 earned run average last season.
McMain, a senior catcher and Missouri Southern University signee, hit .355 with 37 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases.
Bushnell, a senior outfielder and Missouri Southern signee, hit .393 last season with 7 home runs and 45 runs batted in.
Kiser, a senior outfielder, has signed to play at Drury University next season.
Senior Cooper Hampton, a 2021 all-state first baseman, battled injuries last season and hit .324 with 29 runs.
Willard’s additional returnees include senior outfielder Kyle Beeman (College of the Ozarks), senior pitcher Chris Massey (University of Central Missouri), junior pitcher Hayden Larson, junior pitcher Russell Roweton, senior catcher Bryce Johnson, junior pitcher/outfielder Hayden Rakestraw, junior pitcher/outfielder Cameron Jennings, junior outfielder Peyton Gayer and sophomore third baseman/pitcher Collin Spering.
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McGee also expects a pair of varsity newcomers to compete for playing time in sophomore Matthew Angel and junior Kaelin Adams.
With a loaded roster rich with both talent and depth, it’s no secret Willard enters the spring campaign with one goal in mind.
“Experience and depth are our biggest strengths,” McGee said. “We will be the most experienced team I have coached, and we have talented players in all four grades.
“Nobody in Class 5 or 6 has ever been to three-straight Final Fours. We are the only team to do that, and we are shooting for our fourth-straight.”
A big reason for McGee’s optimism lies within Willard’s pitching staff, anchored by Wilken and backed up with plenty of quality arms.
“We will return our top pitcher in senior Cooper Wilken,” McGee said. “We really have a lot of depth behind him. Senior Chris Massey has had a great offseason, and Larson, Spering and Roweton return as well. We have a great group of strike throwers pitching in front of a good defensive infield.”
At the plate, Willard will again feature a battle-tested lineup with few question marks heading into the season.
“We have a lot of power and should have several extra-base hits,” McGee said. “We return our top seven hitters by batting average and should be a very good offensive team.”
High expectations often beget undo pressure, and McGee realizes his team will face constant mental challenges throughout the season.
“Being able to handle failure will be important,” McGee said. “We are going to be hunted. In our last ten years, our district record is 25-2. People are going to be up to play us.”
Following a March 11 jamboree at Aurora with Kickapoo and the host school, Willard will open its season at home March 17 against Jefferson City.
