By Chris Parker
McDonald County baseball has a new head coach but a familiar name taking over in Heath Alumbaugh. Alumbaugh has been coaching in the McDonald County School District for the past 18 years including different levels within the baseball program for 17 years. He has spent the past three seasons as head coach of the softball team.
“The biggest thing that attracted me to the job is the opportunity to continue to work within a highly respected program within the baseball community,” Alumbaugh said. “The identity that I want to continue at McDonald County is that of a tough fundamentally sound, well-disciplined program that is fierce competitively.”
He inherits a team coming off a 22-win season with seven starters returning. Two key all-state players graduated from that team.
“I think our team just needs to continue to work and improve all around the field,” Alumbaugh said. “We have a few holes to fill, but the guys we are asking to fill those holes have been working really hard to not let the level of play drop.”
McDonald County will have a host of experienced players to step up into leadership roles.
“I think one of the things that made us a great team last year and will continue to help us this year is our leadership all over the field,” Alumbaugh said. “We could possibly start a lot of seniors all over the field. Those seniors are really setting the tone for the work that has been taking place for us.”
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Seniors Weston Gordon, Cross Dowd and Isaac Behm will sit atop the pitching rotation. Gordon was named second-team all-conference as a pitcher while Dowd earned honorable mention all-conference honors. Dowd was also a first-team all-conference selection in the infield last season. Behm was a first-team all-conference selection in the outfield in 2022.
Jacob Gordon has shown improvement behind the plate at catcher. Destyn Dowd will be a utility player coming off a second-team all-conference selection at utility. Rylan Armstrong has improved his strength and baseball ability. Devin Stone has worked to improve on the infield and mound.
“I think the strengths of our team will be our ability defensively and on the mound. We return a lot of veteran guys all over the field and on the mound,” Alumbaugh said. “For us to continue to have success we need to improve at the plate. We have to find ways to be competitive and have productive at bats.”
McDonald County opens the regular season Mar. 17-18 at the Harrison Tournament.
“My overall expectation for us, is that we will compete every night when we step on the field for seven innings,” Alumbaugh said. “We have a group of hard-nosed workers that do not give in.”
