By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Rotation of Noble, Henry set to lead loaded Seymour roster
2022 proved to be successful for Seymour baseball.
In head coach Tyler Lumley’s first season at the helm, the Tigers posted a 17-6 record, falling to Gainesville in the district championship.
“This team was a blast to coach and we had a great group of seniors that were great leaders,” Lumley said. “We had a great season and were a very balanced team. We scored a lot of runs and had some dominant pitching performances throughout the year.”
While all-state honoree Payton Bryan was lost to graduation, the Seymour roster remains loaded with eight returning starters.
Even better for the Tigers?
One of those returnees is all-state pitcher Chade Noble.
Noble, a senior pitcher/infielder, hit .496 with 7 home runs, 27 runs batted in and 6 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he recorded a 6-2 record and 2.04 earned run average.
“Chade is our ace and is our power in the middle of our lineup,” Lumley said. “He is one of the best pitchers in the state and a great hitter too. When he is on the mound we believe we can beat any team we face.”
Noble will be joined by a host of returning starters in Dylan Henry, Kason Richards, Cohen Koop, Derek Akers, Lawson Wright, Brayden Baker and Luke Rasmussen.
Henry, a senior all-conference and all-district pitcher/outfielder, hit .323 with 3 home runs, 24 runs batted in and 3 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he finished with a 5-2 record and 2.80 earned run average.
“Dylan is an ace, as well, and has great stuff,” Lumley said. “He also has the capability to be one of the best pitchers at the Class 2-3 level. He has a great arm from the outfield and has the ability to hit the long ball. When Dylan is on he is dangerous.”
Richards, a senior all-conference and all-district third baseman, hit .397 with 1 home run, 22 runs batted in and 4 stolen bases last season.
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“Kason is our most consistent hitter in our extremely deep lineup,” Lumley said. “He is a really scrappy player and is great at getting on base whatever it takes. He has also become a centerpiece to our infield defense at 3rd and continues to get better and better.”
Koop, a senior first baseman/pitcher, hit .270 with 18 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases last season.
“Cohen is a fun and high energy player,” Lumley said. “He is possibly one of the best first baseman defensively in the state and is a great hitter as well. He can really work counts and get pitch counts up. He also will give us a lot of good innings on the mound this spring.”
Akers, a senior second baseman/outfielder, finished with a .429 batting average, 11 runs batted in and 4 stolen bases.
“Derek is another scrappy guy on our infield,” Lumley said. “You will not ever see him without some dirt on his uniform. He is a scrappy, high-energy player that wants to win at all cost.
Wright, a senior outfielder/catcher/pitcher, hit .321 with 1 home run, 10 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases last season.
“Lawson is another guy that is really versatile and can give us innings on the mound, behind the plate and in the outfield,” Lumley said. “He was our best hitter this fall, and I expect will have an even better spring.”
Baker, a junior shortstop, hit .226 with 11 runs batted in and 5 stolen bases in 2022.
“Brayden has become an incredible defender at shortstop and continues to get better,” Lumley said. “He is a great on-base guy and has speed on the bases as well. He is an incredibly intelligent ballplayer and is always thinking a play or two ahead.”
Rasmussen, a junior center fielder, hit .221 with 13 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases last season.
“Luke is our spark plug at the top of our lineup,” Lumley said. “He holds down the outfield in center and can go get anything. He is a great teammate and loves the game. Very fun to coach!”
Senior first baseman/outfielder Matthew Benson, senior pitcher/outfielder JJ Valbeuna, sophomore pitcher/catcher Trevor Young and sophomore pitcher/utility Caleb Schreffer also return for the Tigers.
With a loaded roster full of talent and experience, Lumley has high expectations heading into the spring campaign.
“I am extremely excited for this season,” Lumley said. “This is a senior-heavy team that has a lot of big-game experience. Anything short of a district championship will be a disappointment for this team.”
At the plate, Seymour will feature speed, power and contact throughout the lineup.
“Our lineup definitely could be our best strength,” Lumley said. “We have depth from top to bottom and I feel like I could flip the lineup and we still are just as good. We have a mix of speed and contact with guys that have some power. I’m excited to see what damage these guys can do this season.”
On the mound, the Tigers will look for Noble and Henry to anchor a shallow pitching staff that will need to develop and expand as the season progresses.
“We feel like we have a solid rotation with two elite senior pitchers that can beat any team,” Lumley said. “We also have some younger pitchers that continue to progress and had a great fall. If we want to make a deep run, it takes a lot of guys that can give you innings on the mound.”
Seymour opens its season at home March 17 against Bakersfield.
