By Chris Parker
Halfway baseball will have a mix of older players and freshmen logging varsity innings this spring. Five starters return from last season’s 12-win team with one more returning starter being out due to injury this season.
“We will be very young starting five or six freshman and sophomores,” Halfway head coach Eric Ingram said. “However, that group along with the older guys have played a lot of baseball together growing up and compete very hard day in and day out.”
Senior pitcher/first baseman Grayson Gallivan will be the team’s leader this year. Gallivan was named first-team all-conference last year posting a 2.20 ERA on the mound and a .371 batting average at the plate.
“Grayson Gallivan has a very high baseball IQ and will be our leader on the bump as well as on the field,” Ingram said. “He is a four-year starter with a lot of experience. He does a lot of things for our program and does most of them quietly.”
Gallivan along with Brayden Keene (junior), Zach Laney (sophomore) and Brayden Doke (sophomore) will be the team’s key pitchers.
“To start the season this will most likely be what our rotation would look like,” Ingram said. “We have other arms that we are hoping to develop quickly. I believe we have five or six guys we can put on the hill and be productive.”
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Freshman Shane Gallivan will handle the everyday catching duties.
“Shane is a freshman but has played a lot of baseball and will be replacing his older brother who graduated last season,” Ingram said.
Laney and Peyton Timmerman could also see time at catcher.
Around the infield, Grayson Gallivan will hold down first base when not pitching. Keene will find time at shortstop and third base and will be joined by Laney with those duties. Keene was named first-team all-conference in 2022 after he hit .467 with 14 RBI. Timmerman will be looked to at second base and third base. Doke, who was named second-team all-conference last season, is a candidate at first base. Cole Allen is in the mix at second base.
In the outfield, Halfway will be missing the services of sophomore Isaac Ingram who is out with an injury.
Cash Fisher returns as a starter in the outfield. He hit .308 with 14 RBI last season. Doke also saw time in the outfield last year posting a .462 batting average with 15 RBI at the plate. Max McCarthy (freshman), JD Davies (sophomore), Connor McCarthy (outfield) and Porter Hensley (outfield) will all compete for time in the outfield.
Ingram will look for his team to battle for every inning of every game this year.
“(The) last two seasons we have played very well for a few innings here and there but struggled to put it together for a full seven innings. If we can get to that point it will be fun,” Ingram said. “We want to fight every pitch of every game. We also want to do the little things right and be known as a good fundamental baseball team.”
Halfway opens the season on Mar. 20 at home against Montrose.
“We want to give ourselves a chance in the seventh inning every game,” Ingram said. “We hope to compete for a conference and district title. It will take a lot of work but can be accomplished with this group.”
