By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2023 was a roller coaster of a season for Fair Grove baseball.
The Eagles posted a 14-16 record, falling to Stockton in the district tournament.
Heading into his second year at the helm, head coach William Reed believes the experiences from 2023 will certainly benefit his program as it prepares for the spring campaign.
“With the combination of youth and a difficult schedule, it is easy to see why we were up and down in our performance,” Reed said. “We played in 15 games decided by one or two runs, so we were used to competing with the game on the line in the seventh inning.”
With no seniors on the roster, the young Eagles will be led by a trio of all-conference juniors in Nolen Geitz, Spensar Seiger and Brock Boatwright.
Geitz, an outfielder, also received all-district honors last season.
“Offensively, Nolen can do a little bit of everything,” Reed said. “He was one of our leaders in hits, RBI and runs scored. He can hit leadoff or in the 3/4 hole with some power, as well.”
Seiger, an infielder, was an all-district selection in 2023, as well.
“Spensar’s ability to take a walk and hit by pitch really increased his ability to get on base,” Reed said. “He led our team in on-base percentage and was a catalyst for us at the top of the lineup. I look for him to increase his ability to steal bases, adding another dimension to his game.”
Boatwright, a pitcher, recorded a 2.04 ERA last season.
“Brock does not overpower hitters, but he works with great tempo and changes speeds allowing him to have a lot of success,” Reed said. “He will be looked at to have a huge role in our pitching rotation.”
Juniors Carson Krider (outfielder/pitcher), Brock Bruner (infielder) and Atticus Brandes (infielder/pitcher) also return to the Fair Grove lineup.
“I expected Carson to help our pitching staff, but I really feel like he exceeded my expectations,” Reed said. “He has worked hard to gain velocity this offseason and should be poised for a strong junior year.
“Bruner is a physically gifted young man who has great athletic explosiveness. He earned a lot of experience for us last year as the primary first baseman. He has the potential to be a true difference-maker for us if he can consistently display his power and athleticism at the plate.
“Atticus is extremely coachable and is a self-starter when it comes to drill work and getting better on his own. He has a team first mentality and has shown some willing leadership qualities during the offseason. Last year, he had some clutch pinch-hits for us in some of our bigger games. He will compete for time at a couple of infield positions and will look to help us in the bullpen as well.”
Sophomores Jakoeby McDannald (infielder/pitcher) and Macklen Johnson (outfielder/pitcher) round out the Eagles’ returning core.
“Jakoeby showed some versatility for us last year as a freshman,” Reed said. “He has a knack for hitting well with runners in scoring position. Despite being a freshman, Macklen Johnson earned a lot of respect for the competitiveness and toughness he showed as a left-handed pitcher. He is a dependable outfielder, coachable and a great teammate.”
Reed also expects a host of varsity newcomers to compete for playing time, including Kellen Kirkpatrick, Gavin Thomason, Harrison Martin, Dasch Kaiser and Wyatt Hailam.
“I am really excited about the potential of this team,” Reed said. “We were young last year, but now we have a lot of experience coming back. With that experience and some talented newcomers, we should expect to compete in every game. It will be our goal to compete for a district championship at the end of the year and, with appropriate development, I think we can compete with anyone.”
On the mound, Reed is optimistic after losing only one of his 2023 pitchers to graduation.
“We have three returning pitchers that all threw over 30 innings, and eight total players that saw varsity action on the mound,” Reed said. “I also expect two or three of our newcomers to add depth to our pitching staff. We will need this depth with 33 regular season games scheduled.”
At the plate, Fair Grove will feature a lineup full of both versatility and athleticism.
“I believe we will have some guys that are able to be high extra base hitters and others that are able to handle the bat in small ball situations,” Reed said. “With our athleticism, I would like to see us play a much more aggressive brand of baseball. It is my hope that our versatility can bring challenges to other teams as we look to apply pressure in a variety of ways.”
While Fair Grove is still fairly young with no seniors on the roster, Reed believes his squad’s experience and depth will pay big dividends heading into the spring campaign.
“Our biggest strength is the overall depth of our roster,” Reed said. “I could see anywhere from 13-15 players competing for varsity time. This depth should result in some great competition in practice that will make everyone better. With our youth last year, we were not as aggressive as I wanted to be. I believe the returning experience will give our players confidence to play at a higher level.”
Following a March 8 jamboree at Hillcrest, Fair Grove opens the season March 15 in the Ozark Baseball Classic (Harrison, Ark.) against McDonald County.
