By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Galena baseball had another successful season in 2023.
The Bears went 17-8, falling to New Covenant in the district semifinal. With only one starter graduating from last season, Galena is locked and reloaded for 2024 with seven starters coming back.
At the head of the group are four all-conference selections in seniors Chase Robertson (shortstop/pitcher) and Garret Lewallen (third baseman/pitcher) and juniors Wyatt Doak (outfielder/pitcher) and Blake Wall (second baseman).
Robertson, a Neosho County Community College commit, compiled a 6-2 record with a 1.93 ERA on the mound last season. At the plate, he hit .438 with 11 doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI.
“Chase had a very good year as our starting pitcher and shortstop last season,” Galena coach Derwin McGownd said. “After a very solid fall, we will look to Chase for his leadership and desire to improve every day.”
Lewallen went 4-0 with a 3.59 ERA and batted .329 with 21 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Doak posted a 1.95 ERA and had a .299 average with 19 driven in, while Wall hit .338 with 15 RBI.
“Garret will be our third baseman and will be a key addition on the mound,” McGownd said. “He improved greatly this fall with his pitching. He will be another senior leader that we will look to. Wyatt has steadily improved from his freshman year to now. He has become a very good outfielder, but he really takes pride in being the top pitcher for us. He has started hitting the ball for power. We will look for a lot of innings out of Wyatt this spring. He has offers from Lindenwood and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
“Blake is our second baseman and continues to make improvements to his fielding and throwing. He also has an uncanny way of keeping the dugout laughing and keeping the mood light.”
Other returning players include senior Tray Murphy (designated hitter) and juniors Bryce Wall (catcher) and Lincoln Hickman (outfielder/pitcher) and sophomores Cody Jones (outfielder) and Bobby Harris (pitcher).
“As of now, Tray will be our DH but he will also be in the hunt to be our starting first baseman,” McGownd said. “He had a very good fall at the plate and we hope that will continue this spring. Bryce has been our catcher since his freshman year and has improved every year. We will look to him to be able to handle our pitching staff and call a planned-out game plan. His batting average was down last year, but he has worked hard on improving his swing.
“Lincoln is one of our outfielders that has come on as of late and played very well for us out there. We have tried to work him into the leadoff spot and will continue to try and get him into
that spot this year. He is another lefty on the mound and has worked into a starter that eats innings in those three and four game weeks. Cody is one of the versatile players that plays about anywhere we need him to go and play. He can play the outfield, shortstop and has even played third base. He pitches for us at the JV level and hopefully that will work into some varsity innings. To help the team, Cody will need to improve his hitting and cut down on the strikeouts.
“Bobby didn’t get a lot of opportunities at the plate or in the field last year but was very instrumental for us on the mound. He was able to come in and hold games even until we were able to get someone ready to go. I look for him to become our starting first baseman this spring. He was able to get a lot of reps during the fall season.”
Galena’s top newcomers are junior Tristin Papazian (pitcher) and freshmen Jaxon Foster (outfielder) and Andru Foster (infielder).
“Tristin has been working to become a solid pitcher and maybe break into a starting role,” McGownd said. “He is going to need to work on gaining better control of his pitches. He could also come in and play some third base when we have Lewallen on the mound.
“Jaxon will have an opportunity to compete for an outfield spot. He will be another left-handed bat in the lineup. He will need to work on his hitting, but with Jaxon’s work ethic and attitude, I’m sure we will see him succeed. I would also like to see him be able to pitch some quality innings for us.
“Andru will have the opportunity to become a solid middle infielder and step in when we have to move our shortstop or second baseman to the mound. Andru will have to work on his hitting. He could also give us innings on the mound.”
Needless to say, McGownd is bullish on the season ahead.
“I’m looking forward to having my best season at Galena this year,” the coach said. “I feel that we have the talent and the desire to do some things that have not been accomplished for a while. We will have two or three really good arms on the mound and a core group of players that have played together since their freshmen year.”
Galena hosts a jamboree with Blue Eye and Hurley on March 8. The Bears open the season at Wheaton on March 15.
