By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Arguably one of the best small-school programs in the Ozarks, Purdy baseball continued to do Purdy things in 2023.
Despite falling to Marionville in the district semifinals last year, the Eagles finished with an impressive record of 23-7. It marked the fifth season with at least 20 or more wins in the last seven years for Purdy.
Joshua Hughes, entering his 20th season at the helm, will look for his group to reload in 2024. The Eagles return three starters and five lettermen.
Leading the way will be seniors Hunter Lee (pitcher/utility) and JJ Felipe (pitcher/outfielder). Lee went 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA last year while hitting .276 with two home runs and 17 RBI. Felipe had a 1-0 record with a 3.00 ERA and batted .351 with 33 hits and 34 driven in.
“Hunter is one of the hardest working kids I have been able to coach,” Hughes said. “His dedication to building strength and baseball skills is amazing. Hunter has signed to pitch at Central Methodist this offseason. He will be huge for us on the mound this spring. He was injured last year and only pitched 10 innings for us in the early part of the spring. He had a great summer and fall and we look forward to him building onto it.
“JJ is just what you think of when you say savvy lefty. He will beat you with his stuff and command. JJ also will be huge for us at the plate. He could bat anywhere from leadoff to 9-hole and be someone the opposing pitcher doesn’t want to face. His versatility will be huge in how we can use him and him helping us win games with his arm, bat and glove.”
Junior Will Henderson (infielder) and sophomores Easten Goetz (catcher) and Damon Mahurin (infielder) round out the returnees.
“Will has been starting defensively for us since his freshman year,” Hughes said. “This year we will look for him to be a bigger part of our lineup and produce at the top of the order. Easten will take over at the catcher’s position after playing some outfield and DHing for us as a freshman. He will need to keep working hard and could have a great year for us. Damon played some infield and DH’d for us last year and will move to a more everyday role for us. He will also get huge innings for us on the mound and could be a big part of our rotation.”
Purdy has a plethora of newcomers. Senior Trenton Breazzeal (infielder) and junior Teagan Manwarren (pitcher) make up the upperclassmen.
“Trenton is a big strong kid that we look forward to having a great year,” Hughes said. “Teagan could find his way on to the mound in huge situations if he continues to progress like he did this fall.”
Other newcomers include sophomores Simon Walker (outfielder) JJ Aguilar (infielder) and Aldo Perez (outfielder) along with freshmen Hunter Wormington (pitcher/utility), Jackson Lee (infielder) and Brennen Hawkins (catcher/utility).
“Simon has worked really hard to get a shot at the varsity level and is pushing for an everyday spot,” Hughes said. “JJ is a very athletic guy. He will push some of our other guys at the infield position and could find himself in the lineup. Aldo is going to get his first taste of varsity spring baseball and could be fun to watch over the next three years. He is very athletic and just started playing baseball 18 months ago.
“Hunter is a big left-handed freshman that can play first, outfield and pitch. He could push for varsity innings this spring. Jackson is going to work hard every day and could give us some innings on the mound or at second this spring. Brennen could push for some at bats if he continues to improve at the plate. He has a good swing and can impact games at the plate.”
Purdy will have to replace 139 out of 178 innings on the mound from last year’s team. Hughes knows that will be a huge task ahead, but he feels the Eagles have the young arms to do it to go along with Hunter Lee and Felipe.
“We had an average fall and we have set ourselves up to be more successful this spring,” Hughes added. “We will have to pitch it well and field it as clean as possible. And our biggest area of concern from this fall is the offensive side of things. We spent a lot of time this offseason and early in the year working on this side of the ball. If we can stay afloat early with our schedule having a lot of games and bigger schools, we should be prepared for the conference and Class 2 playoffs.”
Purdy opens its season March 18 in its host tournament.
