By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Glendale Falcons have set a high standard in recent years, but they’ll enter the 2025 season counting on many new names to produce in key spots.
Head coach Jim Julian is confident that patience, diligence and opportunity will produce another winning season for the program.
“Our level of success will be largely determined by how quickly our varsity newcomers can adjust to varsity baseball, especially in the Central Ozark Conference (COC),” said Julian, who enters his seventh season as Glendale’s head coach. “We have some talented players, and these guys have been waiting patiently for their chance to leave their mark on Glendale Baseball. As a result, they have been determined in their offseason work and are eager to get the season going.”
Glendale has been remarkably consistent under Julian, winning at least 20 games each season since he took over in 2018.
The Falcons moved up to Class 6 last season and still repeated as district champions.
Glendale returns four full-time starters this year, starting with seniors and all-conference selections Sebastian Norman (3B) and Graham Satterwhite (C).
Norman has been a varsity difference-maker since his freshman year. While his main position is third base, Norman has also played outfield during his high school career and will have a utility-type role as a senior.
Norman can hit for power (.337 BA, 17 extra-base hits, 29 RBIs) and has excellent speed as a baserunner (13 steals). He’s committed to play at Oklahoma State.
“Sebastian is a terrific athlete and will be counted on to make things happen offensively,” Julian said.
Satterwhite (Rockhurst University) enters his fourth season as a varsity starter and has shined as a defensive-minded catcher since his freshman year. Expect his offensive production (.262 BA, 18 RBIs) to take a jump this season.
“He has steadily improved his offensive output over his career and will be a key part of our lineup this spring,” Julian said.
Glendale welcomes back two more full-time starters in senior Easton Friesen (INF/P) and sophomore Brady Yates (INF/P).
Friesen will be one of Glendale’s top pitchers and contribute at the plate. He was 3-1 last season with a 3.76 ERA.
“He will be counted on to lead what will be a relatively inexperienced varsity pitching staff,” Julian said. “He handles the bat well and has the speed to bunt for a hit or steal a base.”
No first-year player in the state had a better 2024 campaign than Yates, who is a big part of Glendale’s present and future. He earned all-state honors and the MHSBCA Newcomer of the Year award as a freshman.
Yates hit .411 with 12 extra-base hits (four homers) and 24 RBIs, thanks to his superb plate discipline. He was first team all-state in Class 6 and the only freshman to make the distinguished club.
“Brady is a tremendous player that will be a big part of our lineup this spring,” Julian said. “Brady will play a left infield position and hit in the middle of the lineup. He adjusts well from at-bat to at-bat, and pitch to pitch.”
Glendale returns five reserve players who saw varsity playing time last season.
Seniors Noah Goforth (OF/P), Blaize Thompson (P/C/1B), Dominic Licata (OF/P) and Andrew Montgomery (OF) will contend for increased innings in the outfield or on the mound. Junior Kyle Julian (INF/P) is in the mix as well for a Glendale team that is reshuffling its lineup and pitching staff.
“This year’s team is pretty upperclassmen heavy. That being said, we don’t return much varsity experience on the mound or at the plate,” Coach Julian said. “We return four guys with over 25 varsity ABs and only one player with over 20 innings pitched.”
Glendale finished 26-6 overall last spring and won its fourth district title in five seasons. The Falcons fell in the quarterfinal round to eventual Class 6 state champion Blue Springs.
The Falcons set a program record for wins (26) and went undefeated (9-0) in the final season of the Ozark Conference.
Nine seniors graduated from the 2024 squad, most of whom earned all-conference or all-district honors.
Drew Wedgeworth (Missouri State), Mark Ross (Central Arkansas), Adam Henke (Evangel) and Cam Stratton (Kansas City Kansas Community College) are continuing their careers at college programs.
Wedgeworth was the ace of Glendale’s pitching staff and got the victory in Glendale’s district championship game. He was conference pitcher of the year, conference MVP and an all-state selection. Ross tied for the team lead in home runs with four.
Additional graduates were Alex Rankin (DH), Brandon Phillips (P/IF), Kaleb Julian (P/IF), Brayden Biggers (OF) and Brendan Moran (IF/P).
“It was a fun group to coach and be around,” Julian said. “But when it came time to play, they were fierce competitors.”
The Falcons will also be without Rex Deters (P/OF), who moved to Clever for his senior year.
Many names from last season’s JV squad that went 16-5 overall will push into the varsity fold this year.
In the senior class, Ethan Christy (OF), Roman Sowers (P) and Owen Cantrell (1B) are in the mix for innings at their respective positions.
The junior class has eight more players hoping to see varsity action. Asher Lee (P/3B), Maddux Denning (P/1B), Reed Jackson (P/INF), Kamron Richardson (OF), Will Peck (P/INF), Vincent Stockton (C), Jacob Rohrer (C) and Karsten Stack (P/INF) are looking to earn innings on a team that will field several first-year varsity players.
Sophomores Grayson Biggers (P/OF), Abraham Deckard (P/1B) and Beau West (P/OF) give Glendale additional lineup options.
“We will have pretty good team speed and will look to use that to our advantage,” Coach Julian said. “We will try to put pressure on teams from an offensive standpoint, play small ball at times, and look to run when we can. Our pitchers will look to fill up the strike zone and let the defense do their job behind them.
Glendale will host a jamboree scrimmage on March 14. The Falcons begin the regular season March 21-22 with neutral site games against Bentonville (Ark.), Poplar Bluff and Savannah. The home opener is March 28 against Republic.
“We have tried to play as strong of a schedule as possible to get us ready for a tough COC schedule and what will be a tough district tournament,” Coach Julian said.
