By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After winning just three games the season before, Carthage’s baseball team took a big step forward last spring in coach Kevin Burgi’s first year at the helm, with the Tigers finishing with a 16-17 record––their most wins since 2019.
“We made some steps in the right direction,” Burgi said. “Obviously we did see a lot of improvement in the win column but in the grand scheme of things we saw a lot of improvement in how we went about trying to win baseball games. I think kids started taking a lot more pride and doing some things to put us in a good position to win which is encouraging.”
Carthage graduated a large senior class from last year’s team but returns about eight players with significant varsity experience, as well as the bulk of the team’s pitching staff.
Senior Zach Hoenshell returns behind the plate after he caught 29 games last season and added two home runs from the batter’s box. First baseman Taylor Stevens-Diggs, a senior, was a middle-of-the-order bat who hit .291 with six doubles and two homers and drove in 14 runs. Senior Brady Carlton returns at shortstop after playing in 30 games last year and stealing eight bases. At third, the team returns junior Blayne Lilienkamp who hit four doubles and drew as many walks as strikeouts. Sophomore Landon West returns in left field after batting .396 in 16 games with three doubles, two triples and a homer. In center field the Tigers have senior Langston Morgan, who scored a team-high 21 runs and tallied a team-high 17 stolen bases. Finally, Carthage returns junior outfielder Cooper Lilienkamp, a .303 hitter who hit five doubles and led the team with 14 walks.
“Zach Hoenshell did a nice job behind the plate and handled the staff well,” Burgi said. “Taylor Stephens-Diggs was pretty invaluable in the middle of our order and was a key contributor as far as driving in runs. Brady Carlton also helped us out on the mound and we’re looking for him to make improvements at the plate and continue to be the defensive shortstop he’s been in the past. Blayne Lilienkamp is another middle-of-the-order bat for us and he hit in that three or four hole as a sophomore. Landon West had limited at bats but once he got into the lineup midway through the season he never came out and he’s got a chance to be really good for us. Langston Morgan was really good defensively and we look for him to increase his production at the plate. And Cooper Lilienkamp will hit at the top of the order for us.”
That leaves second base as the only position in the field where the Tigers need to find a new starter. Junior Cooper Jackson (3 games last year) is one player in the mix at that spot, and he’ll also contribute on the mound. Junior Jordan Brunnert (12 games) could provide some “pretty big at bats” for the team, and junior Zane Browning (8 games) could showcase his talents running the bases, with Burgi calling him a “smart, savvy baseball kid and you always want to find a spot for someone like that.” Sophomore Cooper Thorn has also impressed early with his work ethic, Burgi said.
The team’s pitching staff is highlighted by junior Landon Bland, who garnered second team All-Central Ozark Conference honors last season. He was 3-3 with a 1.92 ERA with a team-high 51 innings pitched and 49 strikeouts.
“He was our only all-conference kid and when he’s on the mound we’ve got a chance to win,” Burgi said. “He’s a really good football player as well. He started our bigger games last year.”
Senior Nolan Brown returns after throwing 43.2 innings with a 2.40 ERA and 42 strikeouts. Blayne Lilienkamp pitched 20 innings with a 2.36 ERA and struck out 34. Carlton pitched 10 innings last year with a 1.40 ERA and eight strikeouts. And junior Carson Kinder pitched 16 innings with 25 strikeouts.
“Our pitching staff I think is a strength because we’ve got some talented arms, as does everybody in the COC,” Burgi said. “Between Bland and those others, they’re all guys who were pretty productive for us last year. Nolan Brown had some pretty big starts for us that helped us get wins and he will have a big role on the staff this year. Carson Kinder will have an increased role this year, as well.”
“If you go back to when we played well last year, I know this sounds cliche but when we threw strikes and made routine plays we played with anybody on our schedule,” he said. “Obviously the COC is one of the best conferences in the state, in my opinion it is the best in the state, so we have to take that to the next level. Our offensive identity, in year two you build into some things you want your kids to do on the bases a little better. As far as how we’ll go about scoring runs, it’s too early to say.”
Carthage will jamboree at Joplin on March 17, and open the regular season with the first home game in the Tigers’ new stadium on March 20 against East Newton. The new facility, constructed on the high school campus, will officially open with a ribbon cutting March 11. It features a full turf playing surface and replaces Carl Lewton Stadium.
Carthage’s Bill O’Dell tournament returns in a festival format after a brief hiatus. The Tigers will play Springdale, Arkansas and West Plains March 27-28 in that event. A total of 16 teams are participating, and Aurora will also serve as a host site.
“We’re really excited to bring that back and our kids are, too,” Burgi said. “People can come in and watch different teams play. We have a really good spread of school size there, looking at some of the better small schools in the area and then some pretty good 6A and 7A schools coming in. We’re looking forward to expanding that in the future.”
