By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Forsyth baseball enjoyed yet another successful season in 2024.
The 23-5 Panthers captured a second-straight district title, falling to Licking in the Class 3 quarterfinal round.
Heading into the spring campaign, longtime head coach Byron Richardson’s first order of business will be finding replacements for a talented class of graduates, including all-state honorees Tristan Hunter (University of Kentucky) and Mason Campbell.
“Tristan had an amazing career for us,” Richardson said. “His presence will be extremely missed. He had a perfect 8-0 record for us on the mound and has left a huge impact on
the baseball program. Mason helped us go offensively last season. His speed and presence on the base paths stealing bases will be missed.”
Senior Ayden Cleveringa returns to lead the Panthers this season.
Cleveringa, an all-state infielder, hit .446 last season with 33 runs batted in and 6 stolen bases.
“Ayden had a monster season for us last year,” Richardson said. “He played fantastic defense and drove in a ton of runs. I look for him to continue that this season.”
Classmates Braxton Gross, Jerrett Walls and Tyler Strahan also return for Forsyth.
Gross, an all-conference and all-district catcher, hit .315 with 2 home runs, 23 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases as a junior. On the mound, he recorded a 5-0 record and a 3.00 earned run average.
“Braxton is a competitor,” Richardson said. “He was tasked with catching a D1 arm last season and did a great job. I have no doubt that his offensive numbers will climb this season and that he will continue to compete for us on the mound.”
Walls, an all-conference and all-district utility player, hit .477 last season with 12 runs batted in. On the mound, he finished with a 1-0 record and a 1.00 earned run average.
“Jerrett does whatever it takes to help our team win,” Richardson said. “He has played multiple positions for us, and I look for him to help lead this team in all areas of the game. He is strong and athletic and will get a lot of innings on the mound for us, as well. He was a big weapon for us last season during our playoff run.”
Strahan, an infielder, returns after battling through injuries most of last season.
“Tyler battled an ankle injury last season,” Richardson said. “I look for him to rebound this season and have a great year. He is one of the hardest workers on the team and can play almost anywhere for us.”
Ben Boyer, Bryce Nolen and Thomas Strahan round out Forsyth’s returning players.
Boyer, an all-conference and all-district junior outfielder, hit .333 last season with 17 runs batted in and 10 stolen bases.
“Ben stepped up for us last year and really made us solid defensively,” Richardson said. “Ben made some amazing plays during our postseason run. We look for him to pitch for us more this season, as well.”
Nolen, an all-conference and all-district pitcher and outfielder, posted a 6-2 record on the mound with a 2.118 earned run average.
“Bryce had a great year on the mound for us,” Richardson said. “He has been impressive how quickly he is coming back from knee surgery. We look for him to be back fully healthy and pitching a lot. We also hope to see him in the outfield and getting to show of his speed as the year goes along.”
Thomas Strahan, an all-conference and all-district sophomore infielder, hit .301 with 14 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases last season.
“Thomas won a job last year at shortstop as a freshman,” Richardson said. “He has grown and continues to get stronger. I look for him to make gains in all areas of his game this season. He plays with no fear and no moment seems too big for him at a young age.”
Richardson also expects a host of varsity newcomers to compete for playing time this season, including Camerin Stauffer, Zeb Sanders, Drake Blackstock, Clay Muller, Jeremiah Foye and Josh Skeek.
“We lost an extremely good arm last season that we will need multiple guys to step up to fill that void,” Richardson said. “We also lost a lot of leadership and speed. We will have to be better at manufacturing runs this season. Our pitching and defense have been one of our strengths and I look for that to continue. We strive to not beat ourselves and pride ourselves in finding ways to win close ballgames. We bring back a lot of experience and cannot wait to see what this team can accomplish.”
Following a March 14 home jamboree with Reeds Spring and Hollister, Forsyth opens its regular season March 21 against Mountain Grove.
