By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2024 turned out to be a magical run for Wheatland baseball and longtime head coach Pat Dougherty.
The Mules capped a 27-10 record with a thrilling, 9-6 victory over Green City in the Class 1 third place game.
“We had a pretty successful season last Spring,” Dougherty said. “It was our first trip to the final four in baseball. So, while we came up a little short of our ultimate goal, it was a very successful and fun season.”
It’s no secret expectations are high heading into the spring campaign, as Wheatland returns its entire starting lineup and a whopping six all-state selections.
Andrew Dougherty, Brock Mendenhall, Tucker Shaddox, Brett Dougherty, Braden Sawyer and Nathan Sayer all return after receiving all-state honors in 2024.
Andrew Dougherty, a senior, hit .385 last season with 31 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases. On the mound, he compiled a 1-1 record, a 3.00 earned run average and 23 strikeouts in 14 innings.
“Andrew will play anywhere on the infield for us, along with some outfield, and will probably pitch some as well,” Coach Dougherty said. “Great leader… was our 3-hole in the lineup last year and will be counted on for a lot of production again this year.”
Mendenhall, a senior, hit .376 with 25 runs batted in and 24 stolen bases as a junior. On the mound, he recorded a 4-2 record, a 2.77 earned run average and 60 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work.
“(Mendenhall) will play center field and pitch, but he could also easily play infield at times,” Coach Dougherty said. “Mendenhall can run them down in the outfield and is a very good base runner as well… led us in stolen bases last spring. Has a live arm from the outfield or on the mound. He will be one of our mainstays on the mound.”
Shaddox, a senior, hit .365 last season with 25 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases. On the mound, he finished with a 7-3 record, a 2.04 earned run average and 73 strikeouts in 55 innings.
“Another guy that will play multiple positions for us,” Coach Dougherty said. “Shaddox is one of our best pitchers and will play shortstop, second base and third base… and maybe some outfield as well. Has really come on at the plate as well… we look for him to have a big year all around.”
Brett Dougherty, a junior, hit .450 last season with 40 runs batted in. On the mound, he compiled a 2-0 record, a 2.52 earned run average and 15 strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched.
“Brett was our primary catcher last year and will be again this year, but he will take on a bigger role on the mound as well,” Coach Dougherty said. “He led the team last year in RBI, hits and batting average as a sophomore… we would love for him to have another monster year at the plate.”
Braden Sawyer, a senior, hit .341 with 17 runs batted in and 15 stolen bases last season. On the mound, he recorded a 3-1 record, a 2.13 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 26.1 innings of work.
“(Braden Sawyer) will play a lot of first base,” Coach Dougherty said. “He found a home there last year and has been very good defensively at that spot for us. Can hit anywhere in the lineup, led off for us a lot last year, but may be in the middle of the order this year to drive in more runs… Will pitch for us as well.”
Nathan Sawyer, a junior, hit .374 last season with 23 runs batted in and 8 stolen bases.
“(Nathan Sawyer) will play in the middle of the infield shortstop/second base,” Coach Dougherty said. “He pitched really well last summer and fall and will definitely see his time on the mound increased. Had a good year offensively last spring, but we think he will make a jump and be even more productive this season.”
Senior Andrew Murphy (.231 AVG, 11 RBI, 9 SB, 5-1, 2.53 ERA, 70 K, 52.2 IP), senior Avery Ohrazda (.293 ERA, 19 RBI, 1-1, 2.28 ERA, 20 K, 15.1 IP), senior Bradley Phillips (.352 ERA, 20 RBI, 13 SB, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 K, 6.1 IP) and junior Daniel Jones (.235 AVG, 4 RBI, 9 SB, 2-1, 2.56 ERA, 15 K, 13.2 IP) round out Wheatland’s returning corps.
Coach Dougherty on Murphy: “Will play infield and pitch for us, is one of our best pitchers and the most productive pitcher we’ve had for some time (13-2 in his career so far). He threw a complete game shutout in last year’s quarterfinal and then won the third place game in the final four. We look for him to have a breakout year at the plate this season as well”
Coach Dougherty on Ohrazda: “Last season, Ohrazda was our designated hitter and pitched. He could play corner infield or some outfield for us also. Good hitter, he will find himself in the middle of the lineup so he can drive in runs. We are looking for him to put up even bigger numbers this season.”
Coach Dougherty on Phillips: “Can play anywhere on the field. He will play a lot of outfield and catch for us this season. Phillips will also pitch. He is a tough out at the plate and will hopefully have a big senior season this spring.”
Coach Dougherty on Jones: “Played outfield and pitched for us last year. Is a good defensive outfielder but could see some time on the infield as well. Has been mostly a relief pitcher for us and has been very effective. We are looking for him to take off at the plate this year.”
In addition to his talented group of returning players, Coach Dougherty expects a few varsity newcomers to step in and compete for playing time this season, including sophomore Luke Gautieri, junior Damien Johnson, senior Matthew Dalton, sophomore Hunter Smith and junior Gavin Corley.
“With ten starters returning, we are looking forward to the season,” Coach Dougherty said. “We hope to be very successful. We know there are a number of things out of our control (injuries, competition, etc), so we will focus on what we can control. We will work hard every day and try to keep getting better. Our goals are to win conference and district titles and try to make a deep postseason run. For that to happen, we will have to play good baseball and catch a few breaks here and there.”
On the mound, Wheatland will feature a deep, talented and experienced staff this season anchored by a trio of veteran arms.
“Our pitching should be one of our strengths,” Coach Dougherty said. “We had ten different guys with at least a win last spring, so we have a lot of depth at the position. Shaddox, Murphy and Mendenhall are at the top of the rotation, and Nathan Sawyer looks to make a big impact on the mound this spring after not throwing a single inning for us last season. Braden Sawyer, Brett Dougherty, Ohrazda, Phillips, Gautieri, Jones and Andrew Dougherty will all fight for innings as well.”
At the plate, the Mules will continue to focus on development.
“Last season we focused a lot on offensive production,” Coach Dougherty said. “We felt that was our biggest weakness heading into the season. I felt like we made big strides in that area and had a bunch of guys with really good offensive production. We will continue to try and improve in all areas. It’s a process and the guys have embraced that and work to get better each day.”
Following a March 17 jamboree at Fordland with Greenfield and the host school, Wheatland opens its season March 21 at Buffalo.
