By Chris Parker
Fordland baseball has posted three straight winning seasons and will look to run that streak to four with six starters and seven lettermen returning this season.
Cole Davidson, Logan Venable, Nate Lindgren, Luke Waterman, Matt Hart and Parker Cunningham are the returning starters with Brayden Cunningham returning as a letterman.
Luke Waterman, Matt Hart, Jacob Hart, Drew Waterman, Connor Criger and Cunningham will comprise the pitching staff.
Luke Waterman was 4-2 with 68 strikeouts in 47 innings as a sophomore. He earned second-team all-state honors for his efforts. This past fall, Waterman hit .420.
“Luke throws a ton of strikes and generally keeps his pitch count low allowing him to go deep into games,” Fordland head coach Sam Waterman said. “He is able to throw three pitches for strikes in any count and keeps constant pressure on hitters. Luke’s velocity continues to improve and is currently sitting in the low 80’s.”
Matt Hart was the No. 2 pitcher last season as a sophomore. He also hit .352 with two home runs at the plate.
“Matt emerged as our No. 2 pitcher last year,” Coach Waterman said. “He is a good athlete that competes well on the mound. His best attribute is his ability to compete even when his stuff isn’t at its best. With a little consistency, Matt is capable of keeping us in any game.”
Jacob Hart is a freshman who has high-end potential.
“Jacob showed signs this fall as being capable of being our best pitcher on the mound,” Coach Waterman said. “He struggled to throw strikes early, but as the season progressed, he worked out some mechanical flaws and was really good towards the end. If he continues to improve, I think he can be one of the better pitchers in our conference. When he can locate his fastball and throw his curveball for a strike, he is as good as anyone we have. As a freshman, Jake’s velocity is currently in the low 80’s.”
Drew Waterman and Criger are both freshmen looking to make an impact.
“Drew and Connor both throw a ton of strikes and will pitch mostly out of the bullpen,” Coach Waterman said. “They are a great asset to our team being able to come in and throw strikes. Right now, they are very similar on the mound, and I look forward to watching them develop this spring with more consistent innings.”
Cunningham will also come out of the bullpen with the ability to eat innings.
Venable will handle the catching duties once again this season after earning honorable mention all-conference honors with a .288 batting average last season as a junior.
“Logan has started behind the plate since his freshman year,” Coach Waterman said. “He continues to become a better receiver behind the plate. As our pitching staff improves delivery, he is capable of throwing out runners on the basepaths.”
When Venable is not catching it will be Drew Waterman behind the plate.
The infield will feature Parker Cunningham (first base), Cole Davidson (second base), Luke Waterman (shortstop), Matt Hart (shortstop), Drew Waterman (third base) and Jacob Hart (third base).
Senior Nate Lindgren (centerfield) and Criger (left field) will start in the outfield.
“Senior Nate Lindgren will start in centerfield where he has played for the past two years. Nate is a good athlete that can cover a lot of ground in the outfield,” Coach Waterman said. “Freshman Connor Criger will start in left field. He had a good fall season for us out there, and we look for him to continue to improve with more experience.”
Elijah Lockett, Brayden Cunningham, Brycen Hembree and Jake Hart will compete for the right field spot.
Pitching will lead the way this season.
“Our pitching staff will be as deep as we have been in several years,” Coach Waterman said. “We have three solid guys that will give us a chance to win every time they are on the mound. We also have a couple of other guys capable of coming in and throwing a lot of strikes to keep us in games. The top of our order is very good, and when they are firing on all cylinders we can be tough. We have several kids that are able to play multiple positions and should be above average defensively.”
To be successful, the bottom of the lineup will need to improve according to Coach Waterman.
“If we are going to compete in the tough Summit Conference we are going to have to find consistency offensively,” Coach Waterman said. “The top of our order is about as good as anyone we play. We are going to have to have guys step up at the bottom of the order and put more pressure on pitchers and defenses. We have several young kids who competed well this fall and I look for them to really improve this spring with more experience.”
Fordland opens the season on Mar. 20 at Reeds Spring.
“I want us to be known as a team that other teams will have to play well to win,” Coach Waterman said. “I want us to be able to do the little things right and not beat ourselves. We had a few good seasons in a row and look for us to take the next step and finish towards the top of our conference and be able to compete in the district tournament.”
