Jeff Dishman takes over as head coach of the Blue Eye baseball program. The team is coming off back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since having three winning seasons in a row from 2013-15.
Four starters return this season, and pitching will be a focus with the staff led by pitching coach Jaron Dishman who is Jeff’s son.
“We implemented a throwing program at the start of the fall Coach (Jaron) Dishman who had been serving as a college pitching coach brought with him and we immediately saw the results,” Jeff Dishman said. “I believe the kids really enjoyed seeing their own results. His program has proven on the college level where he was at Mission University to have multiple national and conference pitcher awards, while having zero arm injuries during his time there. I really look forward to seeing the results after using this program for a few months or even a year from now. It promotes arm care and fundamentals. We can’t all be worried about velocity. We need pitchers that can throw to both sides of the plate.”
Brady Isbell (senior), Braxton Bell (sophomore) and Beau Brown (junior) will be the key pitchers.
Isbell will also catch most of the innings when he is not pitching. He will be a key leader for the team.
“When you’re the lone senior, the younger kids look up to you and how you go about your practice and game preps,” Dishman said. “If you’re as talented as Brady is, all of these attributes can be infectious to a young team.”
Bell and Rylan Smith are also candidates at catcher.
Look for Joey Feagans, Bell, Isbell, Riley Snowden, Brown, Josh Rowe and Logan Barton on the infield. Bailey Lestage and Snowden are options in the outfield.
The defense will need to improve to support the pitching.
“Our strength is that we have multiple kids that can go to the mound and give us quality innings. We also have good team speed, which can help us on the bases,” Dishman said. “Our outfield play has to improve from the fall. (We) just (need to) make the routine plays, catch fly balls, throw to the correct bases, and do the little things better.”
Blue Eye opens the season Mar. 24-28 at the Exeter Tournament.
“As always with any sport or any team, you want to compete for a conference and district championship, but within those aspects you want to get better every day you go out there,” Dishman said. “We have good kids that know how to play, and they know what is going to be expected. Are they willing to go out every day in practice and put forth the work needed for us to be successful? That is yet to be seen. We need our upperclassmen to lead us, be the ones that put their footprint on this program. We have good young people that just need time and innings to get better, hopefully we can coach them up and they will help us get to where we want to be at by the end. We want to see the numbers of our players stay the same of go up some. We had good numbers in the fall. I think we might catch a few others in the spring.”
