By Chris Parker
Halfway baseball is looking for a big year with an experienced roster returning.
“We come off a 24-6 season and bring back eight starters. Experience will be key this year to our success,” head coach Eric Ingram said.
The pitching staff will go up to seven deep. Zach Laney (senior), Brayden Doke (senior), Isaac Ingram (senior), Shane Gallivan (junior) and Maddox McCarthy (junior) all saw time pitching last season. Isaac Ingram will likely not be able to pitch this year due to an injury.
Doke was 5-0 with a 2.44 ERA last season. Laney contributed a 2.28 ERA picking up three wins on the mound. Isaac Ingram was 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA. Gallivan had the lowest ERA of the returning pitchers at 0.79. McCarthy was 4-0 with a 1.85 ERA.
Senior Peyton Timmerman and Connor McCarthy along with sophomore Jayse Smith and freshman Jackson Fisher will also look for time on the mound.
Gallivan, who was all-state as a catcher last season, returns to the position this year. Timmerman or Graham Hensley (junior) will catch when Gallivan pitches.
Gallivan hit .438 with nine doubles and 22 RBI.
Doke, Timmerman, Maddox McCarthy, Laney and Smith will fill out the infield lineup.
Doke drove in 35 runs with eight doubles, three triples and two home runs. Timmerman posted a .344 batting average with 27 RBI. Maddox McCarthy drove in 27 runs with a .376 batting average. Laney hit .314 with 21 RBI.
Isaac Ingram, Carter, Connor McCarthy, Fisher and Jaden Turner (senior) are the most likely players in the outfield.
Ingram had 36 total hits last season leading to a .389 batting average.
Isaac Ingram, Laney and Gallivan form the leadership core.
“Gallivan behind the dish sees the whole field and has great baseball IQ. His communication is very important to our team,” Coach Ingram said. “Laney helps take care of our infield pre-pitch and during plays, and Ingram patrols the outfield and is a key piece to our communication as well. We have lots of upperclassman with great leadership skills to go along with these guys.”
The lineup brings some pop, but it is small ball that will help determine the success of the season.
“We have a lot of guys that can hit for power and avg but sometimes we are going to need a bunt, sac fly, of a ball to the right side to produce runs in key games,” Coach Ingram said.
Halfway opens the season Mar. 21-22 at a tournament in Mountain View.
“We have added some tough competition to our schedule,” Coach Ingram said. “We will play three or four nights a week and sometimes we will go five nights over a seven-day stretch. We will need our upperclassman to use their experience and some young guys to step up on the mound and compete. If we get this we going to have fun.”
