By Chris Parker
Sparta baseball is leaning on team speed and pitching coming off a 12-win spring season.
“Our strengths this season are going to be our speed, and pitching,” Sparta head coach Jacob Finney said. “We have a lot of guys who can get on base multiple ways and then make teams pay with their ability to steal bases, and take extra bases on balls in play. Our pitching will be solid top to bottom this spring and should set us up with some good chances to outscore our opponents and win ball games.”
That pitching staff will be led by junior Brendan Brewer, sophomore Ben Miller, senior Braylen Luttrull and freshman Trent Eisman.
Brewer was 5-5 with a 3.15 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 53.1 innings in 2024.
“Brendan was a Second-Team All-Summit Conference, and an all-district honorable mention pitcher last spring as a sophomore,” Finney said. “Brendan is our ace, and is dominant on the mound. Last season, he led our team in nearly every pitching statistic as a sophomore while pitching against our toughest opponents. His effectiveness comes from his ability and willingness to attack the strike zone, then once he gets ahead in the count, he gets guys to whiff at his nasty breaking pitches. We look for him to have a great junior season.”
Miller threw 25.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 3.55 ERA last season.
“Ben has electric stuff on the mound and will be one of our top starters this season,” Finney said. “He has been working hard in the off-season on his ability to hit spots, and he is maturing into a very formidable pitcher. I’m excited to see what he can accomplish this spring.”
Luttrull struck out 19 in 16 innings with a 3.50 ERA as a junior.
“Braylen pitched for us last year in more of a closer role, only starting one game,” Finney said. “We are looking to start him on the mound more often this spring to let him see more hitters and hopefully go deeper into games. Braylen has a nasty array of pitches. He’s throwing a low to mid 80s fastball, a filthy curve, and a pretty tough knuckleball.”
Eisman made his debut in the fall with 31 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched.
“Trent came to our program this past fall as a freshman and immediately turned some heads,” Finney said. “He was a dependable starter, was number two on the team in strikeouts, and, most importantly, learned a lot about what it takes to pitch at the varsity level. Trent will be one of our starters, and we are expecting him to contribute to an already good pitching staff his freshman year.”
Caleb Barnes (junior), Austin Humble (sophomore) and Parker Watts (sophomore) all saw time at catcher this past fall and are in the running for innings back there this spring.
Look for Conner Robinson (senior second base), Brewer (shortstop), Romario Euceda (first base), Daylen Courtney (junior utility) and Miller (third base) around the infield.
Luttrull and Vincent Almendarez (junior) will be in the outfield in center and left, respectively.
Luttrull and Robinson will bring the senior leadership.
Braylen led us in nearly every offensive statistical category this fall (.444 AVG, .630 OBP, 1.213 OPS, 17 SB). He is an anchor for our defense as a starting centerfield. He also gets our offense going hitting lead-off. Conner is a steady presence for us at second base. He is one of those guys that does so much for us that doesn’t show up in that stat book. He is always willing to lay down a bunt, move guys over, and do whatever it takes to win games,” Finney said. “These two, as veteran players, will be tasked with setting the standard for younger players. They will help shape the culture of the team through their work ethic, accountability, and leading by example.”
Brewer is another player who brings leadership qualities.
“Brendan Brewer will be another leader on our team this year,” Finney said. “With the most innings pitched and the best overall ERA among our starters this fall (3.09 ERA, 43 IP, 40 K), Brewer will be the leader of our pitching staff. His ability to take the mound in big games and give us quality innings is huge for us and will set him up to have another successful season this spring.”
Toughness will define this season’s team.
“We want to be the hardest working team on the field, day in and day out; from the first practice until the last pitch of the year,” Finney said. “One of the things we preach as a coaching staff is that intensity and toughness are our best tools, and we think they are worth 2-3 runs to us every game. We want our guys to be relentless on the field, on the basepaths, on the mound, and at the plate.”
Sparta opens the season on Mar. 21 at Chadwick.
“I expect a lot from this team this season,” Finney said. “We have two seniors, but the majority of our team are juniors and sophomores who have been waiting for their chance to contribute. We have taken our lumps and learned valuable lessons the past two years, now it’s time for them to play to their full potential and turn some heads across southwest Missouri.”
