By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
It’s no secret that last season was a frustrating one for Joplin’s baseball team. Despite having a senior-laden roster, the Eagles struggled to a 9-20 record and only once won back-to-back games.
“We really felt like we had a team that could be competitive and a solid team and for a variety of reasons we just never found the consistency we needed to get on a roll and string some wins together,” said head coach Kyle Wolf. “The season didn’t meet our expectations and we’re hoping the lessons we learned through that adversity last year will help our returning players be able to handle those situations a little better in 2024.”
Joplin graduated nine seniors, including first team Central Ozark Conference outfielder Layten Copher (.340 hitter with 13 XBH) and second team COC utility player Byler Reither, who pitched to a 3.99 ERA and batted .299 with eight extra base hits while playing shortstop. Copher continued his career at Highland Community College, Reither is playing at Missouri Southern, and Landon Maples and Alex Isbell both went to Frontier Community College.
Wolf and the Eagles do return seven players who either started or saw significant varsity playing time. Cole Lawrence and Caden Shoemaker are the two returning seniors; Lawrence is a center fielder and pitcher who collected a dozen hits and stole 10 bases and Shoemaker started all year at second base and finished with 18 hits and nine stolen bases.
“Cole is a very athletic player who covers a lot of ground and can quite honestly be a game changer in the outfield with what he can do defensively,” Wolf said. “He runs really well and I think he’s put on a little size and strength and we’re hoping that will give him an opportunity to produce more power within our lineup. But if he can get on base, he’s going to put pressure on the defense on the bases. Caden is a very aggressive player who performs well beyond his size. He’s not a big player physically but has a huge heart and if I could put his heart in every player I coach we’d be pretty dang good. He’s a catalyst with his energy.”
Returning juniors are Braxon Gough, Kutler Schwarting and Brock Waghorn. Gough served primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch runner but should see an expanded role in the outfield and on the mound as a left-handed pitcher. Schwarting pitched as a reliever last year and went 2-2 with a 5.80 ERA; he would have played a larger role on the infield and in the lineup but was held back with an injury. And Waghorn is another infielder and pitcher from whom Wolf expects a “really strong year.”
The final two returners are sophomores Brecken Green and David Bhend. Green pitched about 15 innings towards the end of his freshman season and finished with a 1-0 record and 1.82 ERA. He’s a rangy middle infielder and will be a big piece of the pitching staff. Bhend platooned at third base towards the end of the season and will also pitch a lot of innings this season.
“There are a lot of opportunities for guys to compete for positions,” Wolf said. “I also think there are a lot of opportunities for us to have some flexibility based on the strategic situation and who we’re playing. That’s one of the exciting things about this particular year is there’s a lot of guys who could potentially step in and produce for us.”
Senior Garrett Howard will compete for time at catcher and can also play first base, and senior Oliver Bortz will compete for time at third base and provides another arm on the mound. Juniors Cooper Williams (outfield), Kaden Taylor (utility), Dom Leesman (catcher), Alejandro Del la Torre (pitcher) and Landry Wilson (first base, pitcher) will all figure into the mix, as well, along with sophomore catcher Daniel Rose and sophomore outfielder Layne Royle.
Wolf said he’s optimistic but unsure how the pitching staff will shake out and said it will be a really young group.
“We’ll have to rely on some sophomores and juniors to step in and do a good job,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential in that group and it’s just a matter of seeing how the season progresses, who’s willing to step in and able to throw those big innings for us. I’m cautiously optimistic, but any time you’re dealing with young arms it can vary day to day. They do have the making of a group that will give us a chance to win consistently.”
Joplin is scheduled to host a jamboree on March 12 with Carthage and Monett, and hosts Hollister and Lebanon on March 16 to open the regular season. The schedule features several out-of-state teams, including St. Mary’s Colgan and Pittsburg from Kansas, and four Oklahoma schools the Eagles will meet in the Tiger/Zebra Classic. And Joplin will again play John Hershey, from the Chicago area, when it travels through the area on its spring break. Of note: the March 26 home game against McDonald County will be an all-school game at Joplin with an early start and students allowed to leave early to attend.
