By Chris Parker
McAuley Catholic won double-digit games for the first time since 2017 last season posting an 11-13 record. Six starters and seven lettermen return from that team.
Experience will be a strength for McAuley Catholic.
“The strengths of our team will be the maturity of our guys having been together for 3-4 years and facing adversity together and understanding that they can help each other through those challenges,” McAuley Catholic head coach Bryan Jones said. “Coming together allowed them to win a co-conference championship in 2023 and make it to the district championship in 2023.”
Jones named Rocco Bazzano-Joseph (senior pitcher/middle infield), Bradley Wagner (senior catcher/outfield), Chase Gardner (senior), Michael Parrigon (junior pitcher/shortstop), Tripp Miller (junior pitcher/middle infielder), Brek Sickman (junior corner infielder) and Case Richards (sophomore catcher).
Jones on Bazzano-Joseph: “No. 1 Pitcher in the rotation and will also play middle infield. Led the Ozark 7 conference in strikeouts in 2023 and was first-team all-conference and all-district team. Hit .342 on the year with 26 hits in 24 games. Rocco is our on-field leader for the past three years and is able to help bring out the best in our guys.”
Jones on Wagner: “Led the team in home runs (2), 20 RBI’s and hitting .279 average. All-conference and district catcher. Bradley shows up to work hard and leads by his example. His only request is put him where he best serves the team.”
Jones on Gardner: “Had an ACL injury in basketball and will not be expected to play this year but will be with the team this year helping from the bench. Chase is an excellent leader on and off the field.”
Jones on Parrigon: “Number three starter on the mound and short stop. Led the team in batting average at .365 with 23 hits in 20 games. All-conference and district outfielder. Michael can take away hits in the outfield or infield with his speed and glove. Michael has started since his freshman year and is the cornerstone in the batting lineup. Michael can hit for power and is a selfless hitter.”
Jones on Miller: “No. 2 Pitching starter and play middle infield. Tripp can dominate a game on the mound, and we will need him more this year as a starter and also to come in and close games. Tripp will position himself at the top of the lineup as a contact hitter that can put the ball in play and move runners over. Tripp uses his quickness to help put pressure on defenses and stole nine bases last year.”
Jones on Sickman: “Threw 22 innings in 2023 and will play first base as well as see time at third. Brek is a quiet tough leader that has power in his bat and his arm. Hit .217 as a sophomore and over .425 in the last month of the season and 12 bases.”
Jones on Richards: “Case Richards is looking to make his way on the field behind the plate and can ignite the lineup with his bat. Case has worked hard in the off-season and is looking to make a big impact on our defense in 2024.”
Other players to watch for include Dylan Taffner and Max Anreader.
McAuley Catholic opens the season on Mar. 15 at Cassville.
“The exciting thing about this team is how close the guys are, and them taking on the challenges as the season comes,” Jones said. “Our guys work extremely hard and do multiple sports. The consistent attitude with our team is being mentally tough. We saw this as the season developed last year and we were forced into some tough schedules with Michael Parrigon playing a district baseball game late into in the night and the next morning competing in Branson for district track and having a PR with limited hours of sleep.”
