By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Few teams in the Ozarks had a run like the one the Clever baseball team did last year.
After a 3-7 start, the Bluejays closed out the regular season by winning 18 of 19 — including 14 in a row. But they weren’t able to carry the momentum into the district tournament, dropping a first-round game to a Mountain Grove team that finished the year below .500.
That was a wake-up call for the Bluejays, who are eager to build on their 21-9 season.
“For everyone coming back, the lessons we can learn from are that no matter how you are playing going into districts it doesn’t matter,” Clever coach Brandon Cobb said. “It is a new season and you have to play well to advance. You have to eliminate the fear of the moment and do your job the best you can. I think we have a great group of players coming back that will learn from that moment and improve on it.”
While the Bluejays graduated five seniors — four of them starters — they will return the rest of their starting lineup, plus several others who earned varsity experience last year.
“This may be the most depth that we have had, but that also means that there will be a lot of people competing for those positions as well,” Cobb said. “We need someone to step up and take those spots.”
Frontrunners include the four Bluejays who earned postseason honors last spring — seniors Owen Hall, Landon Flood, Brennan West and junior Talon Smith. The seniors were all-conference and all-district honorees, while Smith earned a spot on the all-district team.
Hall, a four-year starter, is coming off a season in which he hit .271 with 29 runs batted in. He also went 5-3 with a 2.08 earned-run average.
“He will be our shortstop and one of our top pitchers again this season,” Cobb said. “He will also hit in the middle of our order and be expected to drive in runs. He is a great defensive shortstop and a leader on our infield. We expect him to be one of our top players and leaders on the team.”
Flood, who’ll be another four-year starter, hit .378 and drove in 30 runs. He’ll primarily play in the outfield, but could see time at shortstop when Hall is on the mound.
“He has been a very productive player and he works extremely hard,” Cobb said. “He will hit in the middle of our line up and we need him to drive in runs. He will pitch as well. Most likely a bullpen arm but will spot start when needed. We expect him to be one of our top players and leaders on the team.”
West went 5-2 with a 3.59 earned-run average. Offensively, he hit .278 with 18 RBI — and will look to improve those numbers in his third year as a starter.
“He will be one of our top pitchers and play second base when he isn’t pitching,” Cobb said. “He will also hit in the middle of the order. He has been a productive hitter and there is even more potential in his bat.”
Smith won the starting catching job last season, finishing with a .306 batting average.
“He did a great job taking control of our staff and improved each and every game,” Cobb said. “He will be our catcher again this spring. He takes a really quality at bat each time he is up to the plate and has a knack for getting on base. We look for him to hit toward the top of the order and get on base for guys in the middle of the order.”
Junior third baseman Owen Graaf missed about 10 games last season with an injury, but he’s now healthy and ready to return to the lineup.
“He is a great defensive player and has some of the best hands on the team,” Cobb said. “His bat saw a lot of improvement last spring and we are hoping he takes an even bigger jump this spring.”
Sophomore Kendall Piper, who replaced Graaf in the lineup last spring, will bring some additional depth to Clever’s infield and pitching rotation.
The Bluejays also added Rex Deters, who transferred from Glendale for his senior year.
“He will be one of our top pitchers this spring and will compete for time in the outfield and infield,” Cobb said. “We expect him to help our team in multiple ways and are excited to have him this season.”
Payton Guccione rounds out Clever’s five-player senior class. The pitcher was a steady presence out of the bullpen last season, finishing with a pair of saves.
“He did a great job,” Cobb said. “He will do whatever is needed for us again this spring. We will use him out of the pen and he will start when needed as well. He is a great kid that will embrace his role and do whatever is needed for the team.”
Juniors Dyllan Martin and Brayden Baker and sophomores Tysyn Clark and Skyler Broaddus will compete for spots in the outfield.
Sophomores Evan Verch and Brayden Flood will look to lock down infield jobs, while classmate Austin Garrison can play anywhere in the lineup.
Martin and Verch can also pitch, further bolstering the team’s rotation.
“Our biggest strength is our pitching rotation and depth,” Cobb said. “We have a lot of older guys that have thrown a lot of innings and thrown in a lot of big games. We have a lot of positions open in our lineup, so I think our pitching will have to carry us early in the year while we figure out a lineup.”
The Bluejays will host Ash Grove and Cassville for a March 14 jamboree, and kick off the regular season when St. James visits on March 21.
“I want these guys to be known for how hard they competed each and every day,” Cobb said. “I want them to play as hard as they can and be fearless. I want them to experience as much success as they can have because their hard work deserves it.”
