By Stephen Buus (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For coach Darin Henderson, 2017 could be remembered as a mostly successful year for the Stockton Tigers. They went 16-8 overall, 5-1 in the Mid-Lakes Conference, and won their third consecutive district championship. Their postseason dreams were cut short however by Strafford, as the Indians blanked the Tigers 8-0 in the sectional round.
“Last year’s team was in a tough spot,” Henderson said. “We started several players without varsity experience. The season had its ups and downs but in the end it was a successful season. We played a lot of good baseball teams and were competitive with all of them. We really settled into our roles and won nine of our last eleven games. The loss to Strafford in sectionals hurt because we didn’t play well.”
The Tigers will have to make do without pitcher Brice Bird, catcher Skyler Fishburn, and outfielder Mason Brown, who all earned all-conference and all-district honors in their senior season. Brown is now playing at Evangel.
Jake Wheeler (5-foot-10, 140 pounds) is the lone four-year starter for Stockton. Henderson calls him “an on-base machine. He makes pitchers and just finds a way to get on base.” Wheeler hit .397 a year ago with an on-base percentage of .534 in earning first team all-conference and all-district honors. He also was honorable mention all-state as a utility man. Wheeler will pitch and play shortstop in 2018.
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Fellow senior Connor Brown (5-10, 155) had a similar season to Wheeler, landing first team spots on the all-conference and all-district list and honorable mention all-state in the infield. Brown hit .415 with 29 RBI, which led the team in both departments. Henderson said, “Conor is a solid hitter and will be a middle-of-the-order type bat. He will be looked at to drive in runs this season. He is a smart player that I feel comfortable playing multiple positions.”
The third senior on the roster is second team all-district infielder Hayden Farwell (5-10, 130). He drove in 16 runs while hitting .349. Henderson said Farwell “likes hitting with runners in scoring position and does a great job moving runners. He will also be our primary relief pitcher this season.
Bo Walker (5-10, 155) was an honorable mention all-conference outfield in his junior year. “Bo is one of the hardest working kids in our school district,” said Henderson. “He has improved his game significantly the last three years and looks to be an impact player for us.”
Junior Clayton Hubbard (6-3, 150) was an honorable mention pitcher and infielder in both conference and district, compiling a 4-1 record on the mound with 33 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched. A .316 hitter with 17 RBI, Hubbard “brings a competitive mindset to practice and games,” according to Henderson.
Sophomore Drew Wheeler (6-1, 145), the younger brother of Jake, rounds out the all-star list. As a freshman Drew hit .289 with 11 doubles and two triples among his 45 hits, which earned him second team district honors. Said Henderson, “Drew has the perfect mentality; he never gets too high or too low. He is a smart player that understands his role.”
Henderson names Strafford, Fair Grove, and Skyline as top contenders in the Mid-Lakes; with El Dorado Springs and Lamar the teams to watch in the Tigers’ district at Ash Grove.
