Page 21 - RVO Diamond Roundup March 2017

RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REVIEW | SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017
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MAUMELLE LADY HORNETS
Lady Hornets coach aims for conference championship
MARK BUFFALO/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
Maumelle’s Reagan Pierce sends a pitch over the fence for a grand slam against Little Rock Christian.
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Maumelle’s Lady Hornets have made
the Class 5A State Tournament the last two years, and third-year coach Jarred White wants to return —
and win a game — in 2017.
“My goal for the team is to first make the state
tournament,” White said. “When you play in the 5A West with Greenbrier and Vilonia, and 35 out of their 35 play travel ball, it’s hard to compete with that, but we want to be the No. 3 seed in the West and have a chance to be a 3 or 4 seed overall.”
Vilonia is going for a third consecutive state championship after beating Greenbrier in the title game last year, 5-4 in eight innings. The Lady Eagles have reached the championship game the last three seasons.
“Every year it’s Vilonia and Greenbrier, and I don’t think that’s going to change,” White said of the prospects for the 5A West. “Farmington slips
Conference: 5A West
Coach: Jarred White Assistant coach: Kirk Horten 2016 record: 11-10
Mascot: Lady Hornets
Returning starters: Becca Almond,
Catherine McNeil, Taylor Martin, Irrianna Allen, Shelby Forehand and Reagan Pierce
in sometimes. I look at it realistically — I want to play with those guys, but until we get girls who play travel ball, that’s tough to do.
“Last year we played Greenbrier within 5-2 and Vilonia 6-1, and that’s the best we’ve compet- ed with them. Last year we split with Farmington when we scored five runs to come back in the seventh; that was probably the biggest win of the softball program at Maumelle.”
In 2015, the Lady Hornets lost their state tour- nament debut to De Queen, 7-1. Last year, they fell in the opening round to Jacksonville, 2-0.
Leading the returning starters for 2017 are
MAUMELLE SOFTBALL
MARCH 28 ........................ PULASKI ACADEMY MARCH 30 ................................. GREENBRIER MARCH 31 ................................. @NASHVILLE APRIL 3 ........................................ @VILONIA* APRIL 4 ......................................... @LR HALL APRIL 10 ........................................ VILONIA* APRIL 11 ........................................... LR FAIR APRIL 13 ................................ @GREENBRIER APRIL 18 ............................. @SYLVAN HILLS* APRIL 20 ................................ @MORRILTON* APRIL 25 .................................. LR PARKVIEW
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
senior right-handed pitcher Becca Almond, who has signed to play next year for Henderson State in Arkadelphia; and senior catcher Catherine McNeil, who has signed with South Alabama Community College in Monroeville.
Also back are senior third baseman/outfielder
MAUMELLE SOFTBALL continued on 22VV
CAC MUSTANGS
Mustangs have core back that made deep run in 2016
BY MARK BUFFALO
STAFF WRITER
The Central Arkansas Christian Mus- tangs were two different teams in 2016. That is something they’d like to avoid this year.
CAC started the season 0-7, then won 17 consecutive games to make it to the semifinals of the Class 4A State Tournament, where they lost to Shiloh Christian 8-0.
“We’ve got a lot of kids coming back,” CAC coach Hayden Cruce said. “We really lost two seniors, and everyone is coming back. These guys have a lot of experience. They know what it takes to win. It’s a fun group to coach. And once you start getting into that tournament play, experience makes a big difference.”
CAC returns seven starters from last year’s team that went 17-8 and 8-0 in 4A-2 Confer- ence play. They include senior pitcher/third baseman Braden Quesinberry, senior catcher Tanner Weber, senior outfielder Grant Wood, senior outfielder/pitcher Hunter Corbell, senior first baseman/pitcher Austin Holley,
Conference: 4A-2
Coach: Hayden Cruce
Assistant coaches: Zac Stewart, Alex
Philbrick
2016 record: 15-6
Mascot: Mustangs
Returning starters: Tanner Weber,
Braden Quesinberry, Grant Wood, Hunter Corbell, Austin Holley, Cade Huckaby and Blake Fairchild.
senior outfielder Cade Huckaby and junior third baseman/pitcher Blake Fairchild.
Corbell is the team’s best hitter for average. A year ago, he hit .400. Weber is the team’s best power hitter. He had two homers in 2016. He also had 28 runs batted in to lead the Mustangs.
Cruce said Wood is the best fielder and that Wood and Corbell have the best speed on the team.
Players with the best arms defensively are Quesinberry and Corbell.
Quesinberry is the team’s best return- ing pitcher. He was 7-1 a year ago with a
CAC BASEBALL
MARCH 28 ................................MAYFLOWER* MARCH 30 .............................@LR CHRISTIAN APRIL 4 ............................................ ESTEM* APRIL 6 ............................ PULASKI ACADEMY APRIL 7 ............................. @HEBER SPRINGS APRIL 10 ........................................ LONOKE* APRIL 18 ...............@EPISCOPAL COLLEGIATE* APRIL 20 .................................. @STUTTGART
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
2.06 ERA. He struck out 46 batters in 47 2/3 innings pitched.
Cruce said Quesinberry, Corbell and Weber are his team’s best college prospects.
CAC’s biggest games this year will be April 10 against Lonoke and April 20 against Stuttgart.
Cruce said contending for a state title isn’t something the players talk about much.
CAC BASEBALL continued on 22VV
MARK BUFFALO/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
CAC senior catcher Tanner Weber blocks a pitch in the dirt during a bullpen session.