Page 37 - 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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MORRILTON DEVIL DOGS
MORRILTON BASEBALL continued from 36VV
Sparks said. “He had a .417 batting average.” Sparks said he was still worried about the team’s depth at pitching but was hopeful that Morrilton could develop some more as the sea-
son progressed.
Backing up Albillar on the mound will be se-
niors Brady Russell and Jaylan Hawkins.
“I think they have improved since last year, and they have more experience,” Sparks said.
“They just throw strikes.”
Morrilton’s first game of the season was at
home against Pottsville on Feb. 28.
“The weather has been really good, and we
have been able to get outside a bunch of days, which is very unusual,” Sparks said. “We have been able to get a lot of work done.”
One strength for Morrilton this season will be its outfield, Sparks said.
“Defensively, we will be solid in the outfield,” he said. “That’s where I have the most kids return- ing, and at any point, I could have three seniors out there.
“And they are all pretty good players.”
Sparks named Albillar, who plays center field, as well as Russell and Hawkins.
“With those three guys, I feel pretty good,” Sparks said. “That’s definitely our strong point.”
Returning at catcher for the Devil Dogs is three-year starter and senior Caleb Canady.
“I feel pretty good with him back there,” Sparks said. “He has caught a lot of games for me. “He is also our quarterback in football, so he is used to being in the fire, which is good for a
catcher.”
Junior second baseman Jaren Hill will lead
the midfield.
“He’s just a good solid player,” Sparks said. “He
is steady at the plate and a really good midfielder.” Morrilton finished 6-8 in its conference last season but failed to make it to the state tourna- ment. The Devil Dogs have yet to make it to the
playoffs during Sparks’ tenure.
“Our pitching depth and our youth are two
things that we will have to overcome to be very successful,” Sparks said. “There will be times when we will have people on the mound who don’t have a lot of experience.
“And we will have some people in the infield who don’t have a lot of experience, either.”
Because of the new blended league, Morrilton will be in the same conference as Greenbrier, Vilonia, Batesville, Beebe, Mountain Home and Searcy.
“Vilonia is always good, and Greenbrier should be loaded, especially having two guys who have signed with Division I schools as pitchers,” Sparks said. “But some of these teams I don’t know a whole lot about, so they will be a chal- lenge for us.”
MORRILTON LADY DEVIL DOGS
Future is the main focus for young Lady Devil Dogs
WILLIAM HARVEY/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
Morrilton senior Brady Russell swings at a pitch.
At the end of the season, much like in basket- ball, Morrilton will play four teams from the other side of its conference in a tournament. Those four are Alma, Farmington, Harrison and Clarksville.
Sparks, who coached in Texas for 14 years before coming to Morrilton, said the goal for this season is to win a state championship.
“Obviously, our goal is to make the state tour- nament, and winning our conference would be a step in that direction,” Sparks said. “But ulti- mately, our goal is just to get into the playoffs, get into the state tournament and see what happens from there.”
MORRILTON BASEBALL
MARCH 28 ......................................@SEARCY MARCH 30 ....................................MAUMELLE APRIL 4 .............................. MOUNTAIN HOME APRIL 6 .................................... @POTTSVILLE APRIL 11 ................................. GREENBRIER* APRIL 14 ................................@CLARKSVILLE APRIL 18 ..........................................@BEEBE APRIL 20 .......................................@CLINTON APRIL 21 ......................................... @DOVER APRIL 25 .................................. CLARKSVILLE APRIL 27 .........................BENTONVILLE WEST
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
The Morrilton High School softball
team is putting a lot of focus on its future this season, head coach Scott Poteete said.
“With such a young team, it is just about us getting better,” Poteete said. “With us losing just two kids next season, it is about the future.
“I’ve got another good group of kids in the eighth grade, and four or five of them come over every once in a while and field some balls.
“We are just trying to get better every day so we can start competing with the Greenbriers and the Vilonias, year in and year out.”
Poteete said Morrilton used to be in that posi- tion but has had a drop off the last couple of years. The Lady Devil Dogs finished last season 12-16 overall and 6-8 in their conference, miss- ing the state tournament by just one game. They return two seniors and four juniors, including a
move-in from Russellville.
“Defensively, we will be really good, with our
pitching is where we are going to have the most inconsistency,” Poteete said.
Morrilton opened the season in a benefit game Feb. 23 against Benton High School, but lost 10-0 in the exhibition.
“That game is usually a precursor of where we are as a team,” Poteete said. “We have played coach [Heidi] Cox six times and are 2-4.
“When we have competed or beat her, we have been really good.”
Four starters who should make an immediate impact for the Lady Devil Dogs include junior
Conference: 5A West
Coach: Scott Poteete
Assistant coaches: Nick Fisher and
Tyler Briscoe
2016 record: 12-16
Mascot: Lady Devil Dogs
Returning starters: Alyssa Sparks,
Shelby Tindal, Libby Shipp and Gracie Ferrell
Alyssa Sparks, junior Libby Shipp, sophomore Gracie Ferrell and freshman Shelby Tindal.
“Alyssa is our move-in, and she is a pretty good hitter and good player,” Poteete said. “Shelby is a freshman pitcher, who is going to be good with time.
“Libby and Gracie are our leaders and are real
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