Page 47 - 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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POTTSVILLE APACHES POTTSVILLE LADY APACHES Pottsvillecoachoptimistic, AthleticLadyApachesare
hopeful for 2017 season
strong in defense, pitching
BY TAMMY KEITH
SENIOR WRITER
The Pottsville Apaches are back with a vengeance.
“We are returning the majority of our pitching staff, which will give us a boost defensively,” coach Wes McCrotty said.
Left-handed junior pitcher Greyson Stevens joins right-handers senior Will Stewart and ju- niors Nick Hagerty and Cole Duvall.
Stewart won six games as a junior with a 1.36 ERA in 57 innings pitched. The coach is looking for good things from power hitter Hagerty, who hit 10 doubles and one home run as a sophomore.
Freshman Connor Cole brings speed to the mix, McCrotty said.
In addition to Stevens, Hagerty and Stewart, returning starters are seniors Austin Bell and Jake White; sophomores Mason Huie — the shortstop and best fielder on the team, the coach said — and Rylee Huie; and junior Kyle Hudson.
“We are hoping to build off of our 2016 sea- son. We lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the state tournament versus Crossett, 3-2 in extra innings,” McCrotty said. “The key to our season is pitching and defense from our return- ing players.”
Games to watch include those against Dover on March 28 and Atkins on April 13.
“Offensively, we are expecting our guys to take on the mentality of, ‘What can I do to get on base and score runs?’ Get runners on base, move them into scoring position, and drive them in. In our lineup, our seven-, eight- and nine-hole hitters need to have more produc- tive at-bats throughout the course of the game,” McCrotty said.
TWO RIVERS SOFTBALL
MARCH 28 ...................................@DARDANELLE MARCH 31 ..................................... PERRYVILLE* APRIL 4 .............................................. CLINTON* APRIL 7 ......................................... POTTSVILLE* APRIL 11 ........................................... @ATKINS* APRIL 14 .............................................. LAMAR* APRIL 18 ....................................... DARDANELLE APRIL 21 .................................... @PERRYVILLE* APRIL 25 ......................................... @CLINTON* MAY 2 ................................................ @LAMAR*
Conference: 4A-4
Coach: Wes McCrotty
Assistant coach: Garrett Hill
2016 record: 18-10
Mascot: Apaches
Returning starters: Mason Huie, Rylee
Huie, Greyson Stevens, Nick Hagerty, Austin Bell, Jake White, Kyle Hudson and Will Stewart
POTTSVILLE BASEBALL
MARCH 23-25 ....... @PUL ROBINSON TOURNEY MARCH 28 ..................................... @DOVER* MARCH 30 ....................... SUBIACO ACADEMY MARCH 31 ........................................ LAMAR* APRIL 3 .................................. @GREENBRIER APRIL 4 .................................. @PERRYVILLE* APRIL 6 .......................................MORRILTON APRIL 7 ................................. @TWO RIVERS* APRIL 10 .............................. @DARDANELLE* APRIL 13 ......................................... ATKINS* APRIL 14 .................................... NEMO VISTA APRIL 17 ....................................... CLINTON* APRIL 18 .......................................... DOVER* APRIL 21 ....................................... @LAMAR* APRIL 25 .................................. PERRYVILLE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
“At this point, we are like a lot of teams in that we are filled with optimism and hope. At the end of the day, we want to be able to answer the question, ‘Were we the best competitors on the field today?’ If we answer ‘yes,’ then we are on the right track. If we answer ‘no,’ then the next day, we will have to get back to work until we are the best competitors day in and day out,” McCrotty said.
TWO RIVERS BASEBALL
MARCH 27 .................................. @CHARLESTON MARCH 28 .................................@DARDANELLE* MARCH 31 ..................................... PERRYVILLE* APRIL 4 ........................................... @CLINTON* APRIL 7 ......................................... POTTSVILLE* APRIL 11 ........................................... @ATKINS* APRIL 14 .............................................. LAMAR* APRIL 17 ............................................ @DOVER* APRIL 18 ..................................... DARDANELLE* APRIL 21 .................................... @PERRYVILLE*
BY TAMMY KEITH
SENIOR WRITER
It’s a season of great possibilities for Pottsville
softball.
Although the Apaches graduated a pitcher
and a first baseman, coach Greg Jones said the team gained a 6-1 right-handed power pitcher, Shannon Lasey, and a fast, versatile second base- man, Abbie Cain, both ninth-graders.
Plus, the list of returning starters is long: se- niors Jordan Wright, all-state center fielder, and Halley Cain, all-state catcher; juniors all-state outfielder Skylar Campbell, infielder Kira Harrel, designated hitter Hanamarie Savage, and short- stop and pitcher Aspen Campbell; and sopho- more third baseman Sophia Hampton.
The team’s go-to pitcher will be Aspen Campbell (5-6), and Skylar Campbell (5-8) is the team’s best power hitter.
Jones also pointed to Aspen Campbell as his best fielder, and Wright (5-6) stands out for her speed. Hampton’s strength is her rocket arm.
The coach said Skylar Campbell, Aspen Campbell, Cain and Hampton have the potential to play college ball.
“We have high expectations for the 2017 season,” the coach said. “We lost in the semi- finals of state last year in a game we felt we let slip away.” The team fell to Pocahontas, 3-2, in extra innings.
“This will be my most athletic team I have ever coached,” Jones said. “Our strengths should be in our defense and pitching. We will have two great arms and should be solid defensively. Our
Conference: 4A-4
Coach: Greg Jones
Assistant coach: Drew Siebenmorgen Mascot: Apaches
2016 record: 27-7
Returning starters: Jordan Wright,
Halley Cain, Skylar Campbell, Aspen Campbell, Sophia Hampton, Kira Harrel and Hanamarie Savage
POTTSVILLE BASEBALL
MARCH 27 .............................. @GREENBRIER MARCH 28 ..................................... @DOVER* MARCH 31 ........................................LAMAR* APRIL 1 ................. POTTSVILLE TOURNAMENT APRIL 3 .............................................. HAZEN APRIL 4 ..................................@PERRYVILLE* APRIL 6 ......................................... @HECTOR APRIL 7 .................................@TWO RIVERS* APRIL 8 ....... @HEBER SPRINGS TOURNAMENT APRIL 10 ....................................... CLINTON* APRIL 11 .............................. @DARDANELLE* APRIL 13 ......................................... ATKINS* APRIL 15 .....................................VAN BUREN APRIL 17 ..............................@JACKSONVILLE APRIL 17 ................................@CLARKSVILLE APRIL 18 ..........................................DOVER* APRIL 20 ......................................... @HAZEN APRIL 21 ....................................... @LAMAR* APRIL 25 .................................. PERRYVILLE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
weakness is our inability to stay consistent. If we can find ways to score runs, then it could be a special year for us here in Pottsville.”
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES