Page 2 - TL Diamond Roundup March 2017

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SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 | TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL REVIEW
BENTON PANTHERS
Panthers see talent, despite need to replace 7 starters
BY SCOTT LOFTIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In Mark Balisterri’s 22-plus seasons as head coach of the Benton Panthers, his team has won more than 400 games. The Panthers won a state championship in 2009 and played in
the championship game as recently as 2015. There’s no such thing as a rebuilding season for Balisterri’s Panthers, not even for this year’s team that has to replace seven starters — who all are now playing Division I college baseball — from last season’s squad that went 12-2 in the
6A West and 24-5 overall.
“We have two returning starters and one guy
that has played quite a bit,” Balisterri said. “The rest of them really had never been on the field in a varsity game before.”
That doesn’t mean the Panthers don’t have some talent.
Benton is led by senior Ross Carver (6-2, 175), who will be the Panthers’ No. 1 starter and whose fastball reaches 86 to 88 mph.
“He’s going to be on the mound as much as he can,” Balisterri said. “He’s the only pitcher we’ve got back with any varsity experience. He’s got a big arm.”
When he’s not pitching, Carver will play third base.
“We wanted him to anchor the left side of the infield,” Balisterri said. “Ross is one of our best infielders. He’s probably our best player. He has the best arm and the best glove.”
Carver is also Benton’s leading power threat offensively after hitting five home runs as a junior in 2016.
Benton’s other returning starter is junior short- stop Drew Chilton (5-9, 165). Chilton cracked the Panthers’ starting lineup as a sophomore and is expected to be a key player this spring.
“He’s got some speed,” Balisterri said. “He’s a control-type hitter. He’ll make contact and hit the ball to all fields.”
The coach said the Panthers are also counting on contributions from senior outfielder Coltyn Lane. Like Carver, Lane has signed with Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri.
“Coltyn will play center field for us,” Balisterri said. “He provides us with some speed. He’s got a big arm, and he covers the outfield well.”
The Panthers’ other senior is Jacob Cooper (6-2, 265), who has settled in as the starting first baseman. Cooper delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 victory over Little Rock Central on March 4.
“He’s stepped up big,” Balisterri said.
Sophomore Logan Easterling (5-9, 170) is Benton’s starting catcher and a defensive whiz, the coach said.
“He does a great job blocking the plate and handling pitches,” Balisterri said.
Conference: 6A South
Coach: Mark Balisterri
Assistant coaches: Rusty Davis and
Garrett Parker
2016 record: 24-5 overall;
12-2 conference
Mascot: Panthers
Returning starters: Ross Carver and
Drew Chilton
BENTON PANTHERS
MARCH 21........................ @WATSON CHAPEL MARCH 23-25 ............. BENTON TOURNAMENT MARCH 28................................ @SHERIDAN* MARCH 31................................ BENTONVILLE APRIL 3 ............................................ BRYANT APRIL 4 .................................. @PINE BLUFF* APRIL 7 ................................. LR MCCLELLAN APRIL 11 ............................... @ARKADELPHIA APRIL 13 .................................... WHITE HALL APRIL 17 .............................. LAKE HAMILTON APRIL 18 .................................... SHERIDAN* APRIL 21 ........................ @WATSON CHAPEL* APRIL 25 ................................... PINE BLUFF* APRIL 27 ......................... GREENBRIER @UCA APRIL 28 ..................................... @LR MILLS
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
A left-handed hitter, Easterling bats third in the Panthers’ lineup.
“He handles the bat really well,” Balisterri said. Junior Beau Brewer (5-10, 175) plays right field. “He’s done a really good job at the plate hitting
the ball,” Balisterri said.
A big key to success in postseason play could
be developing some pitching depth behind Carver. Junior Yates Prickett (5-10, 170) will help there. Prickett threw a complete game in the victory over Central.
JUSTIN MANNING/CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Benton’s Preston Fleeman takes a swing against North Little Rock during a home game.
“He commands all his pitches real well,” Balisterri said. “He has four pitches. He pitched really well the other day.”
Looking at the Panthers’ schedule, Balisterri pointed to a March 28 game at Sheridan, which beat the Panthers in the 2015 state championship game, and an April 3 home game against Saline County arch-rival Bryant (Balisterri’s alma mater) as key games.
Balisterri said the Panthers’ relative inexperi- ence has created a competitive atmosphere. He believes Benton’s younger players will benefit from being around last year’s talented group of seniors.
“They played behind some guys last year — eight seniors that all went on to play college baseball, and seven of them in Division I. It gives our whole team a little more energy and compet- itiveness that coming into the year, there were so many unknowns.”
As one of the state’s longest-tenured and most well-respected coaches, Balisterri has established a winning culture at Benton. He said the Panthers’ players have embraced that culture.
“They know if they make the high school baseball team, they are expected to play at a high level and to win,” he said. “I definitely think his- tory plays a big part in what we do.”
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