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SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2020 THREE RIVERS EDITION/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE DIAMOND ROUNDUP
21SS
QUITMAN LADY BULLDOGS
Quitman Lady Bulldogs have eyes set on three-peat
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
The Quitman Lady Bulldogs have their
eyes set on winning their third-straight state title this year.
“We bring a lot back this season with the addition of a couple freshmen who are going to help us and challenge the upperclassmen,” said head coach Stephanie Davis, who is in her fourth season at Quitman. “We hope to challenge for
district and regional champions again.
“This will be an exciting year for Quitman softball. There are high expectations set for these girls. They have the dedication and passion to reach all of the goals they
have set.”
Davis said junior Kassie Rhodes and senior
Autumn Johnson are the team’s best hitters. As a sophomore, Rhodes had a batting average of .485 with 47 hits and 40 RBIs. Last year, Johnson batted .524 with 54 hits and 22 RBIs.
“Autumn is fast and brings a lot of
Conference: 2A-5 North
Coach: Stephanie Davis
Assistant coaches: Mary Rhodes and Steve Lasley
2019 record: 29-5
Returning starters: Seniors Autumn Johnson, Gracie Smith and Lillie Webb; junior Kassie Rhodes; and sophomores Riley Drake, Taylor Hooten and Madi Thompson
range in the middle field,” Davis said. “Both girls always find a way to get on base,” the coach said. “They have a great eye
for the ball and good pitch selection.
“Riley Drake is one of our better power hitters. When these girls get ahold of the ball, you can guarantee it’s going to be hard. Both she and [Kassie] have strong bats and always hit the ball so hard, whether a ground ball or
out of the park.”
As a freshman, Drake batted .354 with 52
runs scored, 34 hits, 33 RBIs and 5 home runs. “Riley has a stout arm at third base,”
QUITMAN SOFTBALL
APRIL 3 ..................... @CONWAY ST. JOSEPH* APRIL 6 .......................................MORRILTON APRIL 7 .................................... NEMO VISTA* APRIL 10 ................................. @PANGBURN* APRIL 13 ....................................... @BAUXITE APRIL 14 ................................... MELBOURNE APRIL 17 .......................CONWAY CHRISTIAN* APRIL 20 ................................... DARDANELLE APRIL 21 ................................... TUCKERMAN
QUITMAN BASEBALL
APRIL 2 ..................... @CONWAY ST. JOSEPH* APRIL 6 ................................HEBER SPRINGS APRIL 10 .................................... @DES ARC*
APRIL 24
.................................... @ROSE BUD *DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
Davis said. “You can always count on an ac- curate hard throw to any play.”
On the mound, Rhodes, who has committed to Stephen F. Austin, had an ERA of 1.55 last year.
“Kassie brings a lot to the table on the mound,” Davis said. “She can spin it, as well as locate it.”
Senior Gracie Smith batted .344 with
31 hits, 30 RBIs and 30 runs scored. She has signed with National Park College in Hot Springs.
Davis said the games against Melbourne, Rose Bud and Greenbrier are ones to watch this season.
“We have a very tough schedule this year,” Davis said. “It will be exciting to see these girls go to work against some great competition this season.”
.................................. NEMO VISTA* ................................. @PANGBURN*
APRIL 14
APRIL 17
APRIL 20 ................... MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA APRIL 21 .............. WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY APRIL 24 .......................CONWAY CHRISTIAN*
APRIL 27
............................... @WONDERVIEW *DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY EAGLES
West Side Greers Ferry hoping to finish strong again
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
This year, the West Side Greers
Ferry baseball team loaded up its nonconference schedule with some 1A powerhouses to gauge what to
expect if the team makes it to the postseason again.
“The thought there was to see better pitch- ing before the postseason starts than we did a year ago,” head coach Shane Davis said. “All of our conference games will be big for us. Our conference has several good coaches, so we expect a battle for the 1A-5 Conference.”
Last season, West Side finished 21-10 and made it to the final four of the state tournament. Sophomore Travis Gentry is returning this year after earning all-state honors last season. He had a batting averaged of .582, and his 57 hits for the season are the fourth most in a single season in Arkansas, Davis
Conference: 1A-5
Coach: Shane Davis
Assistant coach: Derrick Birmingham
2019 record: 21-10
Returning starters: Seniors Gage Fetterman, Colby Stout and Matthew Beck; juniors Jared Cothren,
Ashton Klepko and Nate Bittle; and sophomores Travis Gentry, Asa Carr, Brenton Knapp and Coby Verser
said. Gentry also had 48 stolen bases, which is tied for the fourth most in a single season in the state.
Davis said senior Colby Stout hit 19 dou- bles last year, setting the record for the most all-time in a single season in the history of Arkansas high school baseball.
“We look for [sophomore] Brenton Knapp to provide us power, as well, this year, along with [sophomores] Asa Carr and Coby Verser,” the coach said.
GREERS FERRY SOFTBALL
APRIL 3 ......................................... PIGGOTT* APRIL 7 ....................................RIVERCREST* APRIL 9 ...........................................MANILA* APRIL 14 ...................................... GOSNELL* APRIL 16 ...................................@TRUMANN* APRIL 17 .................. EAST POINSETT COUNTY APRIL 20 ................................... TUCKERMAN APRIL 21 ....................................... PIGGOTT* APRIL 23 .........................................@HOXIE*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
Carr averaged .311 at the plate with 24 RBIs in 2019.
West Side averaged 3.5 errors per game last year, so the coach said this is an area the team must improve in. He said junior Ashton Klepko, who had a batting average of 292 in 2019, plays all over the field and will likely do so again this year.
“We stole 151 bases last year and will
GREERS FERRY BASEBALL
APRIL 2 ...............................@WONDERVIEW* APRIL 3 .............................. @ABUNDANT LIFE APRIL 6 .................@MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA* APRIL 7 ........................................@MIDLAND APRIL 9 .................................... @CONCORD* APRIL 10 ..............................................VIOLA APRIL 13 ..............................@GUY-PERKINS* APRIL 20 ...........................@SACRED HEART* APRIL 21 ......................................@QUITMAN APRIL 23 ................................WONDERVIEW* APRIL 24 ..................................... @OUACHITA MAY 4 ................. @SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
continue to be aggressive in this area,” Davis said. Stout and Gentry will be the team’s 1A and 1B on the mound, the coach said. They both pitched complete-game two-hitters in the state tournament last year, so “we are looking for
them to build off of that,” Davis said.