Jonesboro baseball will be embarking on a new journey this upcoming season . The Golden Hurricane will be making the jump up a classification into the 6A East . Coach Mark Dobson will once again lead JHS , looking to continue the recent success he has enjoyed during his time as head coach . The Hurricane are led by All-State pitcher and Arkansas commit Lance Davis . The junior went 6-2 while striking out 64 batters in 51 innings and only walking five . Davis hits the upper 80s with his fastball while showing good control . Jonesboro returns several to the lineup led by Crowder Community College commit Maddox Morrison . The senior hit . 388 and is considered an excellent runner on the base paths . Senior Charlie Dominguez hit . 446 and 20 RBIs last season catching and playing outfield , while fellow senior Will Thyer hit . 305 with four homeruns . Junior 3rd baseman and catcher Hudson Hosman returns after batting . 363 with 33 RBIs and a pair of homeruns for the Hurricane . Meyer Maddox returns to the outfield for his junior season after hitting . 380 a season ago . Maddox will also help on the mound for Jonesboro . A couple of newcomers could provide some help for JHS . Sophomore Rylan Jones is a 6 ’ 4 ” lefty that has good pop with the bat and could add depth to the pitching staff with a mid-80s fastball . Freshman Asa Myers could be a utility type player for the Hurricane playing shortstop and third and also pitching some as well . Coach Dobson believes his team ’ s strength lie with its hitting and defense , but does express concern over the depth of the pitching staff . How quickly guys step up to provide that depth may be a big factor in the season for the Golden Hurricane moving up into a larger division . With the tradition that Coach Dobson has established , an All-State pitcher , good hitting , and a solid defense , look for Jonesboro to transition well and be in the mix in class 6A .
Coach Anthony Noftsgar hopes the Pocahontas Redskins can ride experience and pitching to improve on last season ’ s 10- 14 record and return to the regional tournament where their season ended a year ago . “ The team strength this year would have to be our pitching and also experience . We have guys on the team who have pitched in big games in their baseball careers so that will help us a lot . We also have eight positions that have returning starters which helps with experience ,” Coach Noftsgar said . Jake Privett will be one of the leaders on that pitching staff . The senior has impressive velocity reaching 90 mph or better . His control has improved and his off-speed may be even better than his fastball . Privett had a 2.04 ERA last season with 88 strikeouts and two no hitters . At the plate Privett hit . 464 and will likely hit in the three hole while playing 1st or 3rd when not on the mound . Eli Risely will be a strong presence on the bump for the Redskins . The lefty has improved his velocity to reach in the low 80s , and his curveball has become much sharper . Risely will also roam the outfield and hit for average at the plate . Zane Hibbard led the team with a . 429 average a season ago with 23 RBIs . The lefty has great speed and a very smooth swing . Hibbard will catch and play shortstop but also provide some depth to the pitching staff . Connor Baker will be in center field for Pocahontas . The senior will provide great speed and good contact hitting at the top of the lineup . First baseman and designated hitter Zane Baltz may potentially be the best power option in the Skins ’ lineup and will have ample opportunity for RBIs in the middle of the lineup . Sophomore Ty Menard is Pocahontas ’ most versatile player . Menard can play any position and is handy in the middle of the lineup batting . 380 as a freshman . Another sophomore that will contribute is DJ Coffey . The middle infielder makes great contact and had many quality at bats as a freshman . Speaking of freshman , Levi Martin looks to make a big impact as a newcomer . On the mound , Martin throws in the 80s with good control and will be a workhorse for the Redskins this year . At the plate , look for Martin to bat cleanup and deliver some power to the lineup . Another newcomer looking to help is Colton Brown . The outfielder has tremendous speed and a potential to steal a lot of bases . Although still young , look for the Redskins to make some noise in the new-look 4A-3 and earn a berth to the Regional tournament .
The Pocahontas Lady Redskin softball team will take the diamond this season looking to improve on their 7-12 record from a year ago . Coach Anthony Hausman is looking for improvement hitting throughout the lineup as well as defensively at every position . Libby McIntire will be back in the circle this season for the Lady Skins . The junior has good velocity with good control to try to keep opposing hitters at bay . Senior Sydney White is a middle infielder looking to lead the Pocahontas defense while providing some pop at the plate . Behind her in center field will be Brinlee Swann . The junior anchors the outfield while providing an offensive spark as well . Senior Tori Nichols will move from third base over to first to sure up that corner strengthening the defense . Freshman Kenzi Ogden will see time in the infield as well as corner outfield spots . The newcomer hopes to provide a spark to the Lady Redskin lineup . With a new-look 4A-3 conference , Pocahontas hopes to take advantage and get back to the postseason .