Of course , the success of Brookland will also have to come from other key players . Collins pinpoints three players that he projects to have solid seasons for the Bearcats . One name that comes as no surprise is Dax Webb . Webb has been one of the top players in the area for over a year now . He finished Best Under the Sun while batting . 358 , scoring 29 runs and swiping 16 bases . “ Dax is a staple in the lineup ,” explained Collins . This year he is going to have to be a two-way player and is going to be a key pitcher / outfielder .” Additionally , two other players were mentioned by Cade as being key pieces to the 2023 club . They include : Kolin Parker and David Rubbottom . “ Dave is going to be crucial on the mound . He had a great year last year , and he is looking even better for this year . Kolin had a great year last year , and he is looking great in the outfield and at the plate with lots of speed .”
Another interesting component going into the season is the head coaching change . Bill Taylor exited the program and moved back into coaching basketball . Wade Brown moves across town from Jonesboro to be the new head man for Brookland . So far , Collins has enjoyed the transition from Taylor to Brown . “ Coach Brown and Coach Taylor are very similar . Both of them had us on the field practicing after the first day of school . Offseason with Coach Brown has been very productive with defense and offense , and we have been conditioning and doing weight specific to hitting and throwing . Playing for Coach Brown is similar to playing with Coach Taylor . The only real difference is that we are spending more time on defense than offense . Coach Taylor knew we had the talent to be a top defensive team in the state , and it showed when it come game time , so we mainly focused on offense and approaches with Coach Taylor . Playing for Coach Taylor for the past three years has been the best time I ’ ve ever had . He was so much fun , but at the same time , he was our coach and got in our tails if we messed up . I will always be thankful for Coach Taylor and all the things he taught me .”
Not only is Collins looking forward to his senior year , but he is excited about playing at the collegiate level . Thankfully , he has committed to play at Arkansas State University Mountain Home and has that decision out of the way before the start of his senior campaign . “ My main goal was to go the junior college route . I have always had the mindset what it takes to be successful in a JUCO , and I think it ’ s the best opportunity for me . I was talking to a couple of JUCO ’ s and smaller NAIA schools , and Corey Lambert got me in contact with Coach ( Spencer ) Adcock the head baseball coach at Mountain Home . I started talking to him , and we got a date for a visit . I went up there and instantly fell in love . The campus is just so beautiful . The field was in great condition and looked amazing , and the facilities were very nice . I got the chance to have a practice with them and every single player walked up to me and introduced themselves and acted like I was already a part of the team . Coach Adcock talked to me for a while about their training , meal plans , and their philosophy on baseball . On the ride home , I realized how beautiful the drive was and at that point I knew that ’ s where I wanted to be . It was about a week after the visit , and I decided to commit to ASU Mountain Home .”
As previously mentioned Corey Lambert was a coach that helped get him set up for his visit to Mountain Home . “ I ’ m very thankful for all my coaches I ’ ve had in my past . Corey Lambert has been one of personal coaches since I was 11 . Most importantly , I ’ m thankful for my parents . Without them I would not be anywhere near where I am today . They have given up time and money for me to play baseball . They have supported me in everything I do , and I could not be more thankful for everything and every opportunity they have given me .”
Look for Collins to have a remarkable season that likely lands him as an all-conference and potentially an allstate and Best Under the Sun player .