Coach David Utley takes over in the dugout for Nettleton Baseball as he tries to return the Raiders to the postseason for the first time in a while . Coach Utley hopes to improve on the 8-19 ( 2-12 ) record from a year ago in a brutal 5A East conference . Nettleton will rely on a core group of returners to make those improvements . Seniors Seth Bishop and Ethan Duffel are two pitchers and infielders who provide leadership this season . Bishop had a . 333 on base percentage last season with 11 stolen bases while striking out 23 in 32 innings on the mound . Duffel , a catcher as well , sported a . 370 OBP with 12 RBIs , and eight stolen bases . He also struck out 19 in 18 innings . Juniors Zach Bishop and Kaleb Tedder will look to improve on their stats as well . Bishop had an OBP of . 318 with 12 RBI and five stolen bases , while striking out 13 in 11 innings of work . Tedder returns a . 336 OBP with 16 stolen bases . Sophomores Maddox Hampton and Ford Raffo are back after solid freshmen campaigns . Hampton had an OBP of . 321 with 18 RBI and eight stolen bases while roaming the infield . On the mound , Hampton led the Raiders with 54 strikeouts in 46 innings . Raffo was one of Nettleton ’ s top producers at the plate with a . 373 OBP , 11 RBI , and nine stolen bases . He produced 13 strikeouts in 11 innings . Coach Utley has some new faces that could help out this upcoming season . Senior Kaleb McClain could see some time on the mound and in center field , while Junior Jayce Williams should see some time in the infield for the Raiders . Sophomore Kam Bender will play in the outfield and help Nettleton at the plate . Bennett Ditto , Ja ’ Kylon Perkins , and Clark Phillips also have some potential to contribute to the lineup . Coach Utley believes the keys for the Raiders to have a successful season are throwing strikes , limiting walks , and playing solid defense . He feels the return of so many pitchers and infielders are a strength , but there is concern over a lack of depth . Nettleton will have to rely on the strength of the core returners and fill holes quickly in order to improve and be in the mix in the 5A East .
Coach Zack Tyler ’ s Trumann Wildcats enjoyed an 11-9 season last year but fell short of the regional tournament . Coach Tyler would like to see improvement in areas in order for his team to take that next step into the postseason . Leading the Wildcat charge All-State pitcher Parks McNair . McNair had 87 strikeouts in 38 innings and a 2.12 ERA . He has a fastball in the mid to high 80s , a great curveball , and will look to mix in a change-up more this season . At the plate , McNair is a run producer with a high contact rate and great discipline . Murphy Williams will likely be at the top of the Wildcat lineup . Williams has great speed that he will use in center field . Blake McGlaughlin will catch and play in the infield while providing power at the plate . Ty Robb has lots of raw power and great speed and Coach Tyler is looking for him to have a big season in right field . Some new faces should impact the Trumann lineup this season . Brayden Passmore is an extremely talented youngster with great hands at shortstop , while Chayton Webb will be a big piece in the lineup at second base and provide some depth to the pitching staff . Coda Cameron should handle a bulk of the catching duties and has potential for a breakout season . The new look 4A-3 baseball conference has opened up at the top , and the Trumann Wildcats have the potential to earn one the coveted regional tournament berths .
The Trumann Lady Wildcats are looking to improve upon last season ’ s 8-16 record . Coach Stacy Toddy says that her group is a team of hard workers with great attitudes . She looks at this season as a building year , but in the 4A-3 , they could make some noise . Senior Tiara Postell returns to centerfield and has the ability to cover most of the outfield . At the plate , Postell batted . 377 last year and looks to lead the Lady Cats at the dish . Juniors Macy Powell and Lindie Barnes also return for Trumann . Powell , a shortstop with great range , batted . 267 last season and hopes to get on base to create offense for the rest of the lineup . Barnes will play second base , securing the middle of the defense with Postell and Powell . Powell got a lot of hits as well and hit . 365 a year ago . Cecilia Goldman will play third base and enters this season with a lot of confidence . In the circle , Ally Bell returns to keep the opposition at bay with good control . A couple of new faces look to help the Lady Wildcats rebuild . Maggie McClaughlin and Elizabeth Holladay will be splitting time at first base . Coach Toddy describes the duo as coachable . With some changes in the conference , look for Trumann to make some noise in the middle of the conference .