The Greene County Tech Golden Eagles continued their winning tradition on the diamond finishing with a 19-11 record last season and falling in the state quarterfinals to eventual state champion Little Rock Christian . To keep that tradition alive , Coach Bruce Hunt will have to rely on a very young group of Golden Eagles . Sophomore Kannon Ring comes off a solid freshman year . Ring is a catcher , infielder , and pitcher and will hit in the middle of the lineup . Another talented sophomore , Cannon Driskill , returns at shortstop for GCT . Driskill is an upper level defender and hitter that has a high on base percentage . Junior Hayden Jackson is a solid defender both behind the plate and in the outfield will contribute this season for Tech . Sophomore Brodie Ryan is projected to be at the top of the pitching rotation . Ryan throws the ball in the low 80s and has good command mixing up three pitches . Fellow sophomore Tucker Beasley is expected to provide depth to the pitching staff and play in the infield , while classmate Keyton Watson will be counted on to get on base and score runs . While they are young , Coach Hunt believes his team can have a great season . “ We are a very young and inexperienced ball club . To be successful we will have to be great teammates and fight for each other ,” he exclaimed ! NEA Sports predicts that tradition will prevail and Greene County Tech will battle in the brutal 5A East for a state tournament spot .
The Greene County Tech Lady Eagles have made it to the state championship game each of the last two seasons where they fell both times to nationally ranked Benton . With a lineup full of returning starters , Coach David Reynold ’ s girls are primed to make it back to the finals and raise that trophy this time . A trio of all-state performers headline a list of returnees for GCT led by Arkansas signee Ava Carter . The senior outfielder is a fivetool athlete that will leadoff and play centerfield . Carter can hit for power , has elite level speed and a great arm . Zoie Reynolds also earned All-State honors at third and shortstop last season . Reynolds is a slapper at the plate with great hands and a great defender . Marley Speer earned all-state by leading the team with 11 home runs last year and holding down first base . Carter and Reynolds use their speed and bats to get on base , and Speer drives them home with her power . Weslyn Burnside earned All-conference honors in the outfield , but will see her role expand in the circle for the Lady Eagles . Burnside has good velocity at 56-58 mph with good spin on her secondary pitches which produces a lot of ground balls . All- Conference catcher Jenalee Toombs will be the battery mate for Burnside . Toombs is a leader that handles the pitching staff perfectly . Emmy Thomason is an all-conference player that played infield , outfield , and even caught on occasion . Thomason will hit in the middle of the lineup for Greene County . Sophia Gonzalez has great speed in the outfield and on the base paths . The allconference selection has also increased her power from her freshman year . Chadastyn Hambrick started some last season as a freshman and provides speed and athleticism in the lineup . Camdyn Gardner also saw time as a freshman and could see that role expand this season . Some new faces could provide a spark in the lineup or on the field for the Lady Eagles . Calleigh Newberry moved in and will provide some depth at pitcher . Newberry has a four pitch mix and provides power at the plate . Isasbelle Matthews , Lexis Covington , Jordan Nailing , and Allie Smith are all freshmen looking to contribute . Matthews is a pitcher that throws 61-63 mph , and Covington can spin it with some power in the circle as well . Nailing is a catcher with a strong arm and a strong bat , while Smith ’ s athleticism allows her to play anywhere on the field . Coach Reynolds loves his team ’ s depth . He feels it allows them to not have to rely on two or three players every game . Coach believes the keys for a successful season are to stay healthy , make routine plays , and pitch consistently . If Greene County Tech can do that , NEA Sports predicts they will once again be at the top of the tough 5A East conference and be one of the favorites in the state .
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