The Marmaduke Greyhounds will field a young but experienced group for the 2025 season. Coach Declan Wallace will have no seniors, but several underclassman that started last year. Isaac Henley and Colton McDougle return as the top two pitchers for Marmaduke. Hensley will play shortstop when not on the mound, while McDougle will sure up the right side of the infield with him at third base. Blain White and Casen Hendrix return to the infield as well, while Eli Presson could play some infield and outfield. Ryder Curtis and Bricen Meredith return to roam the outfield with Presson. A couple new faces could help the Hounds this season. Will Tuberville can add to the Greyhound pitching rotation and play in the infield, while Kelbe Dowler will spend time behind the plate and add to the bullpen as well. Coach McDougle wants his guys to“ continue to work hard and play the game the right way.” He feels if they do this, they can continue to improve and compete in the 2A-3 conference. Look for the Marmaduke Greyhounds to continue to improve and be ready to surprise people come district tournament time.
The Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds will rely on youth in the 2025 season with only one senior for Coach Rick Smith’ s team. Ava Anthony is the lone senior and will return to patrol centerfield. Abby Brady is back in the circle to pitch for the Lady Greyhounds. Kynzie Harrelson returns to second base and brings a left handed bat to the lineup, along with fellow lefty River Humphries who will be in the outfield. Kyleigh Kepner will be back behind the plate and could play some outfield with April Michael who also returns. Cami Burnett will be at shortstop, but Cali Burnett will miss the season due to a knee injury. Jill Lopez will likely be at third base again, while Carly Loar will see more playing time this season. Coach Smith knows his team is young, but likes who they are.“ As a team, we are gonna be really inexperienced,” he said.“ They are great kids, and they work hard.” The 2A-3 is really good at the top, and the Marmaduke Lady Greyhounds are hoping to gain experience and improve as the season moves along in hopes of being ready when the district tournament rolls around in May.
The Sloan-Hendrix Greyhounds finished 10-10 last season, and are hoping that a core group of returners can help the team get over the hump and above. 500 this season. Coach Ben Brightwell knows what it will take to accomplish that.“ We’ ve got to throw strikes and back our pitchers up defensively,” he said.“ Offensively, we’ ve got to put the ball in play and limit strikeouts.” Wilson Dean, Braxton Wall, Logan Hill, Corey Sullens, Stetson Wall, Taylor Murphy are all returning starters and should fill the top to middle of the lineup and be a tough out. Dean, Hill, Sullens, and Braxton and Stetson Wall will return to the mound as well to complete the Greyhound rotation. Bryce Echeverria, Malachi Johnson, Justin Lewis, Kyler Matthews, Landon Reel are all guys working hard to earn some playing time. They are hoping to make an impact as new faces in the lineup. The 2A-2 looks to be a strong baseball conference, and the Sloan-Hendrix Greyhounds should be right in the mix for a regional berth come May.
Coach Mitchell Wilson and the Sloan-Hendrix Lady Greyhounds are looking for improvement in 2025. They will rely on a core group of returning players and a long list of newcomers to turn things around.“ Pitching is a strength as Lauren Jones enters her senior year,” Coach Wilson said.“ She has been a next level talent. Our defense is much improved and should be our strength this season. Hitting has made strides and could be an area of strength, and there is solid depth overall.” All-conference pitcher Lauren Jones returns after hitting. 450 last season and leading the Lady Greyhounds in the circle. She signed to play with Crowley’ s Ridge College and has good velocity on the mound and great power at the plate. Fellow captains Brianna Cox and Kayla Matheny return as well. Cox shows her speed and athleticism at shortstop and centerfield, while Matheny provides power at the corner infield spots. Kersee Brewer, Allison French, and Amia Ordway will patrol the outfield, while Kaci Nichols will be at second base. Rylee Bennett will handle a lot of the catching duties and shows good power at the plate. Rylee Brown, Brylee Thielemier, Bailey Break, Alyssa Craig, Hope Broadway, Brylee Nash, Kaylee Jines, and Brooklyn Lester are hoping to make contributions in the infield and behind the plate. Nash, Raelynn Garza, Gracie Maple, Peyton Hamilton, Abbie Hester, and Mikenlee Ward could make an impact in the outfield. Look for the Sloan-Hendrix Lady Greyhounds to show much improvement and compete in the 2A-2 for a shot at one of the final regional spots.
Chad Soden is at the helm of a Tuckerman Lady Bulldogs team that finished 19-11 last season earning a trip to the regional tournament. The Lady Bulldogs move conference and classifications into the 2A-2, and Coach Soden looks to take a young but talented group even further in the postseason.“ Youth will be an area of concern at the high school level,” Coach Soden said.“ We have a lot of returning starters who are just 10th graders and three or four 9th graders who will see significant time on the field. We should have very good team speed and defense. Pitching depth has improved from last year but they are unproven at the high school level.” Sophomore Maegan Richardson went 11-4 last season with a 3.76 ERA and 114 strikeouts. Richardson touches the low 60s with her fastball and will be in the circle most games. The pitcher helped her team at the plate as well hitting. 402 with 20 RBIs last season. Centerfielder Josie Branch hit. 411 with 28 RBIs in the leadoff spot and will look to spark the Tuckerman offense once again. Classmate Ally Sampson hit. 337 while playing second base, while McKinzie Hutchison hit. 296 with 32 RBIs while catching and playing first base. Senior transfer Gracee McGuire can also catch or play third. McGuire hit. 406 with four homeruns and 16 RBIs last season. Junior Emily Barnett will be back in the outfield after hitting. 298 last season. Sophomore Courtney Clark could also be in the outfield or a designated hitter. A group of freshmen could make a big impact on the Tuckerman lineup this season. Catcher and third baseman Bristen Wheeler has a lot of pop in her bat, while pitcher Emma Davis could help out in the circle this year. Classmate Maddyx Soden is a good defensive player at shortstop and could also pitch some, and Zaylie Poe showcases good speed in the outfield. The Tuckerman Lady Bulldogs will be young but very talented and early season experience could translate into a tough out in the postseason. NEA Sports predicts the Tuckerman Lady Bulldogs will be in the mix in the 2A-2 and have a chance to make a run in the postseason.