Arkansas high school baseball notebook: Aces put Maumelle in contention
By Kevin Bohannon
Maumelle head coach Chris Foor has coached talented players in his career that have featured stops at Sylvan Hills as an assistant and Lonoke as a head coach. Tag Andrews and Peyton Lee could the best of the best before their career is over at Maumelle. The dynamic duo has combined for over 150 strikeouts this season, and they have a chance to win a conference championship next week. Both pitchers get ahead of batters at an 80 percent clip which is considered excellent in high school baseball. Foor says Andrews is the “undisputed leader of the team on the field, off the field and gives motivational talks.” Going into this week, Lee had an earned run average of 0.74 and Andrews was at 0.96.
Maumelle has depth and experience in the middle of the field with senior catcher Hank Gillispie and sophomore shortstop/pitcher Blaize Ward. Gillispie is a four-year starter and is the leadoff hitter for the Hornets. Foor says Gillispie is an “extension of the coaches” on the field, and he has only had three at-bats to begin a game this season where he hasn’t gotten on base. Ward has become the third option on the mound for Maumelle but runs the defense at shortstop. He also leads the Hornets in runs batted in and the coaching staff has high confidence he will drive in runners if they are on base. The Hornets have played one of the toughest nonconference schedules with the anticipation that nothing will surprise the team in the postseason because they have seen the best players in the state.
“Do the simple things and don’t try to overplay and do too much,” Foor said on what it will take to make a deep state tournament run.
BENTON
The Benton Panthers were optimistic coming into this season. A slow start did not discourage coach Mark Balisterri’s squad thanks to senior pitcher Jake Jones. “He’s just a bulldog on the mound. He carries a linebacker mentality from the football field to the mound,” Ballisterri said. “Jones has signed with UCA but wants to win a state title before pitching for the Bears next season. He has 64 strikeouts this year with an earned run average 1.29 on the season. His best outing of the season came against Hot Springs Lakeside when he tossed a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Balisterri knew pitching and defense would be the strength of this team with a younger lineup. With Jones on the mound, they have a chance to beat anyone.
4A
MORRILTON
Devil Dogs head coach Matt Long won a state championship at Russellville in 2014. Mark Moyer led that championship team on the mound as a junior and eventually had a standout career at UCA. Long has another pitcher that has had an outstanding season with the Devil Dogs looking to make a run in the postseason. Sophomore Caden Meeler has only allowed three earned runs in 37.2 innings pitched this season. Meeler is 6-0 with 78 strikeouts this season that includes a no-hitter. Junior Luke Carner has been just as good on the mound with an earned run average of 0.41 through 34.1 innings. Carner has also done damage at the plate, leading the team with 26 hits. Junior Duncan Blakely leads the team in batting average at .414. Long says his team is playing well, “We could do well, but young enough to be done early,” Long said.
FAMRINGTON
The Cardinals lost a lot of production and experience from last year’s team but head coach Jay Harper has his team rounding into form at the right time. Farmington won the 4A-1 regular season championship with their only loss coming to Prairie Grove on April 4th. At that point, four teams were tied atop the standings with 3-1 records. The Cardinals buckled down and clinched the championship with a come from behind 4-3 win over Huntsville on April 18th. Senior outfielder Lawson DeVault has had an outstanding season according to Harper. “Great kid, three-year starter, and deserves the recognition.” Harper stated. The Cardinals can make their third straight trip to the 4A state tournament with a win in next week’s regional tournament. With the way they are playing now, other teams better be prepared for a battle.
3A
CAMDEN HARMONY GROVE
2023 has been a redemption tour for head coach Blake Williams and the Hornets. After winning the 3A-8 conference last season, they lost in the first round of the regional tournament, falling short of the state tournament. The Hornets have won back-to-back conference championships and have an eye on the ultimate prize. Mason Morgan is 9-1 on the mound with a 1.16 earned run average. He had 14 strikeouts in his lone loss this season against Maumelle. Braden Brown is 6-1 on the year with a 2.58 earned run average and 46 strikeouts. Brown is also leading the team in hitting with a .443 average and 12 doubles. Senior shortstop/catcher Caleb Johnson is hitting .432 with 4 homeruns and 30 runs batted in. Harmony Grove is currently ranked No. 3 in our Super 7 rankings.
1A
WEST SIDE GREERS FERRY
The Eagles dropped their first conference game this season 3-2 to Norfork. They have saved their best for last which is a goal every season for coach Shane Davis. Last week they defeated Viola 10-1 and Norfork 10-2 to force a three-way tie for first place in the 1A-2 conference. This is a younger team with only three seniors: Dax Hipp, Zach Birmingham and Carson Stark. The seniors ended their regular season with 23 straight wins at home dating back to April 2021. They are playing as well as anyone in 1A right now, so an early postseason exit does not seem likely.
