Upstart Aces look to defend tourney titles

Mar. 16—The Owensboro Catholic baseball team didn't mess around last spring under first-year head coach Jody Hamilton, a Hall of Famer who directed the senior-laden Aces to 30 victories in 35 games — picking up 9th District and 3rd Region tournament championships along the way.

Now, following the graduation of nine players, Hamilton and a less-experienced contingent of Aces will be hoping to repeat their success.

"Obviously, I think we're going to be a talented team," Hamilton said. "We're just so inexperienced right now. But our tough schedule will add to the development of our team over the course of the season.

"We lost 80% of our production from last season's team, which was special in a variety of ways. Now, we need our returning players to step up for us in a big way."

Catholic's infield prospects include junior Ben Hyland and senior Jamison Wall at first base, junior Houston Flynn at second, sophomore Parker Heistand (.305 in 2022) at shortstop, with senior Grant Parson and freshman Barrett Evans at third.

The catcher position is a bit unsettled. Junior Deuce Sims will start at the outset, with sophomore Brady Atwell (.315) recovering from injury and sophomore Chris Burns recovering from illness and injury. Freshman Mason Moser is also in the mix.

The outfield will be manned by junior Eli Blair, Moser, Sims (when not catching) and seventh-grader Jaxson White. Wall also will see action in the outfield.

Parson (6-1, 1.83 ERA) heads a pitching staff that also includes Hyland, Wall, freshman Nick Sims, senior Tommy Eyre, Evans, eighth-grader Lane Hundley, White, sophomore Luke Quinn and eighth-grader Dremail Carothers.

"We've got to find our own identity this season," Hamilton said. "We've got guys who can hit the ball out of the park, and we've got guys who can run. Each team has its own personality, and we'll discover ours as the season progresses.

"The 9th District is tough, and we have to be ready to play every day."

APOLLO

A familiar face returns to the Eagles' nest in the form of veteran coach Brandon Dennis, who takes over for Mason Head — now an assistant principal — as Apollo's coach.

Dennis, head coach for 11 seasons at Daviess County through 2019, played for Hall of Fame coach Bob Mantooth at Apollo, graduating in 1997.

"There was only one job in the world that I would have come back for, and this is it," Dennis said. "It's an honor to lead this program.

"Our goal will be to get to the point where we expect to win every time we walk on that field. I want our guys to fully understand what a privilege it is to play baseball with 'Apollo' written across the front of their jersey."

The cupboard is not bare at Apollo, which finished 20-14 last season.

The infield will feature junior Easton Blandford at first base, junior Brock Burger at shortstop, with junior Will Strode and Sam Holder set to see action at shortstop, and the trio of senior Cayden Crabtree, along with sophomores Grayson Smith and Garrett Lanham, battling for time at second base. Senior Aiden Wells and junior Michael Chaney will divide time behind the plate.

Junior Noah Cook will play left field, senior Josh Mayes, the team's top returning hitter (.358), will patrol center field, with senior Charles Schneider and eighth-grader Ty Lillpop sharing time in right field.

Right-handers Cook (3-2, 3.00 ERA) and Strode (2-2, 2.10 ERA) lead a pitching staff that also includes senior Braxton Franey, sophomore Carter Kimmel, Smith and the 6-foot-5 Schneider, a lefty who could hold down the closer role.

"I like our pitching, we have capable sticks, and this could turn out to be a very good defensive team," Dennis said. "One of the keys for us will be our overall team depth, which is exceptional.

"The expectations for Apollo baseball will remain high, as always, and we will embrace those expectations to become the best team we can possibly be."

DAVIESS COUNTY

The Panthers enjoyed a fine season in 2022, but a 10-run loss to arch-rival Apollo in the first round of the 9th District Tournament wasn't the ending the Panthers had in mind.

Now, DC hopes to take the next step and become a contender for district and 3rd Region championships.

"Last year, I thought we continued to grow at the plate and on the mound," Panthers coach Austin Clay said. "We had a lot of juniors, and I anticipate us being stronger this season.

"Pitching is going to be key for us. We've emphasized pounding the strike zone with authority and consistency, and if we do that this spring it can carry us a long way."

Daviess County's infield will be anchored by senior catcher Cason Troutman, one of the top backstops in western Kentucky. Last season, Troutman batted .442 with 25 stolen bases and 43 runs scored.

Others in the infield include senior first baseman Jackson Loucks and junior shortstop Lake Wilson. Junior Carter Nichols and Brody Brubaker will see action at second, with senior Layton Huskisson and sophomore Noah Ranburger sharing duties at the hot corner.

DC's outfield features stellar senior Decker Renfrow in center. Last year, Renfrow batted a team-best .449 and stole 12 bases. Others expected to see duty in the outfield include senior Ethan Ahart, senior Xander Brubaker, junior Toby Morris and sophomore Lucas Ward.

"Decker is such a good athlete," Clay said of Renfrow. "He has the total package."

Troutman and Wilson, a pair of right-handers, line up as DC's top two starters on the mound. Left-handers Loucks and Ahart will log plenty of innings, as will Huskisson.

"I like our roster, and we have the talent to become contenders in a very tough district," Clay said. "We have a pretty good mix of speed and power on offense. We should be solid defensively. But it's going to come down to our pitching. If we throw it well, we'll be right there."

OWENSBORO

Two seasons ago, the Red Devils won six games. Last year, they won 13. This year? Second-year coach Jake Fiorella wants to continue the improvement.

"Last year was an experience of coming together with the team and figuring each other out," Fiorella said. "We had a solid group of young players who were receptive to change, and we maximized what we had.

"These guys are eager and willing to learn. As long as we maintain that mindset as a team, we're going to continue to make progress and get closer to being the team we want to become."

The Red Devils feature one of the area's great young talents in freshman catcher Eli Hampton, who last season as an eighth-grader batted .460 with six home runs and 12 doubles. Eighth-grader Gunnar Hendricks is the backup.

"He was All-Region as an eighth-grader," Fiorella said of Hampton. "So, he's obviously a very special talent."

Others expected to start on the infield include sophomore first baseman Brady Benjamin, lone senior Connor Hallmark (.373) at second base, freshman Evan Hampton at shortstop, with sophomores Will Rickard and Trevor DeLacey battling it out at third base.

The outfield will be spearheaded by sophomore center fielder Cayden Ray (.326) and will include at various times sophomore Will Hume, Delacey, sophomore Blake Kimbrell and eighth-grader Ty Ashley.

On the mound, the Devils will go with Ray, Hallmark, Delacey, junior Kaleb Ashley, Rickard and Benjamin.

"Our team is maturing, and a big next step would be to win a district game," Fiorella said. "We're 0-6 (regular season) the past two seasons, and we need to get over the hump in that regard.

"We need to continue to improve in the area of dealing with adversity. If we make a mistake, we just need to move on and make sure we make the next play."