The Exeter baseball team is entering this season with high expectations having lost only two players, and the Tigers are taking aim at a fourth straight Ozark 7 title and a deeper run in districts.
Matt Tripp, Exeter baseball coach, said the young Tigers squad struggled to reach potential last season, but the outlook this year is on the up.
“[Last year], We regularly performed well but lost numerous games we had opportunities to win,” Tripp said. “We would hold great opponents deep into games but just were not able to put them away. The experience was growing though and that will come through this spring. We saw the fruits of those experiences beginning in the fall, and this spring, we will continue that process.
“We brought a conference championship home for the third year in a row. We fell to McAuley Catholic 1-5 in the semi-finals of districts and that left a bad taste in our mouths. I’m praying we all remember that bitter taste as the spring kicks off.”
Gone from the team is Levi Gautney, a Second Team All-Conference and All-District selection, as well as Joseph Hatfield, who moved to another district.
Returning to the Tigers are eight full-time starters led by three seniors. Junior Kason Nelson is a First Team All-District honoree and Conference player of the year in 2023. He led the returning Tigers with a .461 average and 35 hits on the season, adding 18 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
“Kason is one of the best catchers in the region,” Tripp said. “He has crazy speed, a quality bat, strong arm, high level work ethic and intelligence to round it out.”
Senior Zach Lee and junior Wyatt Lemons are also returning First Team winners. Lemons went 7-4 last season with a 1.729 ERA, adding 21 hits and 19 RBI. Lee was 2-1 with 3 saves on the mound, hitting .323 with 21 hits, 16 RBI and 19 stolen bases.
“Wyatt should be our ace and a solid hitter,” Tripp said. “Zach is a great middle infielder and quality pitcher. His pitching and hitting improved drastically this fall.”
“With our improvement throughout the years, I’m excited to see how our season unfolds,” Lee said.
Exeter’s two other seniors are Kronikel Lokot and Morgan Zinn. Lokot had 11 hits and 4 RBI last season, and Zinn contributed 5 hits with 5 RBI.
“Kronikel is a solid outfielder that came late to the game,” Tripp said. “His bat came alive last fall. Morgan stepped up at first base and greatly improved his bat with signs of quality there. He is always working and improving.”
“I’m excited to see everyone improve and our team win,” Lokot said.
“We have a lot of potential,” Zinn said. “With hard work and determination, a district championship is an attainable goal.”
Rounding out the returners is junior Kason Crowe, sophomore Cason Antle and sophomore Ed Lokot. The trio combined for 27 hits and 24 RBI last year.
“Kason is a solid outfielder and his bat exploded this last fall,” Tripp said. “Cason is a great infielder with a big stick and our best pitcher last fall. His bat came alive and pitching continued to improve in the fall.”
Antle was 4-4 on the mound last season with a 2.608 ERA.
Exeter has seven newcomers this season, including freshmen Coy Aldridge, Cameron Brattin, Mason Lee and Noah Beck, as well as three sophomores, Kelby Cross, Jax Brock and Logan Aldridge.
Tripp said with the quality wins the Tigers had in the fall, he hopes the team will pick up where they left off.
“With only one graduating and one moving out, we have some high expectations for this season,” he said. “McAuley will probably be our biggest competition in the conference, with College Heights right there also. We have a good chance of seeing McAuley in districts again, with Billings being the team to beat in the district.”
The Tigers kick off the season on March 15, facing Miller on the road. The home opener is on March 25 against Diamond.
