Exeter baseball seeking 5th straight in Ozark 7, back-to-back district championship
BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
Midway through the 2025 season, the Exeter baseball team is honing in on an attempted repeat of history.
Last year, the Tigers (7-4) won their fourth consecutive conference title and secured the program’s first-ever district championship, defeating top-seeded Billings, 4-3. Matthew Tripp, Exeter baseball coach, said it was a great moment to finally hoist the hardware, and Exeter is hungry for more this season after falling to Lockwood in section play, 3-2.
Losing three seniors in Zach Lee (Ozark 7 Player of the Year in 2024), Morgan Zinn and Kronikel Lokot, five returning starters have been leading the squad this season in Kason Nelson, Kason Crowe, Cason Antle, Ed Lokot and Jax Brock.
“[Nelson] is easily one of the top catchers in our area at any level,” Tripp said. “He’s a former Conference Player of the Year. His bat took a dip last spring, but it showed a massive improvement this last fall. He has speed, defense offense, and an understanding of the game that will make him highly successful this season and at the next level.
“Crowe has proven to be a valuable outfielder for us. His bat took a bit of a dip in the fall and he will be looking to work himself back towards the top of the lineup with a return of his hitting from last spring. We are expecting big things from Kason this season.”
Nelson said he thinks the Tigers have a strong shot at postseason success.
“We have a strong chance to go back-to-back as district champs and 5 in a row for conference,” he said. “We are mostly a young team but with good ball players.”
Antle, his coach said, is the top pitcher on the squad, allowing the team to compete with anyone when on the mound.
“His bat took a dip last spring, but this fall he saw a return to form as the teams leading hitter,” Tripp said. “His baseball IQ rounds him out as one of the premier players anywhere in the area.”
Tripp said Lokot improved his batting average by over 50 points this last fall and played well at third base throughout the campaign.
“His athletic ability lets me know there is still a lot of room for improvement, and he’s willing to work to get there,” he said.
Brock, Tripp said, improved his hitting in the fall, as well, and he hopes that continues that pace this season.
Other lettermen returning included Cameron Brattin, Coy Aldridge and Noah Beck.
“Cameron is one of our solid starters on the mound,” Tripp said. “He played a phenomenal first base in the fall. He fills an infield position and helps in the heart of the rotation. He is working on his hitting, which will move him to that next level as a complete player. Coy is an excellent outfielder with tons of athletic ability, and Noah’s work ethic and potential have him always on the edge of cracking that starting lineup.”
Newcomers to the team this season included Brexton Bowman, Noah Jordan, Aiden Mena, Mason Lee and Briley Hargus.
Exeter has been on the winning end more often than not this season, in the midst of it best winning streak of three in a row over Galena, Wheaton and Blue Eye.
The Tigers are in Class 1, District 5, keeping pace with Billings and Lockwood so far this season in wins, with McAuley Catholic, Wheaton and Verona filling out the bottom half of the standings.
Tripp said conference and district competition will be a bit more difficult this season overall.
“Conference will be especially difficult because New Heights (formerly College Heights) is looking very good,” he said. “Wheaton we knew would be tough, and it was ugly, but we made it through that one. We end this week with New Heights, and that is the one that matters because it’s the last one for conference.”
Exeter fell to New Heights, 4-0, in its home tournament in March, and defeated Wheaton on Thursday, 9-8, after coming back from a 7-0 deficit in the fifth inning. The Tigers also defeated Lockwood, 4-2, on the road on April 8 in extra innings, but Tripp said the team was not at full strength.
“Their best player was not there, and I know we can beat them again, but it will be even tougher,” he said. “Billings is on a tear, too. We beat them handily in the fall, which is rare, and they look significantly improved this spring.”
Tripp said offensively, his Tigers haves been a bit surprising, outhitting their expectations as a team.
“This team is hitting better right now than any team I have had here,” Tripp said. “We’ve been focused on that a lot, and when you focus on something, you should see results. Most everyone is overachieving or on target, but there are a few that still have room for improvement.”
Tripp said the Tigers, mostly due to school size, generally have one or two players that are needed in starting positions but may struggle at the plate.
“We don’t really have that this year — everyone is contributing,” he said. “We still need another pitcher to step up as the No. 2.”
Exeter hosted Clever on Monday and traveled to McAuley Catholic on Tuesday. The Tigers next play on the road at Fordland on Thursday, then travel to New Heights for the final Ozark 7 bout on Friday. The regular season wraps up on May 13 at home against Hurley.
