BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
With most of its experience in younger players and newcomers as upperclassmen, the Wheaton baseball team has bested its 2024 win total midway through this season, but the Bulldogs are still learning how to win.
Nathan Jones, Wheaton baseball coach, said the team has been outperforming expectations so far and headed in the right direction.
“I feel we’re taking steps in the right direction to be a more competitive team,” he said. “We’ve played some games that last year probably would have been blowouts, but this year, we’re giving ourselves chances to win.”
The Bulldogs’ wins came by large margins, 19-1 over Greenfield, 19-4 over Northeast Vernon County and 10-0 over Southwest. A couple close losses, Jones said, the team would like to have back.
“On Thursday we had a 7-0 lead on Exeter in the fifth and couldn’t hold on, and to compete with a team like that, [formerly state-ranked in Class 1] is encouraging,” he said. “We were also beating McAuley Catholic 5-1 and couldn’t finish that one. We are still young, and we’re still earning how to win.”
The Bulldogs have one of the most even set of scoring stats, putting up 69 runs and allowing 70 so far this season. In Class 1, District 6, only Billings and Exeter have a positive run ratio.
“The whole team this year has surprised me a little bit,” Jones said. “We have seven players now hitting above .300, and we have seven with an on-base average of .400, with two of those over .500. The whole team is getting collectively better, from top to bottom, and I hope we can continue to perform that way.”
Jones said looking at the district standings, he expects Exeter to take the top seed. Billings and Lockwood look to round out the top half of the six-team district that also included McAuley and Verona.
“We will probably be a lower seed because w’eve let two district games go against Exeter and McAuley,” Jones said. “But, we will be the kind of team others will not want to see in districts, no matter our record. I like our chances against anyone in the district, and how we played against Exeter last week shows that. Whoever draws us will have a tough game.”
Wheaton next travels to Purdy next Monday. The final regular-season contest is on May 13, at home against Sarcoxie.
