The Carthage baseball program had some growing pains a year ago in coach Luke Bordewick’s first season at the helm.
Now, with a year of growth under their elastic belts coupled with nearly the entire roster returning for the 2022 season, the Tigers are poised for a leap in production.
“Last year, everyone was kind of in the same boat as not really having any varsity experience,” Bordewick said. “I think it showed last year, and while our record wasn’t where we wanted it to be, we had a very competitive year. We lost four or five games in a walk-off and had several one-run losses where we couldn’t close out games. … This year, we are returning a ton of varsity experience. We are looking to take that next step, continuing what we did and building off last year and using that experience for better. We are ready to take a step forward.”
The biggest strength for the Tigers this year is simple—experience. Carthage returns nine starters and boasts a roster with 10 seniors.
“These guys know the expectations of what we are doing,” Bordewick said about the impact of the experience that he has noticed already this season. “We hit the ground running the first day of practice and were done an hour sooner this year than last year. … That is really helping us getting in, getting out and getting some work in without wasting much practice time.”
WELCOME BACK
Highlighting the list of returners after a solid junior campaign is senior all-conference first baseman and pitcher Kanen Vogt, who was second-team all conference and a first-team all-district selection as a pitcher and infielder. He is joined by fellow seniors P Kaden Arr, a first-team all-district selection on the mound, SS Caden Kabance, OF Sylas Browning, OF Nate Norbury, IF Parker Copeland, OF/P Braxdon Tate, OF/P Logan Carmickle and P Zach Geter.
Also returning for the Tigers with plenty of varsity experience is junior C Clay Kinder, who figures to be the main backstop this season. Also expected to see action on the diamond this season is junior IF Drew Musche.
PITCHING & DEFENSE
Four of the five rotation spots are being filled by Arr, Vogt, Geter and Copeland, with the fifth spot up for grabs. Coach Bordewick also expects his defense behind his rotation to be a strength as well.
“I think we are going to have a really good rotation,” Bordewick said. “We have a lot of guys who we can throw out there to get us four or five innings at minimum. They all have quality pitches, offspeed and the fastball, and have above-average command of those pitches.
“With that varsity experience returning, I also think we are going to have a better defensive team than last year. The kids know what it takes to field a ground ball or track a ball down in the gap at the varsity level.”
LINEUP CARD
Though nothing is set in stone, Kabance and Norbury figure to set the table at the top of the order, with Vogt, Carmickle, Browning, who could also see time near the top of the order, Copeland and Kinder to produce runs in the middle of the order. Musche and Tate are expected to turn the lineup back over.
“Offensively, we just need to see some live pitching in order to get comfortable in the box,” Bordewick said. “We just need those reps. The jamboree can’t come soon enough for us because that will be the first time our guys will see live arms other than their teammates.”
ON DECK
Carthage gets things started with a jamboree at Joplin on March 15 before kicking off its 2022 schedule made up of 30 games with a road matchup against Kennett at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Glendale at 3:30 at Glendale High School.
