Bearcats eager to open baseball season

DEXTER — A new skipper is bringing a whole new energy to the Dexter Bearcats baseball team as the team hits the ground running this spring.

After spending the previous 10 years as the baseball coach for Poplar Bluff, new Dexter coach Steven Edwards’ excitement for the upcoming season is at an all-time high.

“As the coaches, we’re excited about this season,” Edwards said. “We are pretty young, but the boys have really put in the work going hard in the offseason and during practice. I believe they’re ready to go.”

The Bearcats kick off their season on the road when they travel to Malden to take on the Green Wave Saturday at 11 a.m.

Edwards said he’s excited about his team’s focus at practice and applause them for sticking around to get extra reps. Going the extra mile by doing a few extra things after practice shows Edwards that the team is excited and they want to be a part of the journey.

The Bearcats will have only six seniors returning with Cole Gibson, Logan Jelinek, Kaeden Kennedy, Cole Nichols and Brock Wyman. Though Edwards is stepping into a new journey with an unfamiliar roster, he assures that no team should take them lightly.

“I think a lot of people might be sleeping on Dexter a little bit this year and maybe I’m being biased, but I think Dexter has a lot to give this year,” Edwards said.

Similar to Edwards adopting a new team, the Bearcats have had to adjust to having a new coach. According to sophomore Nolan Alford, the process has been going smoothly, and he’s eager to start playing.

“I feel like we’ve been getting better every day,” Alford said. “Coach Edwards has done a pretty good job. He’s made being a part of the team really fun, and I’m ready to get out there. Even though we have a new coach, our expectations should be to win.”

Edwards understands that every team wants to be in the Final Four and have a chance to play for a state title, but his goal is to win every pitch, win every game and get better.

“Every game is a journey,” Edwards said. “It doesn’t matter how we start, it’s where we finish, and we’re going to work hard to put everything together for us to come out on top. We have our pitching rotation and everything the way we want it. And I believe if we play ball right, throw strikes and play fundamental baseball, we will be there in the end.”