Chaffee BB is rolling right through adversity

You wouldn’t know that the Chaffee High School baseball squad is currently facing any degree of adversity when you glance at the Class 2 No. 3-ranked Red Devils’ record (12-1) or their recent outings (scoring a combined 41 runs in the last three games). However, Chaffee coach Aaron Horrell is having to manage his chess pieces, perhaps more than he’d like this spring, due to injuries.

“Our preseason message was,” Horrell said recently, we have only graduated two kids last year, but I told them that this is not the same team that went to the (2023 MSHSAA Class 2 Final Four).

“Every year, kids progress, regress, and things are different.”

Heck, “things are different” for Chaffee than they were last week.

To start the 2024 season, Horrell lost his starting shortstop, junior Easton Fowler, to a back injury, and his return is unknown.

“Easton is currently in therapy,” Horrell said. “We’re taking the mindset that he’s not coming back, just because we want to be prepared for the worst outcome.”

How big of a loss is Fowler?

In the Class 2 state semifinal loss to Salisbury last year, he had four walks, scored a run, and drove in a run while having a couple of assists defensively.

“Optimistically,” Horrell continued, “we would love to have him. He would put a big boost in our lineup.”

Even with his injury to Easton, a Fowler is still managing to contribute to the success of the Red Devils.

His replacement in the field has been his younger brother, freshman Nolan Fowler.

“Nolan has really handled himself well,” Horrell said. “He’ll make plays and really tries to go get the ball. We’ve got a lot of veterans around him to keep him upbeat if he does make a mistake.”

One of those “veterans” is Nolan’s brother.

“When we got the news about Eastern,” Horrell explained, “he and I had a talk, “I told him that this isn’t what he wanted, or anybody wanted, but Nolan is an option, so you’ve got to be an extension of the coaching staff.”

During the three weeks of preseason, Horrell said “Easton literally hung out right behind shortstop and worked with our middle infielders.

“I know that it sucks for him, but he has been great.”

Fowler isn’t the only Chaffee player to battle adversity this spring.

In a recent rout of Bell City, all-around senior Peyton Vaughn fell during an at-bat with an apparent hip injury and did not play in later wins over Caruthersville or Advance last week.

“We’re really hoping that we get good news on that,” Horrell said at the time. “I’m heartbroken right now.”

Vaughn has played both corner infield spots this season, as well as pitched.

“Peyton is one of our better pitchers,” Horrell said. “We’re dealing with injuries, but it is a team sport. This is why you’ve got to have kids step up and fill in different roles.

“You just do this by committee, as a team.”

The Red Devils will host St. Vincent (2-6) today at 4:30 p.m. before hosting Dexter (3-4) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and visiting Saxony Lutheran (6-3) on Friday at 4:30 p.m.