Cooter, area baseball teams take field for fall

The Cooter High School baseball team is synonymous with the word success.

Last year was another feather in the cap for the Wildcats, which finished as a

Class 1 state tournament representative and third-place finish.

Seasons change. And teams do, too, as Cooter turns its attention to fall baseball.

“I think fall baseball is important,” Cooter head coach David Mathis said. “It gives younger guys at-bats.”

Mathis said freshmen also become accustomed to a routine and how practices are conducted. There are two freshmen in Hunter Sams and Joe Snyder.

“It’s all about getting a certain amount of reps (repetitions),” Mathis added.

Cooter is scheduled to open up the fall season at the U.S. Ballpark Showcase, which will take place at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark on Friday and Saturday, Aug.

25-26.

The Wildcats will square off with the defending Class 3 champions Licking as well as Class 3 Purdy and Southwest (Washburn). Game times may be adjusted due to possible extreme heat.

Cooter will rely on two senior leaders this year in outfielder Tyson Banks and utility player/pitcher Talan King. There are 11 players out, it’s a matter of quality over quantity.

Tuesday’s jamboree was cancelled due to excessive heat concerns.

There are several other compelling storylines this year, including the formation of a coop agreement between Hayti and Delta C-7 (Deering) and the return of Gary Dubar as head coach at Holcomb.

“In the fall, you figure out who’s going to play and who’s going to stick it

out,” Dubar said. “It’s a short season, it lasts like a month and a half.”

Dubar said it gives his Hornet players something to do, especially since Holcomb doesn’t field a football team. Several Bootheel schools offer fall baseball in its place.

Holcomb was set to open the season versus Bernie on Friday. Athletic director Matt Casper said the game will take place as scheduled at 7 p.m. in Bernie.

The Hornets feature Trey Moody and Matthew Fisher as senior leaders. Moody, however, will not play in the fall due to an unspecified injury. The Hornets also feature six freshmen.

Holcomb will participate in one of the most anticipated events of the fall: The Bernie Wood Bat Classic on Sept. 8-9.

The season will wrap up with a pair of tournaments for most of the teams in the

Delta Dunklin Democrat coverage area.

Quinton Stevens takes over as the head coach at Campbell; he was the junior high school head coach a season ago.

“We’re working as hard as we can,” Stevens said. He called this group of Camels an engaging bunch, going so far as to call them the “hungriest team I’ve ever coached.”

Campbell will rely on four seniors to provide leadership.

Those players are right-handed pitcher/shortstop and college prospect Samuel Bunting, third baseman/right-handed pitcher Jared Jennings, outfielder Logan Townsend and Landen Wilson, who will play baseball for the first time since he was in middle school.

The home opener is set for Aug. 29 versus Gideon, and the Camels will follow that with a game one day later versus Holcomb.

This Friday's game at Advance has been moved to Sept. 22, per the Campbell athletic department.

Senath-Hornersville will participate in the East Carter Classic at Ellsinore this weekend. The Lions are scheduled to face the always sound West County and Greenville.

“It’s a great opportunity to play teams we’re not normally accustomed to seeing,” said Senath-Hornersville skipper Chris McClain, entering his 17th year in coaching.

Christian Garza is a slick-fielding shortstop who is a college prospect should he pursue playing at the university level.

Other key Lions seniors are Madox Belcher (third baseman, right-handed pitcher),

Jesus Mendoza (catcher/right-handed pitcher) and Amador Luna (first baseman). Mendoza has been a three-year starter and Luna two, McClain reported.

Three seniors are ready for their last tour of duty with Risco in outfielder/pitcher C.J. Blankenship, utility player Aaron Denson and all-around player Memphis Hickerson.

Risco head coach Brandon Blankenship said the junior class is talented and will carry the fortunes of the squad in 2023-24.

“I think it’s been pretty good for us to have fall baseball,” the coach said. “We don’t have football. The kids that play basketball and baseball are the same group of kids.”

The Tigers play a varied schedule, which will include the Century Classic in Ullin, Ill., on Sept. 16 and the Cobden Round Robin on Sept. 23. Risco has won the Century Classic in each of the past two seasons.

The Senath-Hornersville/Risco baseball game scheduled for Friday has moved to Senath, with a start time of 6 p.m. The game was moved due to lighting issues at Risco's field.

Tri-County Tournament

The Tri-County Conference tournament is set to begin on Sept. 25, and there will be a second tournament at Bernie to wrap up the campaign.