District 14 expands; Cape gets new coach

The area American Legion baseball scene will have something of a different look this summer.

District 14, which includes several local teams, has added two new squads to its senior league, including Scott County, which has had a junior team only for the past few years.

There is also a new face in charge of Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons, as David Meyr takes over the program's coaching reigns.

Competing in District 14 will be Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott County, Sikeston, Dunklin County and Twin Rivers, the district's other new squad.

Another area team, Perryville, competes in District 13.

Cape Girardeau

After winning district and zone titles -- along with a third-place state finish in 2003 -- Ford & Sons went just 17-26 last year.

But Meyr, who has coached in Cape's Senior Babe Ruth program for nearly a decade, likes the talent he has to work with as he moves to American Legion.

"I thought this was a good opportunity for me as a coach, and I'm looking forward to the challenge," Meyr said. "I believe we'll be pretty good, but I think it's going to be a pretty strong district."

Cape has a solid blend of returning players and newcomers on its 18-man roster that features eight veterans.

Returnees from Central High School are Sean Bard, Scott Brueckner, Cory Huskey, Zac Hudson and Tony Leuckel. Bard already has a season of junior college baseball under him, as he was among the top sluggers at Mineral Area College this year.

Twin brothers Kendal Deason and Kent Deason return from Kelly, while Michael Taylor (Shawnee) spent this season as a redshirt at Southeast Missouri State.

New players are Central's Ty Craft, Steve Miinch, Blake Slattery and Lance Young; Notre Dame's Dane Balsmann, Kirk Boeller, Jeremy Brinkmeyer, Blake Essner and Anthony Wulfers; and Oran's Trevor Irwin.

Meyr expects his pitching to be a strength, led by the likes of Brinkmeyer, Essner, Boeller, Huskey, Kendal Deason, Taylor, Young, Wulfers and Irwin.

"On paper we look real good with our pitching, but Legion ball takes a lot of arms," Meyr said.

Veteran Bill Bohnert returns as an assistant coach. Rounding out the staff are newcomers Kevin Crawford, Ryan Essex and Dale Smith, who all worked with Meyr on the Senior Babe Ruth level.

Cape plays its first game 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at home against Festus.

Scott County

Scott County has had success at the junior level, and now a young squad featuring just four high school graduates will take a major step up in class.

"Last year we won the junior Legion district and lost 1-0 in the zone final," Scott County coach Tom Dirnberger said. "We're young, and we might struggle a little the first year, although I think we'll be competitive, but I think next year we'll be a lot better."

Scott County, which will play most of its home games at Harmon Field in Chaffee, features players from Notre Dame, Scott City, Kelly, Oran and Bell City.

Lucas Dirnberger, Jacob Essner, Chad Friend, Aaron Jenkins and Shane Menz are from Notre Dame; Matt Miller, Jason Schenimann and Andy Stephens are from Scott City; Kelly provides Russell Carroll, Caleb Daughhetee, Jon Simpher and Danny Wilson; Oran's Matt Seyer already has a year of college under his belt; and Blaine Stewart is from Bell City.

Stephens, Seyer, Wilson, Carroll and Daughhetee figure to be among the squad's primary pitchers.

Assisting Dirnberger on the coaching staff will be Tom Daughhetee, Randall Friend and Dennis Menz.

Scott County opens the season 6 tonight at Festus.

Perryville

Coach Don O'Keith had a successful debut season last year, leading Perryville to a 19-21 record after the squad went just 2-23 in 2003.

O'Keith hopes to do even better this summer and perhaps even contend for the District 13 title.

"We've got everybody back but three players," O'Keith said. "We have very high hopes. We hope to contend in our district, and if our pitching stays strong I think we can make a run at it."

The bulk of the team's players are from Perryville High School, including Chad Stelling, who played this year for Harris-Stowe College, and Shawn Roth, headed to Meramec Community College, along with Cory Buerk, Phil Buerck, Andrew Norman, David Ochs, Trey Palisch and Lance Roth.

Alex Armbruster, one of the area's top all-around athletes who will play for Forest Park Community College, is joined by St. Vincent teammate Brian Buchheit.

Rounding out the squad are Ste. Genevieve's Jacob Donze and Jacob Greminger, along with Saxony Lutheran's Kory Mueller.

O'Keith expects Armbruster, Roth, Cory Buerck, Ochs and Donze to be among the team's top pitchers.

Perryville had its scheduled opener rained out Friday. The squad will host House Springs at 8 p.m. Friday.