East Prairie baseball looks to build off last season’s success

East Prairie looks to make another serious postseason run after setting a program record for wins and making the MSHSAA Class Quarterfinals last season.

The Eagles have a youthful roster with 16 of the team’s 20 players being freshmen and sophomores but also return some key players and experience.

“Coming off of a school record 22 wins last year, our guys are excited to get back on the field,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “We ended with a tough loss in the quarterfinals and would love another opportunity to get back in that situation. We will rely on pitching and defense to help us win. Offensively, we may struggle for a while. We will have to manufacture runs the best we can.”

Rafe Byassee takes a swing during Valley Park's 6-5 win over East Prairie in the MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinals at H.A. Jones Park in East Prairie, Mo., on Thursday, May 26. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

Senior Peyton Hodges returns on the mound after earning second-team all-state and first-team all-conference and all-district honors.

“[Hodges] is our ace,” Scott said. “He’s coming off an outstanding season last year. He eats a lot of innings and gives a chance to win every time he’s on the mound. He’s a strike thrower and mixes it up well.”

Hodges pitched 64 innings with 109 strikeouts and a 1.75 ERA last season.

Noah Johnson makes a throw during East Prairie's five-inning 11-1 win over New Madrid County Central in a semifinal of the MSHSAA Class 3 District Tournament at Malden High School on Monday, May 16. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

The Eagles also return 6-foot-4-inch sophomore Noah Johnson, who is the team’s top returning hitter and was a first-team all-conference selection last season after batting .379 with 36 hits, 36 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Johnson also pitched 39.2 innings with 47 strikeouts, a 1.58 ERA and a 5-1 overall record.

“He had a really good freshman season at the plate and on the mound,” Scott said. “He will pitch some big games for us this year. He competes well on the mound and gives us a shot to win if we can make plays behind him.”

Senior Rafe Byassee, junior Owen Knight and sophomore Ty Wallace provide the team with some more experience.

East Prairie stands for a photo before the 2023 season. (Submitted)

Byassee had a .275 batting average with 25 hits, 24 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

“We are looking at [Byassee] to be our leadoff hitter,” Scott said. “He’s very good at putting the ball in play and finding a way on base. He is also one of our best defensive players. He will anchor down the shortstop position for the most part and might also play some second base.”

Knight is coming off a solid sophomore season where he batted .276 with 21 hits and 19 RBIs, as well as pitching 32 innings with 37 strikeouts, a 2.84 ERA and a 5-1 record.

“He has improved tremendously on the mound,” Scott said. “He has worked his tail off this winter to get to this point. He will see a lot of mound time this season and also play some outfield.”

Wallace had 19 hits and 26 runs scored with a .292 average last year.

“He is a good athlete that is transitioning from the outfield to the catcher position,” Scott said. “He moves well and has a good arm. Hopefully, he continues to develop behind the plate and helps control the run game.”

The Eagles have several other players competing for spots. sophomores Finn Silman, Will Jarvis, Tate Henderson, Winfield White and freshman Jack Pearson could all see some varsity time on the infield, while senior Leven Turner, freshman Rayne Jernigan and sophomore Mac Munson are competing for spots in the outfield.

“We expect to be competitive due to our pitching,” Scott said. “I feel like we can limit teams offensively if we can make the routine plays. We are a very young team and will need some guys to step up to the challenge.”

East Prairie’s season starts on Friday, March 17 in the Blue/Red Game versus Charleston at Hillhouse Park.