Greenwall has record-breaking season for Mules

At the beginning of the season, Poplar Bluff senior Kolby Greenwall set out to lead the Mules baseball squad in hits for the second straight year, and he accomplished his goal and much more.

The Mules made a significant jump this season thanks largely to their play at the plate led by Greenwall. Last season, Greenwall led the team in hits, and he carried that same energy over to this year, stitching his name into the Mules baseball history book.

After collecting his 39th hit of the season, Greenwall now holds the Mules hit record for a single season. The record was held for over eight years when Kameron Misner set the record with 38 hits back in 2016. Greenwall added another record under his belt in a matchup against Kelly High School, where he collected his 31st single, breaking the single-season record. The record was previously held by Tyson Cox with 30 singles in 2016.

Making the Mules better is Greenwall's sole driving force for the current season. He was aware that his presence at the plate would help the team progress, but breaking a record was the icing on the cake.

“It's definitely an honor,” Greenwall said. “I've worked on my game ever since I could walk. I think my parents would be the most appreciative of everything since they supported me from playing tee ball, travel ball, park league and baseball all summer long. I think what helped me this season was my experience and just being able to get solid looks at-bats.”

Greenwall said the key to staying consistent at the plate is having confidence, which he gained a lot during the offseason. He said having the right mindset and approach had to be sharp each time he stepped inside the box. His only focus was to get the job done whenever his number was up.

While the Mules gearing up for districts, Greenwall said he couldn't think of a better way to leave his mark on the program with a record-breaking season. He closed out the regular season batting average of .516 with 48 hits. He collected 34 singles, five doubles, eight triples, three homeruns and 34 RBIs.

Greenwall said it’s been a team effort with how well they’ve done this season and gives credit to the Mules coaching staff for the gameplan they had laid out for the year.

“Coach (John-David) Pattillo and the other coaches did great with us this season,” he said. “They were honest with us in practice, and they made sure we gave 100% in every game. They demonstrated to us that practicing hard and maintaining the proper mindset is essential to playing good baseball. It really helped everything we do in the field come effortlessly.

There are no set plans for Greenwall after his final game with the Mules, but he does have the desire to play baseball at the next level. With his time as a Mule coming to an end, Greenwall said he’s been living in the moment and enjoying every minute with his teammates.

“I'm going to miss everything about this team,” Greenwall said. “The bond that you build with your family is something that I will cherish. We’ve put so much work in this year, and I’m going to miss it all. We’ve spent a lot of time together on the bus rides and have grown closer. I hope they know how important all of it was to me.”

Team Records:

Hits-279 (broke) (240-2016)

Singels-213 (broke) (175-2016)

RBI-221 (broke) (198-2016)

Runs Scored-266 (broke (225-2018)

Walks-140 (broke) (130-2018)

SO-169 (broke) (130-2018)

Games Played-31 (tied) [Noah Spian, Kolby Greenwall, Kade Huffman and Bryce Dobbs)

Individual Records:

Kolby Greenwall - 50 hits (broke) 2016-38 K. Miser

Kolby Greenwall -36 Singles (broke) 2016-30 T. Cox

Kolby Greenwall - 39 Runs (broke) 2016-37 J Moses, 2018 37-T. Fritts

Kade Huffman - 38 RBI's (broke) 2018-35 T. Fritts, M. Libla

Noah Spian -12 HBP (tie)T. Fritts-2018-12