Mules optimistic despite recent stretch

We’re midway through the spring season, and a newfound energy surrounds the Poplar Bluff Mules baseball team.

The Mules have gotten off to one of the best starts in recent years with their elite play from the plate. Despite going 3-2 in their last few matchups, they’ve already surpassed the number of wins from the past few seasons.

The Mules haven’t seen a district championship since 2017, and many players, including senior Rylan Seesengood, believe their chances of reaching the big dance are stronger than before.

“I’ve been feeling really good about the direction our team is going,” Seesengood said. “We’ve been on a roll recently and seem to keep carrying into other games. I think we’re just a better team overall this year. We have really matured a lot since last year, and I hope we can keep this momentum going. Going forward, we just need to cut out our mistakes and tick-tack errors because we know what to do now. The positive thing is that it’s nothing major, and we should be able to keep this going.”

Fellow teammate and sophomore Kade Huffman said the team has gotten much closer this year, which has greatly impacted their play recently. He said practices have been competitive this year, and he knows getting to state will be tough, but securing a district championship is right within their reach.

With only one season under his belt as the Mules head coach, John David Pattillo has already noticed a significant change within his roster. Pattillo said last year’s big focus was getting the players acclimated to his coaching style, so the season didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Stepping into this year, the Mules only have one thing on their agenda: competing for their conference and a district title.

“This year feels really good,” Pattillo said. “We’ve been preparing for our conference tournament and down the road at the district tournament. All the work these kids have put in is preparation for playing in the postseason. We’ve looked good, and we’re just trying to get better each time we go out. I tell the kids all the time that we put in what we want out of the season and how we want to play. I think these kids have bought in, and I’ve bought into them because it’s been a two-way street. I’m just fortunate that I get to coach a bunch of good kids.”

Mules vs Greenville

The Mules struggled to keep up with the Greenville Bears in a 10-3 loss on Tuesday at Greenville High School.

Greenville got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after Trey Porter drew a walk, scoring one run, Ty Burchard singled, scoring two runs and Logan Hillis singled, scoring one run.

Cooper Sturgeon hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the second inning for the Bears, extending their lead 4-2. Greenville continued to thrive by scoring five runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth inning. Bo Bollinger drew a walk, scoring one run, and Easton Evans doubled, scoring three runs.

Wyatt Friley earned the win for Greenville. The starting pitcher gave up one hit and three runs over four and two-thirds innings, striking out four and walking seven. Noah Spain took the loss for the Mules, his first of the season. He went four innings, allowing 10 runs (four earned) on eight hits, striking out five and walking five.

Seesengood led the way with two runs batted in, while Spain led the Mules with one hit in two at-bats.

Evans led Greenville with three runs batted in. He went 1-for-4 on the day. Hillis showed the depth of Greenville’s lineup by leading them with two hits in three at-bats.

The Mules fall to 13-7 on the season and will travel to Jackson Varsity Indians for their next game on Thursday.