Mules relish time in Alabama

For skipper John David Pattillo and his Poplar Bluff Mules baseball players, their week in Alabama was one of a prosperous nature.

The Mules compiled a 4-0 record, but it was the manner in which those victories came that has the team feeling well about this season.

“The big thing is we can compete with good teams,” Pattillo said. “It gave us an opportunity to go down there and think baseball and grow up a little bit, and that was the intention.

The Mules reside in Class 6, where there is a plethora of top-notch talent throughout the state, from the Bootheel to Joplin.

But seeing a different caliber of talent inside and outside of the state is paying dividends.

Of course, crossing the state line is nothing new to the Mules.

“We took our kids over to Nashville last year,” Pattillo said. “I think our booster club is interested in doing this type of trip every two or three years, so our high-school kids get this kind of opportunity. It was something the booster club, the parents and administration wanted to do. We are very fortunate. It was a success in multiple ways for us.”

Having the district and community support is a luxury many coaches have not experienced, and Pattillo said it makes his job a lot easier.

“It is great,” Pattillo said of Alabama. “It is great for the players. It is great for us coaches. And, of course, it is great for the community. It was a really great experience all around.”

While down south, the Mules routed the opposition, owning a 35-14 run differential.

They defeated Mortimer Jordan, 9-4, on March 25, then on March 27, the Mules’ offense exploded in the 16-4 rout. On March 28, the Mules bested Boaz, 6-3, and Bradley-Bourbonnais Community, 4-3, respectively.

The Mules, though, had to battle more than the opposition.

“The weather wasn’t great the first couple of days, but it cleared up and our last two days were really nice,” Pattillo said.

The Mules entered the week 7-2 — nd after routing Ellington Monday and Sikeston on Tuesday, Poplar Bluff is 9-2 on the season.

In short, the Mules can flat out hit, another luxury Pattillo recognizes.

So, how potent can the bats be throughout the season?

“I think when you look at our team, we have a good opportunity to score,” he said. “Great pitching is always going to negate some of that. Our offense definitely has given us some opportunity take a little bit off our pitching and our defense. It is a big emphasis for us.”

Navigating the talent pool in Class 6 means a meatier schedule — and Pattillo wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It is all part of the process. Going through the season, seeing really good people … one thing we really wanted to do was to challenge this group,” Pattillo said. “Challenge us through the season so that when Class 6 districts come around, we play the type of people who can go and compete with them.”

Scheduling tilts against South County (St. Louis) and Kansas City teams can be few and far between, so Pattillo wants to load up at tournaments that will house such programs.

Business really heats up this weekend at the Laker Bat Tournament in Camdenton (Friday and Saturday). It will be another measuring stick for Pattillo and company, as they will face Park Hill from the Kansas City area, Pacific and Park Hill South.

Poplar Bluff heads to Paragould on Thursday.