Payne and Forck shine on the diamond, Named Co-Scott Mississippi Conference POY

In a league known for its menacing competition and outstanding talent, two athletes have risen above the rest to claim the title of Scott-Mississippi Conference Co-Players of the Year.

Oran senior Kolten Payne and Kelly junior Dalton Forck, both aces for their respective squads, etched their names in the history of the conference and bolstered their place among the all-time greats.

“This journey has been a dream come true,” Payne said. “I’ve loved playing these four years of high school at Oran. I’ve met so many new people and am just glad to be able to play the game of baseball correctly. The role my coaches and teammates have had on me is huge. They will always be a part of my life and have helped me with everything. I want to thank my coaches because they have taught me how to overcome downfalls and my teammates have always been respectful and the funniest people to be around and play with.”

Kelly's Dalton Forck (15) watches his pitch sail toward home plate during a 2-0 loss to Oran on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

Payne has been involved in baseball his entire life, and he believes that the knowledge he gained from his experiences has helped him stand out as a player.

This past season he helped lead the team to a 17-5 record and a MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 Championship.

Despite having his freshman season canceled due to Covid-19, Payne quickly made his mark on the high school baseball scene.

Peyton Hodges blisters one of his 17 strikeouts during East Prairie's 7-0 win over Charleston in the Red and Classic at H. A. Jones Park in East Prairie on Wednesday, April 27. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

In fact, he started in the Class 1 State Championship Game during his sophomore year and helped his team win the title.

“I had just a little high school pitching experience at this point and then when he told me I was on the bump it was scary,” Payne said. “But I just didn’t think about it and went and threw how I always do. The way I prepare mentally for games is that all teams and games are the same until the game is over. You have to go in every game ready to get the job done no matter who it is.

“I can throw any pitch at any count for a strike,” he continued. “I work consistently and throw a lot of strikes on the mound. When pitching in a high situation I just go out there and be myself. If you are nervous at that point of time you will fail. You can’t think about anything going on besides just getting the job done. All the games I’ve played, it has made me able to overcome all the pressure.”

Charleston's Bennett Logan sprints for first base during an 8-4 win over Sikeston at VFW Stadium on Tuesday, April 18. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

Since then, Payne has been a key member of two more district and conference championships teams.

He finished this past season with a 5-2 record, 87 strikeouts and a .902 ERA across 54.1 innings. Payne also had a .333 batting average with 24 hits including six doubles, a home run, 11 RBIs and scored 32 runs.

Payne has committed to continuing his academic and athletic journey at St. Charles Community College in Cottleville, Missouri.

Oran's Nic Massey takes a swing during a 17-1 win over East Prairie at H.A Jones Park in East Prairie on Thursday, April 6. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

“I will go there and hopefully improve my pitching skills,” he said. “I chose this school because I enjoyed talking to the coach and the campus and their field was nice. I stay motivated by my dream of one day making it to the big leagues or the minors. Having this dream makes me work harder and harder every day to make my community happy.”

Payne intends to pursue a major in either sports or engineering.

When asked about advice he would give to younger athletes striving for success, he emphasized the importance of pushing oneself to achieve their goals.

Kelly's Drew Klipfel (2) throws a pitch during a 6-1 win over East Prairie at KHS on Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

“Nothing is handed to you,” he concluded. “You have to work for everything you get. Also, once something bad happens you can’t just get down on yourself you have to push yourself even harder.”

Forck played an instrumental role in leading the Hawks to a 19-9 record, while also tallying a 4-5 individual mark on the mound.

He finished the season with 83 strikeouts and a 2.733 ERA while throwing 48.2 innings.

East Prairie's Owen Knight (11) throws a pitch during a 16-1 win over Charleston at Hillhouse Park in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 3, District 2 Tournament on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Rod Anderson/Standard-Democrat)

At the plate, he led the team with a .408 batting average. Forck also had team highs with 31 hits, 30 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

“The journey the team and I have had has been crazy,” Forck said. “From my freshman year almost making it to state and then from my sophomore and junior year falling short for districts.”

Combining his competitive mindset with hard work and dedication, Forck believes his approach to the game is his biggest strength and what sets him apart from other players on the field.

Oran's Parker Bryant (8) makes a throw for an out during a 2-0 win at Kelly to clinch the Scott-Mississippi Conference Championship on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

“It is always the same because I know that my defense will pick me up when I need them to,” he said., “I mentally prepare for every game by going on the bump and pitching my game, leading my team to the most success. I also know in the back of my head that [assistant] coach [Trent] Sidwell will call great pitches. The approach you have to have in a tough situation is to believe that you are better than the opponent you’re facing. I couldn’t have asked for better coaching. I had complete trust in Coach Sidwell that he would call the right pitch at the right time and [head] coach [Josh] Hopkins always helped me stay mentally focused throughout the game.”

Forck has his sights set on college baseball and plans to continue pitching at the next level. Although he has yet to decide on a specific college or university, he is excited about the opportunities ahead and looks forward to continuing to hone his on the mound.

“I stay motivated because I want to play baseball as long as I can,” he concluded. “You have to train more than the person next to you to reach this success. My goal for the future is to play college baseball.”

Kelly's Ross Peters (8) throws a pitch against Oran at Kelly High School on Friday, May 5, 2023. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

Oran coach Joe Bickings was named the conference coach of the team and the team also had senior Nic Massey and sophomore Parker Bryant selected to the all-conference team while senior Luke Peterson was picked as an honorable mention.

Massey finished this season with a .385 batting average, 25 hits including eight doubles and a home run for 23 RBIs and four runs scored.

Bryant batted .366 with 26 hits including nine doubles, 19 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He also had a perfect 5-0 record on the mound, striking out 52 with a .636 ERA across 33 innings.

East Prairie's Noah Johnson (7) throws a pitch�during�a 5-4 loss�to Scott City in the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Championship at Hillhouse Park on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.�Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Kelly junior Drew Klipfel and sophomore Ross Peters also had the all-conference team while Jett Hutt was picked as honorable mention.

Klipfel had a 5-4 record on the mound with 68 strikeouts and a 2.198 ERA while throwing 57.1 innings. He also had a .383 batting average, 31 hits including four doubles, 17 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Peters was a perfect 7-0 on the mound with a 1.541 ERA, 70 strikeouts over 36.1 innings. At the plate, he hit .344 with 21 hits, nine RBIs and 13 runs scored.

East Prairie finished this past season 18-13-1 and had three selected to the all-conference team including senior Peyton Hodges, junior Owen Knight and sophomore Noah Johnson.

Hodges had a 7-3 record on the mound with 107 strikeouts and a 1.262 ERA across 61 innings. It was Hodge's second straight season with more than 100 strikeouts. He also batted .322 with 29 hits including five doubles, a triple and a home run for 16 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

Knight finished with a 3-3 record on the mound. He had 64 strikeouts with a 3.111 ERA while throwing 45 innings. He batted .253 with 22 hits, 22 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

Johnson ended the year with a 5-3 record on the mound with a 1.567 ERA and 72 strikeouts across 44.2 innings. He also led the team with a .354 batting average, and 34 hits including 12 doubles, a triple and a home run for 22 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

Charleston senior Bennett Logan was also selected as an all-conference member. He led the Bluejays in batting average (.328), hits (22), doubles (10), triple (3) and runs scored (19). He was also the team pitcher, finishing the year with a 4.266 ERA while striking out 62 over 42.2 innings.

Other members of the All-Scott Mississippi Conference include Chaffee’s Levi McKinnie (junior) and Easton Fowler (sophomore); Scott City’s Kobe Watson (sophomore), Blake Wilburn (junior) and Luke Umfleet (junior); and Oak Ridge’s Konnor Hobeck (junior).

Additional honorable mention selections were Chaffee’s Leyton Hanback (freshman) and Carson Spies (junior); Scott City’s Lawson Graff (junior); and Delta’s Carter Scherer (senior).