Poplar Bluff senior taking two with regularity

The Poplar Bluff High School baseball squad is hitting its stride at the right time of its season and that positive mojo has often been fueled by the bat of Mule senior Kayson King.

“He is hitting the ball really well,” first-year Poplar Bluff coach John David Patillo said of King recently.

In a recent win over Sikeston in the SEMO Conference Baseball Tournament, King tied the Poplar Bluff program record for doubles with 15, and then in a 7-3 victory over East Carter, King set the new mark with his 16th two-bagger.

“Probably half of his hits have been doubles,” Patillo explained. “He may be leading us in RBI.”

Of late, the consistent aspects to the Mules have been wins and King notches hits.

Poplar Bluff (12-13) has won four of its last six games and is in the midst of its most successful season since 2019. The Mules will visit Farmington (9-11) today at 4:30 p.m.

The two teams will meet again, in Poplar Bluff, on Monday at 4:30 p.m. to close the Mules’ regular season.

For King, who defensively can play either corner infield spot, he has been a reliable force at the plate.

In the aforementioned win over Sikeston, he drove in three runs in an 8-7 victory, and against the Redbirds, he and teammates Myles Johnson and Bryce Dobbs each had a team-leading two hits.

King also scored a run and drove in a run.

“Kayson has just hammered the ball all season long,” Patillo said. “He has been very consistent and is a kid who just gets the balls to the gaps.”

Even in defeats, King has been a thorn for the opposing team to deal with.

In a 14-5 loss to Class 6 No. 9-ranked Jackson last week, King had one hit, and an RBI.