Recognizing the area's best baseball seniors

Recognizing the area's best baseball seniors

With Chaffee winning third place in Class 2 and Oran winning it all in Class 1, the 2024 high school baseball season has come to an end.

While many of the big names have been covered throughout the season, it seems proper to recognize some of the best hitting and pitching seasons throughout the Southeast Missourian area.

__Going out on top__

Seven seniors led the Oran Eagles to their third state championship since 2018, but few had the impact of Gabe Dirnberger. The ace finished the season 7-0 with a 0.67 ERA. He shut down Green City in the Class 1 semifinals and drove in two runs in an 11-1 smackdown over Sacred Heart in the state championship game.

Dirnberger's heroics may have stolen the headlines, but the contributions of fellow seniors Cooper Senciboy, Nolan Loper, and Brenden Campbell were crucial to the Eagles' success. Their combined efforts on the field solidified Oran's championship pedigree, securing the program's fourth state championship.

__Senior trio ends careers with a second bronze__

Nobody has meant more to Chaffee’s second straight Class 2 third-place season quite like Levi McKinnie. On the mound, the senior went 8-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched over a team-high 15 games and 12 starts. McKinnie also led the Red Devils at the plate with a .380 batting average and 1.297 OPS with five home runs and 16 RBI over 71 at-bats. Fellow senior Carson Spies led the Red Devils with 32 RBI while batting .330 over a team-high 97 at-bats. Not to be left in the shadows, Eli Glueck batted .351 in 74 at-bats and recorded a 1.78 ERA over 39.1 innings pitched in 13 outings including three starts.

__Scott City says goodbye to area's best pitching duo__

The Rams (29-4) played more games than any other team in the area and had three senior pitchers throw in 10+ games. Due to their offense forcing the run rule in a lot of games, Brayden Mashek didn't throw as many innings as the rest of the elite pitchers, but there is no denying a 7-0 record and only three earned runs allowed (0.49 ERA) with 61 strikeouts over 43.1 innings pitched. Fellow senior, Blake Wilburn, recorded a 0.79 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 53 innings pitched with a 6-2 record.

__Grant Smith powers Perryville to winning season__

Grant Smith and Troy O'Keefe were instrumental in Perryville (12-11) finishing 2024 with its first winning season since 2019. Smith, a graduating senior who recently signed to play at Three Rivers, batted .436 with a 1.384 OPS in 55 at-bats with five home runs, 25 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.

__Just in time to shine for Jackson__

John-Paul Sauer entered the 2023-24 school year as one of the best pitchers in the area. A football injury cut the Tulane commit's season in half but he returned just in time to strike out 41 batters with six runs allowed over 26 innings pitched in seven outings. Sauer was named SEMO Conference Pitcher of the Year due to his 12-strikeout performance against Dexter to win the tournament title.

__A Jack of both trades for Notre Dame__

Jack Evans had a major role to fill during the first year without Jeff Graviett as the Bulldogs' head coach. The senior batted .452 with a 1.047 OPS in 54 plate appearances and led the pitching staff in innings with 32.2 and recorded a 2.63 ERA with 30 strikeouts. Notre Dame ushered the Dave Lawson era with a 14-13 record and early exit in the Class 3 District 2 Tournament.

__Crusader catalyst__

Much like Evans with Notre Dame, Owen Tarry had a similar impact with Saxony Lutheran. The senior led the Crusaders with a .407 batting average and 25 RBIs while leading pitchers with a 5-3 record. Saxony Lutheran finished the season with a solid 13-6 record but bowed out early in the Class 2 District 3 Tournament after a 10-3 loss against Meadow Heights.

__An end of an era in Kelly__

Reece Eftink and Dalton Forck played a key role in Kelly winning the Class 3 District 2 title this season. Forck's homer pushed the Hawks past Notre Dame to reach the Class 3 District 1 Tournament, while Eftink's bomb helped them win it in an upset win over Scott City. Eftink finished his final season with two home runs, 15 RBI, and a team-high .355 batting average and 1.029 OPS. Forck, who battled injuries that limited his pitching, batted .282 with a .945 OPS, and a team-high three home runs and 16 RBIs. He allowed four runs and eight hits in 16.2 innings over five games and three starts.

__Oak Ridge's lone bright spot__

Konnor Hobeck finished his senior season as the Blue Jays' offensive leader in nearly every statistical category. In 59 at-bats, Hobeck has batted .475 with an OPS of 1.090. He leads the Jays in hits with 24, stolen bases with 18, and is tied with Kaden Borgfield for the RBI lead at 14. He went 3-for-4 with a two-run triple to lead the Blue Jays past Crossroads Prep 13-3 in the C1D3 opener and went 2-for-4 with a double in his final game in a 5-3 loss against Leopold at the C1D3 semifinal.  

__A solid season in Woodland's down year__

Seth Abernathy was among the lone bright spots on an otherwise down year for the Cardinals. The senior batted .439 with a 1.317 OPS in 41 at-bats. The Cardinals finished 4-12 and were shut out by Charleston 4-0 in the Class 3 District 2 Tournament.

__Portageville bids farewell to a historic senior class__

A golden generation of Bulldogs’ baseball has graduated, leaving behind a legacy of championships and individual achievements. Six seniors – Mason Adams, Beau-Hunter Warren, Carson Bradley, Aaron Dunlap, Connor Jefferies, and Conner Johnson – depart after leading the team to four consecutive district championships and back-to-back final four appearances (2022 and 2023).

Adams was the team's standout performer, leading in batting average (.404), hits (46), triples (6), home runs (2), and RBIs (39), earning him the Bootheel Athletic Conference Player of the Year Award. His prolific career also set the MSHSAA record for triples (20).

A quarterfinal loss to Chaffee ended Portageville's season and its bid for a third consecutive final four, but this group of seniors cemented their place in Bulldogs history.

__Knight in shining armor__

East Prairie's baseball success this season can be largely attributed to the standout performance of senior Owen Knight. Knight, committed to East Central College, was a force both on the mound and at the plate, leading the Eagles to their second district championship in three years.

Knight logged 46 innings on the mound, recording 64 strikeouts and posting a 4.71 ERA. He tied for the team lead in hits (26) and RBIs (20). He also led the team with a .310 batting average, proving to be a valuable asset in all aspects of the game.

Despite falling one game shy of the program's first final four berth with a 6-5 quarterfinal loss to West County, East Prairie’s district championship triumph – its second in three years and fourth overall – proves it is building towards a promising future.

__Sikeston’s Goodman shows potential in different circumstances__

In a season marked by unprecedented challenges, Carter Goodman emerged as the Bulldogs’ leader on the mound. Goodman logged the most innings pitched (36.2), showcasing a willingness to take on a significant role for the team.

Despite Sikeston's offensive struggles, averaging a meager 3.7 runs per game (lowest since at least 2008) and defensive woes, surrendering a staggering 9.3 runs per game (highest since at least 2008), Goodman emerged as a bright spot, posting a team-high 31 strikeouts and a team-best 5.91 ERA among pitchers with significant playing time.

Despite a promising mid-season surge where they won four of six games, Sikeston ultimately succumbed to a final four-game skid, capped by an 11-6 loss to Festus, ending their season at 4-19.

__NMCC struggles to stay afloat, but Swims proves he can__

The Eagles also had a challenging season, finishing with a 4-18 overall mark. However, Brady Swims proved to be a consistent bright spot. Swims earned SEMO Conference honors, pitching 45 innings with 74 strikeouts and a 5.28 ERA. He also excelled at the plate, batting .385 with 20 hits, including four doubles and three home runs, along with nine RBIs and 12 runs scored.

Swims was joined on the All-C3D1 Team by fellow senior Ayden McCanless, who led the team in batting average (.397), hits (23), and RBIs (17).

A 7-6 nail-biter against East Prairie in the C3D1 semifinals marked the end of NMCC's season.

__Gunn’s aim is true, but Charleston misses the target__

The Blue Jay’s 2024 season may have been a forgettable 6-13 campaign, but senior Bryant Gunn provided a beacon of hope amidst the struggles. The ace hurler dazzled on the mound, leading the team with 28.2 innings pitched, 39 strikeouts, and a minuscule 1.95 ERA. Gunn didn’t just fire bullets on the mound; he was also a weapon at the plate, batting .344 with 11 hits, 9 RBIs, and 10 runs scored.

Will Dixon and Chase Worthy also produced at the plate, tying for the team-high with a .362 average.

Despite a brief midseason surge, capped by a three-game winning streak, Charleston ultimately fizzled out, ending its campaign with a 10-0 shutout loss to Scott City in the district tournament.