Senath-Hornersville baseball looking to compete with the best this spring

SENATH – Is this the year for the Lions to make a run at some championship hardware? It might be somewhat of a lofty goal, but it wouldn't be unwise to think that this might be the year for Senath-Hornersville to rack up more than seven wins, which they've amassed both last fall and spring, especially if you ask the players.

“I think it's time,” Senath-Hornersville coach Chris McClain said. “For the last three or four years, we've been getting better, and every year we've slowly progressed. I think this is the spring that we've been looking forward to for a while. We've finally put ourselves in a spot where I think we'll compete with some of the top-tier teams in our conference.”

“It's just about going out and competing every day,” he continued. “You never know how it'll play out until it happens, but I think these guys are confident in where we're at.”

With a roster of 18 players split evenly between upperclassmen and underclassmen, there's plenty of confidence to go around as many of the younger players have themselves grown and matured with the team since starting as freshmen.

For some players, like junior shortstop Pookie Garza, they wear their confidence proudly along with the lion on their uniforms.

“We're coming,” Garza exclaimed. “That's all they have to know. We're coming.”

Senath-Hornersville junior Pookie Garza throws a pitch during practice Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Photo by Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

Garza, also a threat on the basketball court, has earned his keep on the mound as well for the Lions as a “guy who's always been able to throw strikes,” in the words of McClain.

The junior has been around long enough to know what it's going to take to win games, and he explained that he's open to playing whatever position he needs to in order to win.

More importantly, Garza is confident that each player on the team feels the same.

“Right now I feel like we can go far in conference and districts,” Garza said. “The last couple years we've been decent, but not the best. This year I feel like we're one of the better teams in our conference and district.”

The Lions secured a 7-14 record last spring and a 7-8 season in the fall. They've been inching closer and closer to the .500 mark, and McClain explained that the advantage of small schools like Senath-Hornersville playing a fall season will hopefully make a difference when the spring season begins.

“We've been taking steps in the right direction the past couple of years,” McClain said. “We're just looking forward to trying to improve on what we did in the fall.”

“We made pretty good strides in the right direction in the fall,” he continued. “We've finally got some guys that are able to throw strikes on a consistent basis and make some routine plays. I think it'll be a fun spring, and we're looking just to get better every day.”

Senior third baseman Michael Weldon echoed the sentiments of his coach and teammate. What makes this season different, according to Weldon? The Lions wants to be “that team” now more than ever.

“All the guys are more active this year,” Weldon said. “Everyone wants it a little bit more and wants to work harder for it this year. For this group here, everyone pitches in together. There's not just one leader who does it all. Everybody has their own roles and helps each other out.”

If the Lions' mentality is any indication of what's to come in Senath this year, it might not be the best idea for opponents to expect to play a middle of the road team.

“I just hope everyone knows we're working hard and we want to win,” Weldon said. “We want to be that team. We haven't been for the last couple years, but we want to get there this year.”

Senath-Hornersville sophomore Spencer Goff hits in the batting cage during practice Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Photo by Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

Fans can expect to see several players on the mound for the Lions this year: sophomore Chayse Laden, junior Pookie Garza, sophomore Spencer Goff and junior Madox Belcher.

There may not be much in the way of seniority among the pitching staff, but that can also be a positive with several capable pitchers with varying styles.

“We don't have a lot of senior leadership on the mound, but we have a lot of younger guys to rely on to grow, perform and mature along the way,” McClain said.

Senath-Hornersville will kick off their season with a double header next Friday, March 17. The Lions play Bloomfield at 4:30 and Southland at 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 18, Senath-Hornersville travels to Clearwater to play Clearwater and Grandview beginning at 10 a.m.

“It's going to be a challenge, but it's a challenge we welcome,” McClain said. “We're excited to get the season started. We're ready to play ball and get after it.”