Seniors ready to lead Mules for upcoming season

The spring baseball and softball season will officially kick off next week, and members of the Poplar Bluff Mules baseball team are ready to get the season in motion.

The Mules will have their season opener when they hit the road next Friday to challenge the Neelyville Tigers. With the absence of a few key seniors from last season and a second-year head coach, the returning players are eager to jumpstart the season as they look to flourish under new leadership.

Senior Kolby Greenwall, who led the Mules in hits last season, said the entire team is excited about the upcoming season, and he believes the Mules have many key assets coming back, so he’s ready to see how it all can come together.

“Our goal coming into the season is to stay confident and just play our game,” Greenwall said. “I want us to just say in the box, have a plan each game and have a strong approach every time. I believe our approach last season was a bit up and down and will require a lot of consistency this year. I know we will have a strong presence on the mound, but we just need to execute.”

Greenwall said the best strategy the Mules can have this season is to come out with a lot of energy. He said it’s important that everyone has fun and keeps the tempo high, if they can do that, the Mules can have a solid season.

Last season, the Mules finished with a 12-15 record and took an early exit from the Class 6 District 1 Tournament with a loss to Jackson High School. Despite the staggered wins from the previous season, the Mules will have a much stronger unit with many experienced players returning.

Fellow senior and teammate Rylan Seesengood is looking for the Mules to find a better flow than last year. He said there were moments when the team was turning the corner but would always hit a wall during adversity. This year, he hopes to keep their momentum rolling with more positivity because he’s noticed their progress during the offseason.

Seesengood spent a lot of time on the mound for the Mules last season, and this year, he plans to have a better mental game when stepping up to pitch. He said his overall goal is to be the best player he can be and help his team win.

“Last year, I really got in my head a lot while pitching on some things I’d be really good, or I’d be really bad, and I just couldn’t shake it,” Seesengood said. “I struggled, so we struggled, and I refuse to let that happen again. This offseason, I really worked on the mental side of my game and also put on 10 pounds, so I feel good this year.”

Also returning for the Mules are seniors Dylan Bratcher, Cameron Settle and newcomer Kaine Lewis.

“We’re looking a lot better this year, a lot stronger and bigger than the young team we had last season,” Seesengood said. “We struggled in some ways with our immaturity, and it showed. This year, I feel that everyone is a lot more mature and has improved all-around as ball players. I believe we can be pretty good.”

Seesengood added that the Mules must keep playing at full force despite any bad games or adversity they might face. He said last year, they allowed small moments to affect their game, which ruined their momentum in the following game. Seesengood said the Mules must not allow things to bother them and keep playing.