Through ups and downs this spring, Sikeston senior has been consistently good

The Sikeston High School baseball program has had its ups and down moments throughout this spring, but what has been pretty consistent – and impressive – has been the play of senior Noah Pruitt.

“Noah is really competitive,” first-year Bulldog coach Wyatt Pratt said recently. “And he is a really good athlete.”

That has been obvious throughout this spring, as Pruitt has closed his career in a very solid manner.

Whether he is on the mound, playing first base, or (and not the least) hitting, Pruitt has been a massive reason why Sikeston has won two more games (seven) this spring than last year.

“Few high school players compete with as much enthusiasm as Noah,” Pratt told Semoball.com recently, “and when you combine that with superior athleticism you have all you need for a good high school baseball player.”

Whether it be in victories (such as the recent wins over East Carter and Dexter) or defeats (against North County and Oran), the reliable Pruitt has given Pratt comfort in knowing what he was going to get out of him each outing.

The Bulldogs (7-16) fell to North County 4-0 on Wednesday, but Pruitt did about as much as a player could do to keep his team in the game.

Sikeston tallied just four hits, but Pruitt had one of them, along with Luke Gadberry, Peyton Mitchell, and Rush Ault.

On the mound, Pruitt allowed just four Raider hits over six innings, one earned run and struck out three.

“I thought Noah Pruitt was exceptional on the mound,” Pratt said. “He went the distance, really pumped strikes, and had two pitches going for him.”

Against East Carter, Pruitt had a couple of hits, including a double, which he also did against Oran, which is ranked No. 3 in Class 1 this season.

Pruitt is taking his game to Poplar Bluff in the fall to play at Three Rivers Community College, which should be a nice fit for him, according to Pratt.

“The junior college format,” Pratt, who played at Rend Lake Community College in Illinois, said, “for a guy who is competitive, you are going to play 40 games in the fall, you’re going to be around kids who want to play baseball, and then he’ll be right back into the recruiting process.

“I think surrounding him with other competitive, baseball-knowledgeable guys, he is going to get a lot better. I expect his game to really explode.”

Pratt’s team will enter the postseason on Wednesday at Festus High School in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 Tournament at 4:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs will face Hillsboro (19-4).

“Having the privilege of watching Noah go about his business all year long,” Pratt said, “I know that he will represent himself, this program, and the town of Sikeston extremely well.”