Young New Madrid BB squad relying on Swims on mound, field, and plate

First-year New Madrid County Central High School baseball coach Jordan Kimball knows what he has to do to reverse the decade-plus streak of the Eagles not attaining a winning season.

“It’s not going to happen in one year,” Kimball said of the rebuilding, “I can promise you that. It’s got to start at the lower levels. We are trying to build up that. The middle school program. We’re trying to get summer baseball back in New Madrid.

“That is what it is going to take to build the varsity program.”

That is his plan for the future, but his team has games in the present, including today at Sikeston (0-6) at 4:30 p.m., so Kimball has to make the most of what he currently has, and that begins with the very solid play of senior Brady Swims.

“Brady is our ace,” Kimball said, “so we have to have him.”

The New Madrid County Central pitching depth is not there currently, so Kimball has to have the most that he can get, innings-wise, out of Swims and junior John Garrett-Harris.

“We have two true arms, as starting pitchers,” Kimball said, “We need them to go as deep into games as they can.”

Both Swims and Garrett-Harris worked in a recent 10-0 loss in five innings against Class 2 No. 3-ranked Chaffee.

Swims threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed three hits and just three earned runs, but walked six, which according to Kimbal, is a problem.

“What we preach to (Swims) is that we have to work ahead in counts,” Kimball said. “First-pitch strikes are what is important, especially in high school baseball.

“You have to work ahead.”

Swims did notch four strikeouts against the Red Devils (8-1) but threw just 30 strikes in his 70 pitches.

Garrett-Harris was much more efficient, as he threw 21 strikes in his 29 pitches through 1 2/3 innings.

To try and build his staff immediately, Kimball said “We are throwing bullpens with everybody that we have.”

“Once we can build a pitching staff with the players that we have,” Kimball continued, “we’ll be better, but Brady and ‘JG,’ they have to go deep for us.”

Swims, who plays third base, as well, can also produce offensively.

In a recent loss to Dexter, he totaled three of the Eagles’ nine hits, including hitting a home run.

“We have a lot of power,” Kimball said of his hitting lineup. “We have kids that battle, but it is early (in the season). We’re trying to get them to compete.”