Fort Scott opens season Monday

By Scott Nuzum

Herald-Tribune

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's baseball team may have its toughest tests of the season in its first five games.

The Tigers open the season Monday with a single game at Nevada's Lyons Stadium followed by a junior varsity contest. Then they will face Girard in a home doubleheader at Fort Scott's Lions Field Friday before going to Pittsburg for a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader April 5.

"We play pretty much the same schedule every year," Fort Scott head coach Jeff DeLaTorre said Thursday afternoon just before practice began. "But it's a tough schedule to start with. You have a very good Nevada team to begin with. Girard's always very good. Pittsburg is always a top team in the league."

Ten seniors are out and 25 in all at Fort Scott, which brings back a lot of experience -- including all its pitchers -- from last season's 7-10 team. The Tigers lost only two seniors from last year's team.

"We feel pretty good about where we're at," DeLaTorre said. "Our experience will definitely be a plus."

Senior Drew Lawson, a left-hander, leads the pitching staff, having played on the varsity level the past two seasons. Also back are seniors Dakota Hall, Cole Pruitt and John Leek and junior Alex Bowman.

It's not often that a team brings back that many pitchers, so the Tigers should have a decided advantage in terms of depth.

"It's definitely an advantage that we have guys who have been through the grind before," DeLaTorre said. "They've got to continue to improve. Last year, we had times where we walked too many people. With all those guys back, we feel pretty good but they also some work to be done. This early in the season, everyone's trying to get their arms back in shape."

Dillon Knopp, another senior, finished the season as the Tigers' catcher and received All-Southeast Kansas League honors. Pruitt and Leek will make up the middle of the infield with Hall playing third. These positions will change around depending on who's called on to pitch. Bowman and senior Heath Maycumber can also play third base.

DeLaTorre says there are several candidates at first base, which include seniors Jordan Renfro, Nathan Spurgeon and Devin Talley and junior Denton Ramsey.

"The infield, with all those guys basically playing last year we definitely have a chance to be a solid defensive team," DeLaTorre says, "Knopp's ability to call a game and throw people out is another advantage."

Lawson, Bowman and seniors Cody Kramer and Dakotah Gettler are returning outfielders.

"The outfield is definitely a group that is very solid," DeLaTorre says. "You have a good combination of smarts, knowing how to get to the ball, take good angles, and you also have good speed and good throwing arms."

The batting order isn't established yet. DeLaTorre feels that what you see at Nevada could be tinkered with between that game and the Girard doubleheader that follows.

Chanute has won the SEK championship three of the last four seasons, including the last two back-to-back.

"Even though Chanute has lost a whole lot of people, I think they'll still be pretty competitive," DeLaTorre said. "They're going to be young but they'll beat some people.

"Pittsburg is right there year in and year out. Parsons will probably be a solid team. They've got some good athletes who are returning for them. Labette County has some good guys returning."

Although they are focusing on the opener, the Tigers want to be playing at their best when regionals come around in mid-May. After a trip to the state tournament in 2005, the Tigers were unable to qualify last year.

"We want to continue to improve every game and get better every day," DeLaTorre said. "The middle of May is when we want to be playing our best. We home to get off to a good start and do some things early. But the main goal is to play better as the year goes on and have a chance of winning our Regional."