Fall season seen as advantage for Shawnee baseball team

Area teams with a fall baseball program could be  a step ahead of the others.

“Fall baseball gives us an advantage,” Shawnee baseball head coach Mike Hanson said. “I’ve already seen all my guys and what they can do.”

The majority of the bigger schools have fall football but do not  have a fall baseball program.

The Redskins finished 10-2 last fall and 32-8 last season.

“We play a bigger schedule in the spring,” Hanson said. “If we repeat what we did in the fall, we have to step up a little bit.”

Hanson has a solid corps of pitchers with seniors Tyler Glidewell, Tyler Brant and Greg Smith leading the way on the mound.

Juniors Ty McMahan and Dylan Smith will also be called on to pitch.

Sophomore Andrew Livesay and freshmen Adam Pennington and Gavyn Ellet round out the pitching corps.

“Glidwell can throw and Smith and Brant can to,” Hanson said. “It will be how well our freshmen pitchers develop. We’ve got the pitching, if we can score runs.”

Pennington and Ellet both are exceptional lefthanded hurlers, Hanson said.

Glidewell will catch when not on the mound, Brant and Greg Smith will be in the infield, McMahan in the outfield and Dylan Smith in the infield. Livesay should be in the infield, Pennington in the outfield and Ellet at first base.

Other seniors expected to contribute are third baseman/catcher Anthony Crane and designated hitter/outfielder Kyle Stevens.

Other juniors on the roster are catcher/outfielder Gage Shelton and outfielder Aaron Lambdin.

Sophomores Nolen Baltzell will be in the outfield and Gary Pind in the infield.

Other freshmen hopefuls are utility/outfielder Brandon Pind and outfielder Levi Ford.

“We   have a mixture of 5 or 6 seniors with experience and new kids,” Hanson said. “There’s not much in the middle classes.”

Hanson looks for a three-team race in the South Egyptian Conference between the Redskins, Goreville and Cobden.

The Redskins have won three consecutive regional titles and three conference championships.

Hanson knows what to expect from the team’s past winning records.

“I think people are going to bring their “A” game each time they play us,” Hanson said. “We’ve got  to be ready to play every game.”

The Redskins open their season Friday, March 19, at Elverado.