Seven starters return for Cobden baseball
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Cobden High School baseball team will attempt to build a winning team around seven returning starters from last season’s 20-10 squad.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Potentially, we could be pretty good offensively,” Cobden coach Craig Partridge said. “We’ve got more upperclassmen than underclassmen and we haven’t had that in a while.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The four senior starters returning are first baseman/pitcher Parker Flamm, catcher/outfielder Sam Cohen, outfielder/pitcher Cayden Childers and outfielder Guillermo Palmerin. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Junior starters returning are shortstop/pitcher Logan Spalt, outfielder/pitcher J.T. Moore, first baseman/designated hitter Jacob Furlow and shortstop/third baseman Theron Sweitzer.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The team’s other senior is catcher/third baseman/outfielder Jake Ellis.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Other juniors in the mix are outfielder Brandon Shields and third baseman/designated hitter Salvador Carmona.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sophomores include catcher/third baseman Dylan Duty, outfielders Austin Lewey and Raual Palmerin and second baseman/outfielder Trevor Middleton.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Freshmen hopefuls include outfielders Abe Lara-Godinez, Logan Thomas, Conner Allen and Clayton Eck and outfielder/pitcher John Russell.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Cobden lost its top pitcher Zach Moore to graduation last season, but this season Flamm, Childers, Spalt and J.T. Moore will take over duties on the mound. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Appleknockers finished 9-2 in the fall with the lone conference loss to Shawnee.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We had a good fall and we will build on that record,” Partridge said.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Partridge looks for the top spot in the South Egyptian Conference race to be between the Appleknockers and Shawnee.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Cobden was to have opened its season earlier this week against Elverado. The Appleknockers are scheduled to play Friday at home against Murphysboro and 10 a.m. at home Saturday against Tuscola. </span></p>