Shawnee baseball aiming for eighth straight regional title

The Shawnee High School baseball team will be competing for its eighth consecutive regional title this spring.

“Our goal is to win eight in a row and after that we’ll go wherever it takes us,” Shawnee baseball coach Chad Pitts said. “We lost some significant players,” he noted.

He was referring to pitchers Gavyn Ellet and Adam Pennington, who graduated last spring. “We won’t have those power arms back,” Pitts said.

The Redskins were 22-7 last season and finished third at the IHSA Class 1A state tournament.

Shawnee does have one power arm coming back in senior Aiden McMahan. He will also catch when not on the mound.

Senior third baseman Austin Treece is also a returning starter the Redskins will count on. He led the team in hitting last season.

Pitts will also be looking to get some innings on the mound from senior left-hander Ryan Ochoa and sophomores Nick Crane and Dylan Boston.

Ochoa is recovering from an arm injury. He is also an outfielder. Nick Crane will catch and Boston will play shortstop when not on the mound.

Other returning starters from last year’s squad are senior outfielder Justin Goodman and junior outfielder Michael Crane.

Junior second baseman Hunter Myers also has some starting experience. “We return quite a bit from last year,” Pitts said.

Other juniors expected to contribute are outfielders Logan McMahan and Jesse Ballance.

Other sophomores on the roster are first baseman/pitcher T.J. Foeste, second baseman/outfielder Hunter Smithey, first baseman/outfielder Brady Reynolds and outfielders Shane Burdick, Eli Baltzell and Lucas Matlock.

A trio of freshmen include outfielders Nick Baltzell and Zach Phelps and third baseman Wyatt Hassebrock.

Pitts sees Century and his own squad as the top teams in the South Egyptian Conference race this spring.

“Century is capable of beating us,” he said. “The conference (race) should be between us and them.”

Shawnee is scheduled to open its season at home Saturday against Tuscola.