On one hand, Tyler Rogers lost his top two pitchers and a trio of players who had been stalwarts in his program.
On the other hand, there doesn’t figure to be too many folks feeling sorry for the veteran Nanih Waiya baseball coach as he heads into a new season.
Rogers and the Warriors will return six full-time starters from a state championship team and another starter from the 2016 season, and welcome a bevy of players who saw action a year ago and three newcomers on what could be one of his deepest teams.
Nanih Waiya opens its 2018 season Saturday with a pair of games in the Noxapater Classic, and expectations are high.
“We’ve got a ton of experience and some strong spots defensively and offensively,” Rogers said. “And we’ve got a lot of pitching. We don’t necessarily have as much experienced pitching, but we’ve got a lot of guys there with a lot of potential to help us.”
Nanih Waiya, which has won eight straight district titles, won MHSAA Class 1A state championships in 2011, 2012 and 2017.
Gone from the 2017 squad are pitchers/infielders Ben Cumberland and Brady Jones and outfielder Austin Richardson.
Cumberland hit .423 with a team-high four homers and 42 runs scored, he and Jones both drove in 29 runs and Richardson hit .329.
They made even bigger contributions on the mound. Jones was an innings-eater, going 10-0 with a 2.09 earned-run average and 70 strikeouts in 61 innings. Cumberland was 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA and six saves.
The well is far from dry, however, as seniors Bryce Stanton and Roper Ball and junior Jake Kight all won four games on the mound a year ago for the 28-3 Warriors. They combined for 73 strikeouts in 72 innings pitched.
The supply of arms doesn’t stop there, either. Junior Tanner Luke is back after missing nearly all of the 2017 season; junior Gabe Sciple transferred from Kemper Academy after winning a team-best six games there last year; and junior Coley Taylor and sophomore Tylan Glass head up a list of at least another half-dozen Warriors who could see time on the mound.
Offensively, Taylor is back after leading the team with a .467 batting average as a sophomore. He also scored 37 runs and drove in 25, while Ball hit .413 with 33 runs scored.
They’ll likely man second base and shortstop most of the time to provide a strong middle for the Warriors which also includes senior Dalton Luke behind the plate and Stanton in center field. Luke hit .340 with 29 runs scored last year while Stanton hit .356 with 29 runs and 24 RBIs.
Tanner Luke started at third base for the 2016 state semifinalist team, when he hit .407. Senior Charner Estes could see time at first base, as could Kight – who may play second or third when not pitching after hitting .322 with 26 runs scored a year ago.
Senior Chris Smith hit .291 with 17 runs and 18 RBIs last year and could be the left-fielder, while sophomore Shia Moore hit .286 in 43 plate appearances last year and could be in right field.
“Once we get everyone out here (four Warriors have yet to join practice because they’re involved in the state basketball playoffs), those are the guys we’re looking at,” Rogers said. “But we’ve got so many guys that could help or contribute. It’s a good problem to have. We may be able to pitch some guys without having to play them somewhere else and we may be as deep as we’ve been.”
Glass and junior Kaleb Rigdon are two of those Warriors who could see time, while newcomers Sciple, junior Jordan Higginbotham and sophomore Jody McCorkle were all big contributors in their previous programs.
Juniors Cody Clark and Nic Goodin are also vying for time, as are sophomores Nick Jowers, Trevor Holdiness, Dawson Eaves and Isaiah Conner.
Taylor Higginbotham, Austin Sanders and Tatum Luke headline a big freshman class which also includes Ethan Dailey, Colby Wright, Prentiss Eaves and John Tabor Stokes.
“We’ve really got a lot of guys who can play and we’re excited about this season,” Rogers said.
The Warriors’ home opener is set for Tuesday, Feb. 27 against Eupora.
