The Fredericktown baseball team has a lot to live up to this spring, coming off a season in which the Freddies took home a district title and finished with 24 wins.
They also tied for first in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference (KMAC), going 13-1. The 2021 Freddies' season ended with a tough 3-2 loss to Barnesville in the regional semifinal of the Division III tournament.
The Freddies and Highland have shared the KMAC title for the past three seasons, and as both teams finished 13-1 last year, both teams lost only to each other in conference play. Both teams should be competing for the top spot again this season, but Fredericktown baseball coach Ryan Hathaway knows that the road will be tough throughout.
“Our goal this season is to continue defending our district championships and league titles that other classes have worked hard to accomplish these last five years,” said Hathaway. “I think our schedule is going to be challenging every game out, and it’s important that we learn how to bring it every game.”
The Freddies will be counting on a large junior class to carry the team on the mound, with Hathaway saying the team has the most depth at pitcher that he has had in seven years of coaching. This means there will be a range of pitchers toeing the rubber early in the season to help manage their arms for the postseason.
“I am looking for Kaid Carpenter and Ben Mast to be our top two on the mound, with Luke Bean acting in a reliever-closer role,” Hathaway said.
Carpenter was first-team KMAC and All-District last season as a pitcher and shortstop. In 46 innings pitched, he had a 2.50 ERA with a 7-1 record and 62 strikeouts. Bean had a 2.80 ERA in 16 appearances.
On offense, Hathaway said the team will need to play small ball, moving runners when needed and limiting the amount of strikeouts. Brady Lester will be leading off again this year and is looking to follow up what was a solid sophomore season. Last year, the outfielder was first-team KMAC and All-District, hitting .419 with 44 hits, nine doubles, three triples and 40 runs scored.
Seniors Alex Selby and Trevor Jobes will be expected to lead the squad by example. Others to keep an eye on are Xavier Mullins and Braden Sapp.
“Our biggest challenge this season will be replacing three players who were four-year letter winners, a three-year letterman and two other seniors who stepped up last year and became starters on our team,” Hathaway said.
Hathaway said that he feels most of the players can play the game, but sometimes they need to be guided to grasp the inner workings. He said the team’s practice is tailored to game situations, and they try to practice at a level where they will be ready when the time comes to make a play in a game.
“We have developed our system through learning as much as we can from other teams and coaches,” Hathaway said. “Every team is different, so we are always trying to evaluate what needs to be worked on, and from each game we try to take those things we did well or bad and work those the next opportunity we get in practice.”
This is the seventh year Hathaway has been in the coaching spot for the Freddies, and prior to that he spent three years as an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. Hathaway is a Fredericktown graduate from the class of 2008, and he played baseball at the University of Charleston from 2008-2012.
Over the years, Hathaway has coached some true talent, including Trace Hatfield, who played at University of Toledo, and his brother Ty, who is currently a freshman at Tiffin University. Hathaway said what set them apart as players is that they put the work in to improve their game during the offseason.
“It's not enough to practice and play your high school season only,” said Hathaway. “We want all our players to be multi-sport athletes, so that means sacrificing other things to make sure you get your work in for baseball in the offseason. It's a lot of work, but it can be done, and we have three or four guys right now that I think can play at the next level.”
Fredericktown started the season as a scoring machine, winning four and tying one in its first five games while lighting up the scoreboard for 19, 17, 14 , 13 and eight runs in their first five, an average of 14 runs per contest. Now 6-1-1 on the young season, the pitching has held up in six of the first eight games, combining for three shutouts, three one-run games a five-run loss and a 13-run flood, in which the offense bailed the Freddies out with 13 runs of their own (in a tie against Wynford).
