Work remains for Tigers
Bentonville enjoyed a 2-0 start in 7A-West Conference play thanks to Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of Fort Smith Northside, but the Tigers have to wait for two weeks to build on that league mark.
In the meantime, there’s still enough to keep the team busy. Bentonville (5-1) will play a nonconference game Friday at Webb City, Mo., then head to Florida for games over its spring break week.
“It was a great way to start off with those two wins in conference,” Bentonville coach Todd Abbott said. “Now we have four or five games between now and then to work on some things and try to solidify our lineup.
“We still have five or six guys, whether they be outfielders or some infielders, where we’re looking to find that right mix, especially offensively. We want to see who can get out there and give us some productive at-bats, and that’s hard to do in the high school season.”
The Tigers even added another player into that mix this week as sophomore Kam’Ron Mays-Hunt joined the team upon completion of the basketball season. He had a pinch-runner’s role in the first game, then played at shortstop and hit leadoff in the second game against Northside.
— Henry Apple • @NWAHenry
War Eagles still searching for consistency
Rogers Heritage coach Mitch Cameron likes the way his team has swung the bats for the most part, but the War Eagles still have some unanswered questions in other aspects.
“I’m kind of surprised at how we’ve swung it,” Cameron said. “We’ve swung it better than expected, so I’m pleased with that. As far as pitchers, we kind of knew who are starters would be. But who that reliever will be, we’re kind of still looking for that.”
Defense has definitely been an issue so far, or lack of it, Cameron said.
“We’ve looked at some different combinations defensively and we’re still making three or four errors a game,” Cameron said. “We’re still searching at some key spots. But I think we’re getting better and I told the guys we’ve got a long ways to go in this thing. But I like their attitudes. They come to work every day.”
Cameron is still looking to shore up the left side of the infield when regulars Logan Easley and Dylan Qualls go to the mound. In addition, juniors Ethan Gates and Kaleb Gavin are still battling for the starting catcher’s spot, Cameron said.
Heritage (3-2, 1-1 7A-West Conference) split its first two league games with Springdale High and will play four games in Orlando, Fla. over spring break next week.
— Paul Boyd • @NWAPaulB
Mounties off to hot start
Rogers High coach Matt Melson knows every time senior left-hander Harrison Heffley takes the mound, his Mounties have a good chance to walk off the field a winner. The Arkansas signee is an ace every team would love to have.
But Melson’s team is more than a one-pitcher wonder. The Mounties (5-0, 1-1 7A-West) are a whisker away from being undefeated headed into a spring break trip to Arizona. Rogers opened conference play with a 6-3 win against Springdale Har-Ber at Veterans Park on Monday, but lost a tough 5-4 decision to Har-Ber in Tuesday’s second game.
The Mounties had chances to complete the opening series sweep, but could not hold a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning and squandered several scoring chances. But the bright spot the team can take is a rally from a 2-0 first inning deficit on the road.
“We battled back and battled back,” Melson said. “I thought our guys showed a lot of resiliency. I thought it was a well-played game by two teams that played real hard.”
The Mounties got a strong effort from relief pitcher Evan Dobler, who came on with two out in the second inning and did a solid job the rest of the way.
“He kept them off balance a little bit,” Melson said of Dobler. “He battled, gutted it out, which kind of epitomizes what we’ve seen of this team so far. I’m excited about what’s to come. I think we’ve got a bright future if we continue to battle like we did today.”
The Mounties will leave Saturday for Arizona to play in the prestigious Coach Bob Invitational in Phoenix, Ariz., next week. Rogers will return to conference play at home Monday, March 28 against Fort Smith Northside.
— Chip Souza • @NWAChip
Purple’Dogs start slow
If there was any question if Fayetteville would continue its reign atop the 7A-West Conference in dominant fashion as had been the case in recent years, those questions were quickly answered in a bad way for the Purple Bulldogs this week.
Fayetteville carried a 43-game regular season conference win streak into Monday and Tuesday’s games against Fort Smith Southside, dating back to the 2012 season. Both games against the Rebels were played in Fayetteville due to poor field conditions in Fort Smith. That didn’t make enough difference, as Fayetteville dropped both games to Southside, 6-3 on Monday and 6-4 on Tuesday.
Ace pitcher Joey Savin was tagged for four runs on eight hits in the Monday 7A-West opener, although just two runs were earned, and the Bulldogs were forced to play catch-up most of the day in both games before dropping both games, now sitting at the 0-2 mark in the 7A-West for the first time since 2012.
The Purple’Dogs, now just 2-6 overall after a 1-3 finish at the Collin County Invitational in Allen and McKinney Texas, coupled with a 4-3, 10-inning nonconference win over Little Rock Central, now play another tough weekend tournament at the Perfect Game Spring Swing in Emerson, Ga. on Friday and Saturday.
— Vernon Tarver • @NWAVernon