Last month (Jan 19), the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA) released their preseason ranking for 2016, and just like last year’s poll Valle Catholic and Greenville sit atop the list.
1. Valle Catholic
2. Greenville
3. New Bloomfield
4. West Platte
5. Bernie
6. Scotland County
7. Westran
8. Crocker
9. Linn
10. Galena
The stage for a sectional rematch between Greenville Bears and Valle Catholic has been set. Last spring, after defeating the Bears, Valle Catholic went on to win the 2015 State Championships Class 2. Of course anything can happen in baseball but there is high probability that the two teams could, again, meet up at the Sectional Playoff Game on May 23rd .
It should be an exciting season as Greenville returns from their undefeated fall season (22-0 & Ozark Foothills Conference Champions). Their probable pitching rotation includes:
Trey McDaniel, 2017 (7-0 last fall with .17 ERA)
Trynt Tompkins, 2016 (6-0, 1.86 ERA)
Ben Becker, 2016 (3-0, 1.94 ERA)
Grant Miller, 2016 (3-0, 6.2 ERA)
Cody Jackson, 2016 (2-0, 1.75 ERA).
Last fall the Bears pitched 138 innings and allowed only 50 runs. Likely fielding 6 seniors and 2 juniors, the Bears will have more experience on the field than any of their past 4 years.
With 6 of his players already committing to play post High School baseball, Bears’ Head Coach Jeff Null posted on social media earlier this week:
It has been a busy few days for Bears Baseball. Congrats to all of the boys in continuing their baseball careers.
Trynt Tompkins – signed with Mineral Area
Grant Miller – signed with Three Rivers
Trey McDaniel – Verbal commit to SEMO
Blakeney Kearbey- signed to Jeff Co.
Ben Becker – walking on at Belmont
Jake Doris – Lindenwood-Bellville
Greenville, who lost only two games in 2015 (44-2), lost one regular season game and the sectional playoff game versus Valle Catholic. The spring season has a tough 25-game schedule with games against Bernie, Perryville, Sikeston, and three games in Kentucky at the Graves County Wood Bat tournament.
In true Greenville fashion, the first game of their spring season (March 21) has them matched up against the only team who defeated the Bears during last twelve months of regular season play: Dexter Bearcats.