Last season, the Central Arkansas Christian Mustangs couldn’t seem to get hot in all aspects of the game at the same time, leaving them with a 15-15 overall record.
“Our record was a bit misleading,” third-year head coach Ryan Stauder said. “We were a very talented team but lost quite a few close ball games — four of those being 1-0.”
Although the team finished third in the 5A Southwest conference and lost a close game to Harrison in the first round of the state tournament, consistency proved to be problematic for the Mustangs.
“I had a great group of guys, and they battled day in and day out, but we couldn’t put all phases of the game together for an extended period of time,” Stauder said. “Overall, we were a very good ball club and had the talent to advance further in the state tournament; it just didn’t come together for us.”
This season, however, the senior-laden team will bring experience and toughness to the table, Stauder said.
“Many of the seniors have been starting since their freshman or sophomore years and have been through the ups and downs that a season may bring,” he added. “These guys are battle-tested, and I think that will be a huge asset come playoff time, and the rest of our team will feed off of the experience and toughness of our seniors.”
As far as strengths on the field, Stauder expects his team to be very good on the mound and bring a lot of “speed and athleticism.”
“One of our team goals is to always put pressure on the other team, and this year our speed/athleticism should be able to help us accomplish that,” he said. “Most guys in our order should be capable of stealing bases and covering a lot of ground on defense.”
Stauder said being consistent from a defensive standpoint could prove to be a weakness this year with many players changing positions and starting defensively for the first time while filling the vacant positions left by four students who graduated last year.
“Defensive execution comes when nine guys can work as one unit, and it may take us a bit to get to that point,” Stauder said.
The Mustangs will open conference play against Pulaski Robinson on March 14, and Stauder said his team should hit its stride just in time.
“The 7-4A will be a very tough conference, and wins will not come easy, as many of the teams are very good ball clubs,” he added. “I do feel confident, however, that my kids will be up to the challenge and put themselves in position to be successful come March 14.”
Best Hitter for Average: Junior Jack Thomas: “He’s a great contact hitter that has the ability to hit the ball to all fields,” Stauder said. “[He] will hit in the middle of our lineup or toward the top.”
Best Power Hitter: [Senior] Joey Pinney has led our team with 14 home runs the past two seasons,” Stauder said.
Best Speed: Stauder mentioned both junior Jack Partlow and senior Turner McDaniel. “Both will cover a lot of ground in the outfield and will steal plenty of bases,” Stauder said.
Best Fielder: Senior Travis Byrne, along with Thomas and Pinney, are expected to be standouts in the field. “Travis is one of the best defensive catchers in the state, and Jack and Joey have been solid defenders their entire careers,” Stauder said.
Best Arm: Pinney: “[He] will pitch comfortably in the mid- to upper-80s and has been our No. 1 the past few seasons,” the coach said.
Overall, Stauder is confident that his players will work to “put themselves in position to have a lot of success this year.”
“I know our guys are going to come out and play good, hard baseball,” he said. “They will work, too. If a few things go our way, we could be a team that is a factor all the way until the end, but I know it’s going to be tough with a lot of quality baseball being played at the 4A level.”