Baseball team working hard in preseason

There is no shortage of hard work happening in preseason practices for the Siloam Springs baseball team.

The Panthers have been working out full-time since early January, and first-year head coach Alan Hardcastle is pleased with what he's seen so far.

"A lot of great effort," Hardcastle said. "They're busting their butts. They're working hard. They're showing up early, then staying late. We're getting a lot of good quality at-bats in. We're intra-sqadding. Every day we're getting better."

Hardcastle was hired last summer after spending the 2014 baseball season as an assistant at Mountain Home. Hardcastle, the Panthers' third head coach in three seasons, inherits a team that has won just two games each of the last two years.

Hardcastle said part of the transition has been trying to change the team's mentality.

"I feel like we're tough on them when we need to be tough," Hardcastle said. "We're starting to see the kids relax more and just play the game. We can compete with anybody we play, and we're not going to back down from anybody."

Preseason numbers have been down so far because four players are still playing basketball, and several others did not stick with the program.

Depth in the field could be an issue as the season grows long, but Hardcastle is also hoping players develop along the way.

"Depth is where we're going to struggle at," Hardcastle said. "If someone goes down, the next person up ... who's it going to be?"

The Panthers are excited about 6-foot-4 left-hander Raiff Beever, who is the team's only senior and projected No. 1 pitcher.

Beever led the Panthers with 44 innings pitched last season and had some bright moments, such as a 3-2 complete game victory against Springdale. Beever also threw a one-hitter in a 1-0 loss at Van Buren.

Beever, who throws in the mid-80 mph range, had 52 strikeouts in 44 innings, but he also struggled with his control.

"I told (Raiff) we go out and throw strikes, everybody's going to make the routine plays and 80 percent of the spectacular and do what you can do and everybody else will take care of the rest," Hardcastle said. "I think there will be a big difference in Raiff."

Sophomore Chandler Cook will likely be the No. 2 starter. Cook, who threw 26 innings, picked up a win against Gravette last season.

"He's got a great arm," Hardcastle said. "He's probably 82 to 83 (mph) off the bump. As a sophomore he's going to win a lot of games and keep us in a lot of games."

Cook will help the Panthers in other areas as well. He's projected as the starting third baseman, but he can also play shortstop, second base or in the outfield. He might also have a role at catcher.

"He's just an all-around athlete," Hardcastle said. "I told them I needed another backup catcher, and Cook already had the gear on. He said, 'Coach, I'll do whatever I can for the team.'"

Juniors Zac Bolstad, Matthew McSpadden, Cole Reed, Dodge Pruitt and sophomores Dawson Armstrong, Chance Junkermann, Josh Hunt, Logan Hamilton and Eli Hawbaker will also see time on the mound.

"The arms are starting to get stronger," Hardcastle said. "The pitchers are about where I want them to be. We constantly throw two to three 'pens a week. They get a lot of shoulder work in. There's no complaints about arms, and if there is, two days later they're fine. We've made it through all the dead arms and gotten into a good long-toss program."

Behind the plate, the Panthers will use Pruitt and McSpadden along with Cook.

Pruitt can also play third base along with Peyton Anderson, Kyle Comiskey and Cook.

Comiskey, Hunt, Junkermann and Harrison Kretzer are all candidates to man first base.

McSpadden is the likely starter at second base, with Cook, Bolstad and Hawbaker all capable at the position.

Bolstad is the likely starter at shortstop, while McSpadden and Cook could see time there when Bolstad is on the mound.

"They play together," Hardcastle said. "They're fundamentally sound. They're going to make errors, but they're not going to let it eat them up. They're going to make the routine plays and a lot of the spectacular. When we need them to pitch, they can come in and close it down. They can come in, throw a lot of strikes and make you beat us."

Reed, Armstrong, Beever, Hamilton, Cook, Pruitt all can play in the outfield depending on who is pitching and who is catching.

"Defensively when those guys get out there from basketball, we're going to be pretty solid," Hardcastle said. "It's going to be a make a world of difference."

The Panthers' benefit game against Gentry on Saturday was cancelled. SSHS opens the season Monday at Springdale.

The Panthers will play in the 7A/6A-Central Conference and they'll play conference doubleheaders against 7A teams Conway, defending 7A state champion Bryant, Little Rock Catholic and Van Buren.

Siloam Springs will play home-and-home series with 6A schools Alma, Greenwood and defending 6A champion Russellville, which ended Siloam Springs' season in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs last year.

"We're playing the returning 7A state champion in Bryant and the returning 6A champion in Russellville, and they've got guys coming back. ... We've got a tough schedule this year. There's really no cupcakes."