How a young Battle baseball squad looks to build a new core in 2022

Battle baseball achieved one of its most productive seasons in program history in 2021.

The Spartans were 13-12-1, played strong defense and boasted an experienced core.

The majority of that core, however, has since graduated.

"We're very young. We're inexperienced," Battle coach Joe Henderson said. "We're a very small squad compared to Hickman and Rock Bridge."

So how does Henderson's young team fit into Columbia and mid-Missouri competition?

"We'll be the team that everyone should beat," Henderson said. "But you're going to sleep just a little bit."

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That smidge of sleep is what Battle wants to take advantage of.

Especially as its young players get a trial by fire.

A handful of starters on Henderson's team are new to varsity baseball, getting their first taste while starting the season 1-5 heading into spring break.

That record is due in part to a grueling early slate that included four teams with at least five wins: Fort Zumwalt East, Parkway West, Park Hill South and Troy Buchannan.

Battle's lone win came in resounding fashion, 15-0 over Wright City.

Pitcher Brenden Alton threw a one-hit gem as the Spartans' offense clicked. Seven players recorded at least one hit, while five players posted multiple hits. Ryan Schoeneberg had a five-RBI outing, which included a three-run homer.

Battle picked itself up and dusted itself off after double-digit losses to Parkway West, Hannibal and Troy Buchanan.

The loss to Parkway West was an eight-inning affair that featured the Longhorns scoring 18 runs in the top of the eighth, something Henderson said he's never seen before in his four decades of coaching.

Games like those, the wins and losses, are about Battle finding its identity.

"It's the guys trying to figure out who they are, what they are, as they compete for positions," Henderson said. "We were so successful last year and you lose your core. You've got to figure it out all again."

Figuring that identity out will come down to the leaders on the Battle team.

Raye Kennon, Noah Fuller and Seth Wray are players Henderson pointed to as returnees who are key to the squad.

The Spartans' pitching staff by committee hasn't established an ace yet, the coach said.

"We don't have anyone that can throw four, five, six innings," Henderson said. "We're going with 14 pitchers."

Over the course of the season, as experience grows and players get more comfortable in their roles, stars could be waiting in the wings, Henderson said.

And once that happens, Battle could take opponents by surprise.

"We're dangerous," Henderson said. "But it's going to take us a while."

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at [email protected] or 435-414-3261.

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How a young Battle baseball squad looks to build a new core in 2022