Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Cardinals’ Hill looks for strong finish
FARMINGTON — Trey Hill is eager for a final shot at winning a state championship after Farmington was eliminated last year in the semifinals of the Class 4A state baseball tournament.
Hill has been a fixture as a four-year starter at catcher for the Cardinals (18-7-1), who won the regular season and 4A-1 Conference tournament. Hill is a talented player who’ll continue his baseball career next season at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. But his focus this week is on the 4A-North Regional Tournament at Morrilton, where the Cardinals will face Heber Springs at 3 p.m. today. From there, Farmington hopes for another chance in the state tournament after being eliminated 8-2 by Magnolia in last year’s semifinals.
“We have a lot of talent on this team,” Hill said. “I believe if we keep working together we can go a long ways. We have the grit and the determination to do it.”
Hill (5-11, 200) pounds is a power hitter who belted a grand slam when Farmington beat Shiloh Christian 13-3 in the conference championship game. Hill has eight home runs on the season, including two three-run shots against Pea Ridge on April 15, and is batting .507 with an on-base percentage of .629.
“Trey is a great leader and a mentor to his teammates,” said Farmington Coach Jay Harper, who surpassed 300 career wins last month. “He is the captain on the field and does a great job with our pitching staff. Trey’s work ethic is second to none; he continues to work after practice with other starters to make sure they do everything possible to be prepared for our next opponent.”
Hill experienced one of the wildest games of his four-year career when Farmington beat Huntsville 15-14 to win 4A-1 Conference championship. Hill slammed a three-run home run during a 12-run outburst in the first inning. Huntsville rallied to take a 14-13 lead before Farmington won 15-14 with the help of a Huntsville error in the seventh inning. While excited for the win, Hill said the game was a reminder that any letdown can lead to disaster, especially during postseason play when teams are often one loss away from having their season ended.
“We scored 13 runs then kind of lost a little bit of focus,” Hill said. “We’ve got to start from the first inning and go to the seventh every single game or we’re going to lose out and the season will be over.”
Hill is excited he’ll be able to continue his baseball career at UALR. The University of Arkansas’ recent decision to play in-state schools means the Trojans will visit Baum Stadium next season to face the Razorbacks.
“This fall I’ll be able to come back and play at Baum, and I’m sure my friends and family will be there,” Hill said. “It’ll be a good experience. But my goal is to be a big-leaguer one day and I think Arkansas-Little Rock is the place for me to develop, and become the teammate and person I need to be for the next level.”