Coach confident about Miners’ 2018 lineup

BY SAM PIERCE STAFF WRITER

The Bauxite Miners might have finished just shy of .500 recordwise last year, but coach Michael Mattox said that reflects more on the strength of their schedule and not the team itself. “Our schedule was one of the toughest schedules we have had in a while,” Mattox said. “Every year, we have been trying to improve our competition. Our conference produced the state champion last year in Nashville. “We weren’t necessarily a bad ball team. We just got behind in some games where we didn’t get out to a great start and fell short at the end.” Bauxite finished 13-14 overall last year but lost in the first round of the district tournament to Ashdown. “We were pretty happy with our pitching and defense,” Mattox said. “It stayed consistent. Our record is a reflection of the competition, not the team.” Junior Jacob Levart will move from catcher to pitcher this year. When he isn’t pitching, Levart will play at shortstop. Last year, Levart batted .242 with 3 home runs, 11 runs scored and 9 RBIs. He pitched just 9 innings but had an ERA of 2.33 with 17 strikeouts. “He pitched very few innings, but he pitched a lot this summer,” Mattox said. “He is becoming a starting pitcher. “Last year, we used him more in relief. He gives us that power presence that we try to have. He is that kid.” Mattox said Levart is trying to locate his fastball a little bit better and has a really good slider. “We have been working to develop his changeup — he threw it a lot this summer,” Mattox said. “Once he starts hitting spots with his fastball, he is going to be tough to beat.” Sawyer Webb, who transferred from Benton High School, “has a pretty good arm,” Mattox said. “He will probably be our No. 2 guy,” the coach said. “He will play second base when he is not pitching and short when Jacob is pitching. “He has to learn both spots.” In the season opener against Poyen High School on Feb. 27, Webb finished the night with two hits. The Miners defeated the Indians 12-3 after the game was called in the fifth inning as a result of the weather. “He uses the whole field at the plate,” Mattox said. Junior Marshall Golleher will take over at first base. “He has been working hard and staying after practice,” Mattox said. “He has good mechanics, as far as fielding the ball, and has improved a lot at the plate.” Competing for third base are senior Cooper Wright, sophomore Logan Sullivan and freshman Austin Hillis. “Cooper is playing basketball right now, but he gives us power in the lineup and has a quick glove,” Mattox said at the time of this interview. “Logan is playing it now. He started for us last night and played it well.” Mattox said Hillis will also be used as a designated hitter. “We have a lot of options at third base,” he said. Mattox said he was happy with what he saw in the season opener. “We were exceptionally good with two strikes at the plate,” he said. “We battled out from being behind, had some timely hits, and we played really good defense. “With so many guys playing, we feel like we are going to improve as the season moves forward.” Mattox said this is a group of players that as they play, they get more comfortable in their roles. “We are replacing some of our better seniors, and we are going to have a different look on defense,” Mattox said, “but our lineup is a lot stronger and as deep as it has ever been. “One through nine can give us some production.” Mattox said the team will also have depth at pitching. “We’ve got a lot of guys who can come in and throw strikes,” Mattox said. “Our offense is going to be more of a strength than it has in the past.” He said Bauxite has put a lot of emphasis on hitting. “We have worked all winter long,” Mattox said. “They have really bought into our approach and timing. “This group has played a lot of baseball. It is just a quality group.”