Difficult schedule could prove beneficial for Cardinals
The Haskell Harmony Grove baseball team has faced some tough competition in the early goings of the 2018 season. So while the team’s record was 1-4 at the time of this interview, it doesn’t truly represent the Cardinals. “I feel like we are a very tough baseball team,” coach Brandon Mynhier said. “I want to play quality opponents, and I want to challenge these guys.” Harmony Grove lost to Conway Christian as the result of a walk-off, and the Cardinals played Malvern closely before losing 9-4. They also challenged 6A El Dorado before falling 4-1 and lost to Lake Hamilton in another close game. “Our record shows 1-4, but had things panned out a little different, we could be 2-3 or 3-2,” Mynhier said. “It is good to see them fight and accept the challenge.” Mynhier said he hopes that once the Cardinals reach the playoffs and face people in the conference, the team will be in prime condition. “I want it to be the standard all season long,” Mynhier said. “I want us to battle, play and really get into ballgames. When we get to the regional tournament and face teams like Bald Knob or Mayflower, they are going to put up a fight. “When we reach state, we might see teams like Harding or Manila. There are all these great baseball teams, and we want to be right there with them.” The reason is that the ultimate goal for Mynhier and the Cardinals is to make it to the state championship. “We want to play at Baum,” the coach said. “A lot of these guys have been here several years, and we feel like we have a squad that can go and compete, strive and work for it every day. “That’s our goal.” Last year, Harmony Grove lost 3-2 to Manila in the first round of the state tournament. For the two years prior to last season, the Cardinals made it to the semifinals. “We work on implementing hard work all the time,” Mynhier said. “A lot of these guys tasted what it is like to go that far, and we don’t [want to lose] again. “We expect to play far beyond that this year.” One of the biggest strengths for the Cardinals this season will be their depth at pitching. Senior starter Hunter Hilson returns after leading the team on the mound last year. “Jared Toler has stepped up for us so far this year,” Mynhier said. “He has thrown well as a sophomore, and James McCormick was an all-conference pitcher as a freshman and has shown promise this year. “They work hard in practice all the time. They don’t ever take off reps, and when given the opportunity, they came through.” The coach said Toler started pitching in the JV games last year but was quickly moved to the varsity level. “He was just dominant all year long,” Mynhier said. “He was a tall, lanky freshman but had enough poise to come in and close.” Hilson was 4-1 last year with a 2.56
ERA. He struck out 72 batters and walked 27. McCormick was 3-0 with a 1.91 ERA, issuing 21 strikeouts and 6 walks. Toler made three appearances, finishing with a 2.10 ERA, 9 strikeouts and 8 walks. “We are deeper than we have ever been. It is really a nice luxury to have,” Mynhier said. “Logan Gartin and Braden Carman have a couple of outings so far this year and have looked good. “Junior Christian Young is a left-hander, and freshman Chase Chilton throws hard. He is going to see a lot of innings. It is just a great luxury.” Carman, a senior, leads the team offensively, batting lead-off. Last year, Carman batted .381 with 23 RBIs, 32 hits and 24 runs scored. Mynhier said sophomore catcher Hayden Hilson has a strong bat as well. “We have had a couple of guys who have stepped up lately and proved they deserve a shot,” the coach said. “Juniors Elijah King and Ethan Wilson have played well and come out big in the outfield. They have had big hits, and both have thrown out runners at the plate.” Toler has “a lot of pop and is a good hitter,” Mynhier said. As a freshman, Toler batted .309 with 23 RBIs and 15 runs scored. “We are excited about our offense,” Mynhier said. “We have a lot of guys contributing, and we have faced a lot of these teams’ best pitchers. “Competition makes you better, so we are excited about that.” Still, Mynhier said he is worried about the Cardinals’ mental approach to the plate. “Skillwise, we have worked a lot in the cage,” he said, “but in the early goings, we have struggled offensively. Physically and skillwise, we are OK, but our mental approach to our at-bats needs to improve.”