Wampus Cats have questions to answer
According to Wampus Cat standards, Conway’s 2017 baseball season was a disappointment. Noel Boucher’s 33rd season atop the Wampus Cat program saw 10 starters return from a team that finished 23-8 and Class 7A state runner-up in 2016. After back-to-back trips to the championship game, a third state title was well within the realm of possibility — maybe even a probability. But it didn’t happen. The Wampus Cats finished 17-9 in 2017 and took third in the 7A Central at 9-5. The fourth seed from the Central to the Class 7A State Tournament, Conway lost to Rogers, fifth from the West, in the opening round, 9-5, to end the season. It was the Wampus Cats’ first finish outside Class 7A’s Final Four since 2009. “We just had some rough luck at the end of the year,” Boucher said. “That’s baseball. But we’ll throw it out and get going again this year.” With four senior starters returning for 2018, expect the Wampus Cats to return to more familiar territory this spring. Back in the starting lineup are senior catcher Jack Stroth, who in 25 games last season put together a fielding percentage of 1.000; senior pitcher/infielder Jordan Wicks, who had an ERA of 0.61 in 57 innings pitched and a .977 fielding percentage and batted .422 with 35 hits, 23 RBIs, 1 home run and 15 runs scored; senior infielder Matt Lloyd, who batted .293 with 15 RBIs and recorded a fielding percentage of .937; and senior outfielder Parker Gavazzi, who
hit .354 with 23 hits, 23 runs scored and 15 RBIs and delivered a .955 fielding percentage. Wicks has signed with Kansas State University in Manhattan, and Stroth with Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri. “We’ll be pretty strong up the middle,” Boucher said. “Jack Stroth is back catching. We’ve moved Matt Lloyd from second to shortstop, and Parker Gavazzi is still in center field. We feel good up the middle. “We’ve got a few young guys, and if they come on and do what they need to do, we’ll be fine.” Boucher was 658-246 heading into his 34th season as head coach of the Wampus Cats. “We should be competitive,” he said of his team’s prospects for 2018. “We will have an interesting mix of experienced and new players. “If our younger players fill their roles, we’ll be fine. If they do not progress as expected, it may be a long year.” The Wampus Cats have plenty of tradition to lead them since the birth of the program in 1985. In 34 seasons, Boucher, the only head coach in CHS history, has led them to two state championships (1989 and 2011); six state runner-up finishes (1993, ’94, ’99, 2007, ’15 and ’16); six state semifinal showings (1996, 2002, ’10, ’12, ’13 and ’14) — and zero losing seasons. Conway started 5-1 last year with wins over El Dorado, Bentonville, Rogers Heritage, Bentonville West and Fort Smith Southside. The Wampus Cats lost a 10-inning game to North Little Rock, 4-3, and followed that with wins over Arkadelphia, 12-0, and El Dorado, 10-0. They lost to Cabot, which went on to win the Class 7A state title, 1-0 in eight innings March 28 before losing the rematch three weeks later, 14-2. Boucher said Wicks will be the Wampus Cats’ ace this spring. As a junior, he allowed 42 hits and 11 runs (5 earned), walked 6 and struck out 80. He has the team’s best arm. Lloyd is the best fielder, with Gavazzi and junior outfielder Colby Cormell providing the best speed. Senior outfielder/pitcher Andrew Hreha will provide the best power at the plate. Pitching and defense will be team strengths, the coach said, but speed will be a weakness. In the 7A-Central, Conway will face Bryant, Cabot, Little Rock Central, Little Rock Catholic, North Little Rock, Fort Smith Northside and Fort Smith Southside. In 2017, Cabot was the league’s top seed en route to the Class 7A state title. North Little Rock, the second seed from the Central, reached the quarterfinals. Bryant, seeded third, lost to Cabot in the semifinals. Conway, seeded fourth, fell to Rogers in the opening round; Little Rock Catholic, seeded fifth, lost to Cabot in the quarters. Look for the league to be balanced in 2018. “I think Cabot had lots of young players, so they’re going to be pretty good again,” Boucher said. “Bryant had some good young players. We should see some good stuff out of North Little Rock. “I don’t know anybody who is absolutely terrible. A nice balance in the conference means any team can win any day. Those games will be fun.”