Warhawks have new leader flying point

The Mount Vernon-Enola Warhawks baseball team heads into 2018 with a new coach who has high expectations. “I would like to lay a foundation for future groups to be successful on the diamond,” coach Joshua Zarlingo said. Zarlingo has started his first year as the Warhawks’ head coach, but this isn’t his first time coaching. He has been coaching baseball for four years and was the assistant high school coach at Stuttgart. Zarlingo has taken the helm of a team that has seen great success recently. Last season, the Warhawks made it all the way to the semifinals of the state tournament, where they lost 2-1 to Taylor. “They made it to the semifinals and got beat by Taylor in a 2-1 pitcher’s duel,” Zarlingo said. “The expectations will be high because of that. My expectations are high, but I do know that we will have to replace a lot [of players]. “This is my first year. I do know that we lost the catcher, first baseman, shortstop and a good pitcher from last year.” Zarlingo said the game against South Side Bee Branch will be one to watch this season. He pointed out that South Side is always a good team. The Warhawks had an overall record of 13-7 last season, including a 3-1 conference record. They consistently held their opponent below five runs, except on a few instances, including the offensive outburst of a game against Sacred Heart. The Warhawks came up short in this 25-20 game. The Warhawks opened the state tournament against Mammoth Spring, winning 8-7. They then won the next two games comfortably, beating Lead Hill 14-7 and Ouachita 9-2. They would come up just short against Taylor with a shot to the finals on the line.