New coach is ‘hugely optimistic’ about season
Matt Long is Morrilton’s new baseball coach for a team that lost five starters to graduation in the tough 5A West Conference. That doesn’t faze him. “I’m hugely optimistic,” he said. Long was the Ozark High School baseball coach before coming to Morrilton to take over the Devil Dogs team. Prior to the Ozark position, he was at Russellville High School for seven years. At Morrilton, he will rely on assistant coaches Caleb Powers and Eric Robinson. Long said he was attracted to the Morrilton position because Athletic Director Trent Tipton, a friend of Long’s for the past 25 years, asked him to apply. “He was a previous coaching companion of mine at Russellville,” Long said. “What first drew me were the people I was going to work with and work for.” Former baseball coach Todd Sparks transitioned to assistant softball coach. “He has a senior daughter and a freshman daughter who play softball,” Long said. The Devil Dogs, 8-18 in the 2017 season, have four returning starters: seniors Jaren Hill and Connor Boyle, junior Austin Williams and sophomore Carson Collins. “Obviously, we’re looking for big things out of Carson because he started as a ninth-grader. He’s going to help us by pitching as well; he’s just a big factor because he can play shortstop and can play second base. He’s going to be a special talent as a sophomore. No matter where you’re at, if you can start as a ninth-grader in the 5A West, you’re a special player.” Hill is the team’s power hitter, Long said. The coach’s son, junior Maddox Long, will be an integral part of the team, too. “My son is an addition; obviously, he came with me,” Long said. He said Maddox, a 6-4, 205-pound right-hander, will be the team’s pitcher, catcher and first baseman. “He’s a consistent hitter at the plate. Where we’re depending on him the most is on the mound. “Boyle is going to be about a .400 hitter; he’ll probably be our lead-off hitter. He’s a heck of an offensive threat,” Long said, adding that he’s the team’s best fielder. Boyle signed in February to play baseball at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville. Maddox Long, Boyle and Dylan White will be the three keys to winning games, the coach said. White, a junior, played football last year but not baseball. His return will be a big boost to the team, Long said. “Him coming back to the baseball team was huge, because he’s going to be one of our top pitchers; he’s going to be one of our top hitters,” Long said. He said White will be able to play three or four positions on the infield. Williams and Carnell Green, a sophomore, have speed that will be invaluable to the team, the coach said. “Austin and Carnell — they’ll be big parts of our outfield; both those kids can run, especially Williams. Austin Williams is going to be able to run faster than 90 percent of the average of a college kid; he can fly. He’ll be a big part of our stolen bases,” Long said. “Carnell is a sophomore who has not ever played in a varsity game in his life, but he has improved as much or more as anyone. Carnell has a big strong arm.” The Devil Dogs’ schedule doesn’t include any gimmes, the coach said. “They scheduled a murderers’ row for conference and nonconference. We don’t ever have a day off,” Long said. “Our nonconference games are against 7A or 6A schools.” The coach said games to watch will include Greenbrier and Vilonia. “A lot of folks schedule teams that the chances are greater that they’ll win than lose. Our goal is not to worry about wins or losses and just get better every day, make a run and qualify for the state tournament,” Long said. “I feel that we will compete and be in most every game with the ability to win on a daily basis.