Coach expects Panthers to claw back to the top
Tye Glover is only in his second year leading the Greenbrier Panthers, and this year’s team will be like a new squad, too. “We graduated seven starters who were seniors,” Glover said. “We lost a lot of our position players,” although some were pitchers. “We’ll be kind of young; we’re going to have a lot of new guys in a lot of new spots,” he said. “We’re going to have a new squad on the field, for sure.” Glover was head coach at South Side Bee Branch for six years before coming to Greenbrier. The Panthers found success last year, ending the season 31-5 overall and making it to the state semifinals, losing a close game to Magnolia, 5-4. “We won the blended [5A-6A] Conference championship but lost one to Vilonia and one to Searcy,” the coach said. “It was good, but it could have been better, always,” Glover said. Returning starters include three seniors, Joe Thornton, Spencer Sutterfield and Steven Stewart; junior Andrew Johnson; and sophomores Cayden Wallace and Connor Flagg. The Panthers have a dugout full of talent, even with the inexperience. The coach said Flagg is the team’s best hitter for average. “He was a freshman for us last year. … I expect him to bat around .400 this year,” Glover said. Experience on the mound is the team’s strength, he said. Wallace, who signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks to play baseball, “is a power arm for us on the mound, and he’ll hit in the middle of the order for us all year,” the coach said. “He’s going to be the strongest arm, no question. He’s a highvelocity guy, and he’ll get a lot of innings for us.” Thornton will pitch, as well as two players who led in pitches last season but were injured. Glover said he expects them to contribute on the mound this season. “Sutterfield was hurt until late in the year; he’s healthy now. Andrew pitched for us early, then got hurt late. When he’s back full-strength, he’ll do a real good job for us on the mound,” Glover said. Other players will fill necessary roles. “Stewart will be one of our better defensive players,” Glover said. “He’ll probably play shortstop and may catch a little for us.” The coach said center fielder Talon Moore, a sophomore, will get to play some for the first time this year. “He is fast. He’s a football guy, and he can really cook when he needs to,” Glover said. In addition to Wallace signing with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the coach said, Stewart and Garrett McCollum have signed with Central Baptist College in Conway. “I think for sure, Connor Flagg, which it’s early for him as a sophomore, will play some college baseball somewhere.” Glover said that Andrew will have a chance to play college ball, too. The traditional game to watch is Greenbrier versus Vilonia, which is on this year’s schedule for April 24. “Last year, Vilonia won the 5A state championship, and it’s always a good weekend,” Glover said. “They’re the reigning state champions, so that will be a good one.” Glover said the Panthers might have a rocky start, but patience will pay off. “We’re going to make some mistakes early, and we’ve got a tough schedule, but I think by the end of the year, we could be really competitive. We’re going to have a lot of guys who are not exactly experienced in the varsity level, but I think by the end of the year, we can be pretty tough.”