Tigers Climb To No. 1

PRAIRIE GROVE — The Prairie Grove Tigers baseball squad has seized the number-one spot of the latest Arkansas High School Baseball Coaches Association poll after beginning the season with a perfect 5-0 record.

The Tigers have blended a mix of dominant pitching, with overpowering offensive production and quality fielding to earn their perfect 5-0 start to the season.

And, all 5 of their victories have come against quality opponents from higher classifications. Prairie Grove has taken down Springdale (8-0) and Fort Smith Northside (63) from the 7A classification and has dispatched Siloam Springs (5-1), Shiloh (4-1) and Pulaski Academy (13-11) from the 5A classification.

Prairie Grove’s pitching prowess has been paced by the dynamic duo of Aaron Kincaid and Ty Tice. Kincaid has compiled a 30 record with a 1.12 ERA in 18 1/3 innings of work. Along the way, Kincaid has tallied 22 strikeouts to go against 4 base-on-balls. Two of Kincaid’s victories have come against private school powerhouses, Shiloh and Pulaski Academy. Tice has been equally impressive when he toes the rubber for the Tigers, earning a 20 record, with both wins coming against the giants of the 7A (Springdale, Fort Smith Northside). Tice’s ERA is a meager .70, and he has fanned 13 batters while giving up 8 base-on-balls.

On offense, the Tigers have been scorching their opponents, tallying a .336 team batting average. Spencer Kilgore is pacing Prairie Grove with an impressive .455 average, and is joined in the .400 club by Weston Bartholomew and Jon Halbert, who are batting .444 and .438 respectively. Halbert’s seven hits on the season has also included two doubles and one triple.

Providing the power for Prairie Grove has been Keelon Henderson, who has drove in seven runs and has belted one home run, while forging a .333 batting average.

In the field the Tigers have compiled a near perfect .941 fielding percentage, with the trio of Halbert, Bartholomew and J.D. Speed leading the way by committing zero errors on the season.