Experienced HHS baseball team returns entire pitching staff

The Houston baseball team has returned to its winning ways. Now it’s up to an experienced group with the entire pitching rotation returning to keep it there.

The 2016 Tigers will take the field in Friday’s season opener with a roster featuring eight seniors and the team’s top four pitchers from last year. Coach Brent Hall said having a veteran group has changed his approach in the preseason.

“I’m managing this team more than I am teaching them every step of the way,” Hall said. “They’ve been there, done that and in most cases know it. They know how to play the game.”

The core of the group was responsible for getting Houston back on track from a three-year slump that were the only losing seasons in Hall’s 18-year tenure. The Tigers were 10-10 in 2014 and last year had a 14-8 mark.

HHS has big holes to fill. Gone are Tanner Cantrell, a three-year all-stater and last year’s conference player of the year, and Kolby Walker, a first baseman who was the team’s top defensive player. But Hall is confident a core of six returning starters can fill in the gaps.

“If they play baseball the way they’ve been taught through the years –– taking care of what Houston has to do and playing the game right –– we’ll be competitive and have chances to win several games,” Hall said.

The Tigers figure to ride the right arms of their veteran pitching staff.

Stetson Welch, Nathan Poynter and Ethan Kelley had four wins apiece and each logged more than 38 innings in 2015. Stetson Welch led the trio with a 3.82 ERA and Poynter had a team-best 43 strikeouts.

Rounding out the rotation is Trevor Motzkus, who was 2-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 10 1/3 innings as a sophomore.

“That’s got to be one of our strongest suits,” Hall said. “I think we could have an ace with our top four anytime we throw them out there. They’ll have good days and bad days but with four, you can always have someone ready when someone doesn’t have their best stuff.”

The Tigers’ biggest mysteries will be in the lineup as Cantrell and Walker had the team’s top batting averages and accounted for 47 of Houston’s 127 runs batted in last year.

Wilson will bat in the middle of the lineup after hitting .328 last year and tying Walker for the team lead with 24 RBIs. Kelley, Poynter and Stetson Welch will also be put in run-producing positions somewhere in the Nos. 2-5 spots in the lineup.

“It’s not going to be one person –– at least I don’t anticipate that,” Hall said. “Hopefully between two or three in the middle of the lineup, we can get that same type of production.”

Whitley Welch, who Hall is considering batting leadoff, returns as the starting catcher. Tanner Carter and Cameron Root are options to replace Walker at first base. Junior Tyler Burris, an outfielder last year, will start at second.

Kelley and Poynter will play shortstop when not pitching. Stetson Welch, Ross Wells and Poynter are options at third.

Wilson, Matt Knarr and Motzkus are the starting outfielders.

“Hopefully we can compete for a conference championship and district championship,” Hall said. “We can beat anybody, but we’re also not good enough to not be beat by anybody.”