Pioneers baseball

team stays Sharpe
By Steve Behr
 
Pitching is often the cornerstone of baseball teams. A staff of quality pitchers can lift a team to new heights, or a struggling staff can make life difficult for any manager.

Watauga coach Pete Hardee has known this since coming to Watauga. His Pioneers last year reached the third round of the state playoffs largely because of outstanding pitching of Tyler Moore and Jon Sharpe.

Moore graduated last spring and pitches for Appalachian State now. Sharpe returns to Watauga this spring with his 90 miles-per-hour fastball and with high expectations that go with it.

“We expect him to be the ace of the staff and we’re looking for big things out of him,” Hardee said. “We feel like he’s one of the top pitchers in the state and we’re excited about that.”

Finding a second starter has been more challenging to Hardee. Cal Hardee, who doubles as the team’s shortstop, is the number two starter right now. Hardee went 6-1 on the mound during the summer and has thrown well in scrimmages, according to his coach.

Jake Wallace injured his ankle during the football season, then injured his other ankle during the basketball season. He’ll be the team’s relief pitcher and the number three starter when needed.

Others, such as Will Littlejohn, Mitch Minford, Austin Story and Will Dicus could also see time on the mound.

Defensively, Cal Hardee returns with second baseman Chris Shelton to give the Pioneers solid defense up the middle. Kyle Miller has the nod at first base. Also returning is power-hitting catcher Adam Church, who was the starter last year.

“He was third in the voting for player of the year in our conference last year,” Pete Hardee said. “We expect him to continue to do a good job for us behind the plate.”

Wallace will play third base when Sharpe is pitching, and shortstop when Cal Hardee is on the mound. Trey Lowder will fill in for Wallace at third base when Wallace is either pitching or playing shortstop.

When Sharpe is pitching, Lowder will be in right field and hitting in the middle of the Pioneers’ batting order. Baine Martin, playing his third sport of the school year, is the centerfielder and leadoff hitter and left field will be shared by several players, including Phil Gordon, Story, Matt Phillips and David Martin, a freshman.

Any of those players could also be used as the designated hitter.

“There will be some kind of mixture of that in the lineup,” Pete Hardee said.

Watauga has little time to get into midseason form. Looming on March 10 is a showdown with returning Northwestern 4-A Conference champion South Caldwell. March 10 is also Senior Night.

To get ready for that game, the Pioneers were to play North Davidson Tuesday, but the snow that fell in much of the state forced the teams to put that game on hold. Watauga plays at North Davidson on Friday. Watauga also has a game scheduled at powerful Mount Tabor on Thursday, and a game with Western Regional champion Ardrey Kell in Cary on Saturday.

“Who knows if we’ll get any of them in?” Hardee said. “When you have South Caldwell first, you want to get ready to play them and playing teams like North Davidson, Mount Tabor and Ardrey Kell will show you where you’re at.”