Young Bernie BB squad has 'exceeded expectations' with another strong spring

Bernie High School freshman hitter Cane Hobgood readies to swing at a pitch earlier this spring against Advance at Bernie.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

Veteran Bernie High School baseball coach Marcus Massey felt pretty good about his 2024 squad as it came into this spring after it won 15 of 20 games last fall. However, when you lose six regulars from a team that was one game shy of advancing to the MSHSAA Class 2 State Finals a year ago, “you just never know,” according to Massey.

His confidence in his players, though, has been rewarded, as the Mules enter postseason play today having achieved quite a bit over the past two-plus months.

“To win 16 games and the (Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament),” Massey said, “to me, that is about as good as we could be.

“That may be overachieving a little bit.”

Bernie will face South Pemiscot (4-15) in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 Tournament at Senath-Hornersville at 2 p.m. If the Lions’ field is not playable due to rainfall, then the two District games will be moved to Bernie.

The other opening-round game is Campbell (10-9) playing Holcomb (11-12) at 4 p.m.

Massey has rolled out a lineup that includes two freshmen (Blayne Morgan and Cane Hobgood), as well as a pair of sophomores (Leightin Hicks and Brayden Vaughn).

“I had a good class of (young) kids,” Massey said, “but they weren’t getting on the field. It wasn’t that they weren’t good, it’s just that those (older) players were ahead of them.”

The young kids have fared well, as they have grown this spring, particularly offensively.

In 14 of Bernie’s 16 victories, Massey’s kids scored at least five runs. But like most teams, when their bats are cold, it makes it hard to win.

In seven of the Mules’ eight defeats, they tallied a combined 19 runs.

“We knew that (hitting) was going to be the big question mark,” Massey said. “We brought back pitching with (senior Jayden Robinett, junior Taylor Stanfield, and Hicks). So, we knew that we were going to be able to throw strikes and we thought we could play pretty good defense.”

Veteran Bernie High School baseball coach Marcus Massey speaks with his team earlier this season following a game against Dexter at Bernie. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Massey said with hitting, you can’t “fast-forward” development, a player just needs experience.

“Hitting a baseball is just such a hard skill set,” Massey said.

The young kids have shown ability, though.

In a recent 8-0 thumping of Holcomb, Hicks, and Vaughn each had two hits.

For the most part, the Mule pitching has been solid throughout the spring, but Massey’s most valuable asset is the depth that those three aforementioned arms bring. If one guy is struggling, and each has at times, then Massey has viable alternatives to turn to quickly.

Aside from a recent 5-4 loss in eight innings to a 16-win East Prairie team, Bernie would have entered the postseason on a nine-game win streak.

“They have exceeded my expectations,” Massey said, “for sure.”

The two teams with byes in the District are the host Lions (11-7) and No. 1-seed Portageville (26-7).

The Bulldogs are trying to advance to their third consecutive MSHSAA State Finals after finishing third in Class 3 last spring and second in Class 2 in 2022.