Bell City BB pursuit of the state's best will begin sooner than later

Veteran Bell City High School baseball coach Justin Simpher watches his team compete against Oran in May during the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 championship game at Cape Central High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

It is rarely NOT baseball season for athletes throughout Southeast Missouri, particularly at the smaller schools, such as Bell City.

The Cubs’ varsity baseball program officially began practicing this past spring in March and had its season run through May, where they fell to eventual MSHSAA Class 1 state champion, Oran, in the District 2 title game.

The off-season for area baseball players takes part in the summer months, many with summer teams in which they compete, followed by an MSHSAA-sanctioned Fall season that takes teams from August into October, where seven-plus months of training will culminate.

For the Cubs, perhaps no area team is more anxious for the Fall season to get here next month, and perhaps for junior-to-be Kale Richardson, perhaps no player’s performance is more anticipated.

“We’ve got our whole pitching staff back,” veteran Bell City coach Justin Simpher said following the spring season. “They are all younger.”

The Cubs, which won their most games in six seasons this year, will return Richardson, who gave the Eagles their next-to-toughest test in their six postseason games this season.

In addition to Richardson, Simpher got nice springs from junior-to-be Jacob Asher, and upcoming seniors Baylor Eftink and Dawson Loomes.

In addition to those main arms, 2025 juniors Linc Scherer and Juan Hernandez also got innings this spring.

“Overall,” Simpher continued, “our pitching stepped up and threw really good for us this year. We’ve got guys who don’t turn 16 (until this summer), so they just haven’t matured yet physically.

“That will come, hopefully, sooner rather than later.”

Bell City will begin practicing in less than six weeks (Monday, Aug. 12), and will play 13 games, including a pair of tournaments at Bernie and Arcadia Valley.

“Fall baseball is great,” Simpher said. “We come out and get two months of drills, but the biggest thing is the practices. We get all of the practice in and then go play games.”

With just two seniors graduating this spring off of his roster, Simpher’s young squad will find any opportunity, be it this summer or in the fall, to grow as they pursue the state’s most dominant Class 1 program in Oran, which has advanced to the State Finals in four of the past six seasons, winning the state title three times.

“The fall will get us confident and in a routine for what is coming up in the spring,” Simpher said.