Royals off to strong start despite injuries

Twin Rivers pitcher Luke Hester winds up to deliver a pitch during a recent high school baseball game. The Royals were 7-2 this spring as of Wednesday.

DAR/D’Courtland Christian

BROSELEY — Twin Rivers skipper Chris Newman has been at the helm of the Royals for six years now.

And his Royals have shot out of the gate, cruising to a 7-2 record this spring.

The team, though, dropped two in a row recently as they fell 5-0 at Scott City on Monday, then fell 9-1 to East Carter the next day.

That being said, the Royals have owned the run differential this spring, outscoring the opposition 56-38 in eight games.

Ebbs and flows are part of the season, and the veteran skipper likes the identity of his club, even though two vital parts of the equation have exited to injury.

“Just playing fundamental baseball,” Newman said. “We lost two of our best players earlier this spring, so we have to have guys step up and get the job done for us. So far, early in the spring, they have done the job.”

Those injured players being junior pitcher/third baseman Drew Solomon and sophomore pitcher Bo Lilly.

“Last fall, they threw about 70 innings for us,” Newman said. “And they batted third and fifth in the lineup, so it is two pretty big guys to miss.”

Newman said the plan is for both players to be back on the diamond this fall

“It just kind of depends on how they recover,” Newman said.

Injuries come with the territory — it’s as much a given as death and taxes for any coach in any high school sport.

But Newman’s message to the team is simple: keep plugging away.

“You just have to have that next man up mentality,” Newman said. “Give opportunities to those who earn it.”

Offensively to date, the Royals are smashing a .329 average and own an .839 OPS.

Carter Williams currently leads the team with his .385 average as of Wednesday.

Losing pivotal, experience talent is tough terrain to navigate, but the losses also have opened the figurative door for freshmen looking to make their names and find their places.

“Both of them (are) getting and splitting time in right field,” Newman said. “I think, in a couple of years, those two are going to be pretty big for our program.”

Those freshmen being Keaton Hicks and Lucas Wilkerson.

“Those guys are primarily getting the opportunities that would have gone to those guys who are hurt. They are stepping up for us,” Newman said.

The fall campaign will be crucial for the Royals, as Hicks and Wilkerson will be sophomores and Lilly and Solomon will be back in the fold.

Which is good news for the Royals, but bad news for everyone else.

Larger districts across the state do not have the luxury of two seasons, a luxury in which Newman is grateful.

“You get twice the amount of reps,” Newman said. “That just increases the development of the players.”

The Royals have defeated Alton (twice), Greenville, Van Buren, Malden, Meadow Heights and Doniphan — so far.

“The main thing that I see this spring is that we are swinging the bats a lot better,” Newman said. “Pitching and defense has been there for us for both seasons, but the spring we have been hammering the hitting drills. Early on, it is paying off for us.”

The Royals are at Portageville Tuesday, then face Clearwater and Risco next Friday and next Saturday, respectively. Twin Rivers is back home next Monday against Kennett.