Cooter BB is on the rebound after brief struggle in spring

Cooter High School freshman hitter Jayden Mathis awaits a pitch in a recent game against Bell City at Cooter.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The current perception of Cooter High School baseball is that the program is down a notch, particularly after falling to Senath-Hornersville 15-4 and Bernie 11-0 in its two latest outings. However, given that the Wildcats’ roster is more than half made up of freshmen and sophomores, and those young kids have shown glimpses of ability, Cooter opponents may want to enjoy this respite, because it may end up being brief.

“I love them,” veteran Cooter Coach David Mathis said following a recent win over Bell City. “One, you get to coach your son (Wildcat freshman shortstop Jayden Mathis), but two, they are competing.”

Prior to last spring, the Cooter baseball program won 13 MSHSAA Class 1 District championships over 14 years. That magnificent run included five trips to the state finals, including a championship in 2014.

The Wildcats had a couple of older players elect not to play last spring, and a handful of injuries, which forced Mathis to play just 16 games, which was half as many as the 2023 season.

“I played two games with eight players,” Mathis said.

He has 14 athletes on his roster this fall, and the younger ones know how to play up to the Wildcat standard.

“I’ve been hard on these kids,” Mathis said. “I’ve been harder on them, and they have had more swings than any team we have had because they have won a lot at the lower levels.

“And we have kids coming behind them.”

The younger Mathis, who played centerfield against Senath-Hornersville, scored a run and drew a walk in the 3-2 win over the Cubs while he had a hit, scored a run, drove in a run, walked twice and stole a base against the Lions.

Against the Mules, Mathis had one of three Cooter hits.

On the mound, freshman Jackson Brooks threw four innings against Bell City, allowed just two earned runs, and struck out three.

“Jackson (Brooks) is going to be really good,” Mathis said.

Brooks also played third base against Bell City and Senath-Hornersville and had a hit, a pair of RBI, and a walk against the Lions, as well as a walk against Bernie.

Coach Mathis said all his players, the older ones and the younger ones, are hungry for success this fall.

“We’ve got a good group,” Mathis said. “They went through it last year, where they felt a little bit betrayed, and they took some beatings.

“That was the first losing season that we have had in 18 years.”

Despite the obstacles last spring, Mathis almost got that beleaguered team to succeed.

Of the 11 defeats Cooter endured last spring, five were by one run.

“They took the (losing) personal,” Mathis said, “and I had to watch them cry right there at third base. They cared and they played for a kid who was a senior last year (Talon King).

“They have come out (this fall) and they are working their tails off. I’ll never get off them and we’re going to get after it.”

The Wildcats will host Neelyville (1-3) today at 3 p.m.