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Nevada Red Sox baseball season begins
"We're going to play a lot stiffer competition than last year, but I look for us be competitive in every game," Jim Rayburn, Nevada Red Sox head coach said.
This season the Red Sox, which is an American Legion team, will be fielding two teams, a AAA team for players who will not turn 20 years old this year and a AA team for players are 17 and under.
Most members of last years inaugural Red Sox AA team, which compiled a 36-8 record against other AA teams and ended their season with a third place finish in the American Legion state baseball tournament, will be playing on the AAA team and will be facing much tougher competition than they have seen in the past. Last year the Red Sox were 7-11 against AAA teams.
Rayburn said that last season his team was one of the oldest AA teams and this year they will be a young AAA team.
"Several of the teams we play will have college players on their teams," he said, adding that there is a big difference between playing against high school players and college age players.
And with the exception of 2008 Nevada High School graduate Jerrod Alexander, all of the Red Sox will have either just graduated from high school or will still be in high school. Alexander played this year for North Central Missouri College in Trenton.
The American Legion has Missouri divided into 17 districts and last year the Red Sox played in District 6 to our north with Warrensburg and Knob Noster and few other teams to compete against.
After the 2008 season Rayburn petitioned the American Legion to be allowed to play in District 15 to our south, which has more teams to play. Rayburn said that the actual dividing between the two districts runs through Sheldon.
Their new district has 13 teams: Neosho, McDonald County, Joplin, Webb City, Carthage, Carl Junction, Monett, Miller, Aurora, East Newton, Seneca, Cassville and Nevada.
Rayburn said that Carthage won the AAA District 15 championship in 2008.
"It's going to be a challenge in every game," Rayburn said.
However, Rayburn likes a challenge, believing that the only way a baseball team or any other team gets better is to play tough competition.
In addition to Rayburn this summer the Red Sox AAA team will be coached by Jason Irwin, who coached last summer, and Jake Dawson, El Dorado Springs High School assistant coach.
Rayburn said that Dawson played on one of the traveling teams he coached in past years.
This summer Rayburn said that he has 17 players on the AAA team: Tyler Dobson, Ron Johnson, Ross Wolfe, Austin Baldwin, Colby Shepherd, Taylor Scotten, Jonathan Butler, Ethan Beisner, Austin Ryan, Andy Yarrick, Josiah Johnson, Chris Harris, Colt Whitesell, Jerrod Alexander, Isaac Wilkins, Kohlten Wilson and Ace Whitesell.
"I think we have a chance to win the district this year if they play ball like we know they can," Rayburn said.
This year's AA team will be coached by Joe Dobson, Matt Dobson and Mike Beisner and includes some well known names: Ace Whitesell, Spencer Scotten, Andrew Clapper, Grant Wolfe, Alex Payne, Brady Denny, Lucas Denman, Cody Modlin, Tyler Wilkinson, Jeff Moore, Sam Ellifrits, Nick Conner, Cole Sanderson, Lane Ketterman, Blake Gooch, Jonathan Butler and Taylor Scotten.
The District 15 has fewer AA teams than the AAA teams, with teams from Seneca, Aurora, Carthage, Cassville, Neosho, McDonald County, Carl Junction, and Nevada.
Rayburn said the AA team will be young and although they will not dominate teams, they are going to be able to compete.
He said that the younger members of the team have been able to practice this spring and he has been impressed with them.
"They keep getting better and better. They have worked hard and have been improving," he said.
"I think they have a legitimate shot at the district," he said.
The Red Sox AAA team played their first game of the season Thursday evening with El Dorado Springs at Lyon Stadium and host Miller at 2 p.m. Saturday. On Monday they play Webb City at 6 p.m.
The AA team opens their season Friday at home with a 6 p.m. double header against Seneca and on June 3 they play Aurora on the road.