Pitching and defense to be key for Hartville Eagles during the upcoming fall season

The Hartville Eagles’ baseball team is turning toward a key group of returning starters who are looking to make the 2024 fall season a special one.
Leading the way for the Eagles is senior infielder and pitcher, Gavin Stigall (SS/P).
Stigall leads a pitching staff that is expected to be efficient on the mound.
Defensively, the Eagles will feature Brock Jones (catcher), Gus Sinning (3B), Jacob Meglan (1B), Truett Coryell (CF) and Hunter Walker (LF).
Different players will be filling open roles in right field and second base.
“I think our pitching and defense will help keep us in a lot of ball games this year,” said Hartville head coach Bradey Welsh. “… I think we should be pretty solid defensively this year. We have some players that have not played varsity before, but they were good fielders in junior varsity last year. We played defense really well in summer ball.”
Offensively, there will be five hitters with varsity game at-bats.
This means several other players will be earning their first varsity experience.
Coach Welsh said summer baseball helped his non-varsity players gain some experience against other varsity batters and pitchers.
“I am hoping summer games prepared them for this fall,” Coach Welsh added. “Summer ball helps get the nerves out early and allows the team to get playing time together before fall ball starts.”
Hartville’s record was 13-5 in the fall of 2023 and 11-12 in the spring of 2024.
Just before press time, the Eagles split their first two games of the season in the Conway Fall Classic. Hartville first beat Dora, 11-1, before falling to Gainesville, 3-0.
(The full information on those games will appear in the Sep. 11 issue.)
Hartville will host Licking on Sep. 3 at 4:30 p.m. before traveling to Seymour on Sep. 5 at 4:30 p.m.