Van-Far was the better team later in its April 9 game at Community R-6.
After being outscored 13-1 in the first four innings, the Indians outscored the Trojans 10-2 in the final three innings …
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Van-Far was the better team later in its April 9 game at Community R-6.
After being outscored 13-1 in the first four innings, the Indians outscored the Trojans 10-2 in the final three innings before losing to their Audrain County rival 15-11. Van-Far (0-7) benefitted from 13 walks but walked 15 hitters.
Head coach Cameron Huff said the game against Community (6-3) has summed up the team’s season so far. He said the Indians have been in a position to win most of their games and have been weighed down by walks every time.
“There’s only two games (in the first seven) where we haven’t put up at least runs,” Huff said. “We’re putting runs on the scoreboard, but defense and pitching, we’ve got to figure it out.”
Huff said Van-Far’s record would probably be around 4-3 or 5-2 if it didn’t have as many walks and errors in the field, which amounted to four against Community. The Indians had five kids pitch against the Trojans, and the issues are the same when it comes to control.
“A lot of guys are slow with their arm,” Huff said. “They’re not getting on time and not gliding down the hill. Some of them are trying to overthrow. We’ve just got to realize ‘Pitch to contact and let your defense work.’”
In the final three innings, Van-Far was walked 10 times and hit by two pitches. There was plenty of traffic on the bases, and Huff said his offense is playing well to its strengths.
“We’re working counts,” Huff said. “We’re seeing pitches, we’re not chasing and we’re putting balls in play. I knew going into the season we weren't going to have great batting averages, but I wanted high on-base percentages.”
Gaven Gaston came through with some big hits in those final innings. He led Van-Far’s six-run fifth inning with a double and led off the seventh inning with the team’s first home run this season and his first career home run.
Huff said Gaston’s big fly was the first Van-Far has had since he took over as head coach two years ago. Gaston went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and has hit .571 since being plugged into the leadoff spot one game prior against Wright City, when he had a double.
“In our approach as a leadoff hitter, a lot of times, old-school baseball says they need to see five to seven pitches,” Huff said. “He was like, ‘I don’t know if I can see that many pitches.’ I said, ‘If you see a fastball, you’re good enough to hit.’ That’s what he’s doing. He’s seeing early fastballs. We’re hunting fastballs early.”
Huff said he has also been impressed with Slade Keller’s production from lower in the order, which is also important to Van-Far’s offense. Keller and Ronnie Stanich each had two RBIs, and Garrett Hopke went 2-for-4 from the No. 2 spot.
“(Slade’s) in the bottom of the order, but he’s doing his job,” Huff said. “He’s putting the ball in play. He’s doing what he needs to do at the bottom of the order. It’s not just relying on the top half of the order. The bottom half of the order has to do the same job.”
Indians still searching for first win after MMA Classic
Van-Far couldn’t pick up this season’s first victory on Saturday.
In the MMA General Geraci Baseball Classic, the Indians lost 12-9 to Paris in five innings due to a time limit and then dropped an 11-1 five-inning game to Missouri Military Academy.
Head coach Cameron Huff said Van-Far was competitive from the fifth inning on against Paris after scoring five runs in the inning. Gibson Condie finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Van-Far, and Bryson Poindexter was 2-for-2 with two RBIs. At that point, it was too late.
“We show signs of greatness and show signs that we are a quality baseball team that can make a run,” Huff said. “Then you have the MMA game where you come out and there’s no energy, we can’t throw a strike and we’re making errors.”
Huff said freshman Tyson Sewell “secured the No. 1 pitching slot” because of his ability to throw strikes and because errors against Paris turned one-run innings into four-run frames.
Starting this season with a losing streak has led to frustration, Huff admitted, but he said Van-Far can figure something out. He said it starts with playing as a team and for the team like senior Gaven Gaston has been doing. Huff said Gaston has done “a great job” and is the “glue” holding the team together, taking teammates fishing and out to eat, for example.
“You’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror and ask, ‘What’s the real reason you’re playing baseball?’” Huff said. “If it’s any answer other, ‘I’m playing for the guys around me.’ It’s wrong. At this point, we’ve got to become a team. We have a lot of individual players that care about their stats and how they do, and they’re not here for the team.”
Van-Far picked up its first win with a 15-8 victory against MMA at home on Monday. Gibson Condie finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs, Slade Keller had two RBIs, and Ronnie Stanich went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Noah Witte struck out six and allowed two earned runs on three walks and two hits in four innings pitched.
