Cutter Morning Star has not had the strongest start to its season this far, but third-year head coach Sean Kelloms thinks they can turn it around.
"When I started I had four kids, and now I am up to 18," Kelloms said. "It is a growing program. We are trying to start something. We are kind of struggling offensively right now. We have only scored two runs in the last three games, but that comes from just not playing. We had to cancel six of our first seven games. We are just being a little rusty. I guess is what some of it is."
Cutter Morning Star (0-5, 0-3 2A-5) lost to Conway Christian 12-2 Thursday. However, Kelloms got to experiment with the mound presence.
"I have a couple new additions this year," Kelloms said. "One of them being senior Simon Gudino. He is a true ballplayer. I pitched him (Thursday) against Conway Christian, and he gave me some good innings. I have a junior Keith Collins that moved in this year. He pitched well last night."
The normal starter for the Eagles is junior Drake Bissell.
"He is very dependable, and he will always give me good innings," Kelloms said. "He will give me everything he has got. He is a threat in the field and at the plate."
Finding new rotational players for the bump in Gudino and Collins might solve some of the Eagles' defensive woes.
"They kind of shocked me," Kelloms said. "They came out and I was not expecting it. I was just looking for someone to come out and throw some strikes. Keith threw some pretty nasty curveballs in there. I think he crossed up the umpire a few times on them."
In three games, Bissell has pitched an ERA of 2.32 and has 15 strikeouts.
"Simon comes in and he is recovering from a torn ACL, so he was kind of shy at first and now he comes out and he is throwing pretty good heat," Kelloms said. "Drake is left handed. His left arm comes from a 3/4 delivery and he is just nasty. He has natural movement and it is hard to pick up from the plate."
Sophomore Grant Casey is locking down home plate for Cutter Morning Star as the catcher.
"He does an excellent job back there," Kelloms said. "He is a little guy. I don't think much of it, but he is my leadoff hitter. He can smoke the ball, and he is getting a lot stronger where he is starting to shoot some kids out at base. He is going to bust his tail and do everything he can back there. He is very dependable to have behind the plate. I look forward to the next two years with that kid."
Middle infield is where things get done and where the team's fastest athletes can show off their glove skills.
"Gudino is my shortstop," Kelloms said. "He is a kid you can tell he has played his whole life. He knows what he is doing. He does not make errors. He is a guy that can cover a lot of ground. My second baseman is another senior that has played for me for the last couple of years. He was an outfielder and I moved him to second base and his name is Jeremiah Smith. He played football and basketball for us. He is a kid that is going to give it everything he has got. The other night against Magnet Cove we turned a 4-6-3 double play and maybe the best double play I have ever seen while I have been there."
Magnet Cove beat the Eagles 15-0.
Locking down the corners on first and third requires a stroke mitt and great location skills. At the high school level most teams rotate their pitchers between first and third.
"My third baseman is Collins when he is not pitching," Kelloms said. "He does an excellent job and he has quick hands. Drake plays first. When Drake is pitching Nick Burnett plays first. He is a junior. They just kind of alternate and when Keith is pitching Nick plays third. They play the corners well."
The outfield Eagles sore over their thirds of the field and guard the fences.
"Left field is Jackson Duncan; he is also a sophomore," Kelloms said. "He is super quick, good glove and he can cover left to center pretty easy. Centerfield is Isaiah Mahone and that kid if it is in the air, he is probably going to catch it. He does an excellent job of tracking the ball. He is a move in from Lakeside, and he played football this year for us. My right fielder is Jock Simpson and Thursday he pulled off a double play. He caught a line drive in right field and doubled a kid up on first. He was my catcher and I moved him to right field and his arm is a big help out there."
Kelloms talked about how the Eagles can turn their season around.
"It just boils down to practice and playing time," he said. "I said it a lot last year, too. We are young, and we have a bunch of kids that have not played a lot and trying to put them in key positions. I think it boils down to being on the field and being in games and learning every time we go out.
"Practice is a big key thing. I do not have kids miss a lot of practice. They are very dedicated and they show up on Sundays when I have practice on Sundays. They are there all the time and they want to get better. I think that is the key, keep grinding, working and even though we are not winning I can see improvement."
The Eagles welcome the Hot Springs Trojans at 4:30 p.m. today.
"That will be interesting," Kelloms said. "I am looking forward to the matchup with Hot Springs. I used to coach there."