Panthers persevere through season with dedicated hearts
Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Dedication.
Heart.
Grit.
Those are the words Siloam Springs head baseball coach Darren Hotelling liked to use when describing his 2008 Panthers.
"These guys never threw in the towel," Hotelling said on his Panthers, who finished the season sixth in Conference 5 A West. "We had some games where we got behind early but these guys never quit. They battled till the end."
With eight seniors representing the'heart and soul'of the Panthers'lineup, Hotelling said it was hard to watch their final game two weeks ago against Harrison, who is slated to face Malvern at 3 p.m. Saturday in the 5 A state championship at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
"I've been with these seniors for the past four years and I can tell you they were a group that liked to have fun. For the most part, they ate, slept and breathed baseball."
One senior in particular - Christopher Eshnaur - got a late start to the season due to helping lead the Panthers to their first-ever state championship in basketball, but Hotelling admits the right-handed pitcher was pretty valuable to Siloam's baseball success down the stretch.
"Christopher (Eshnaur ) was the difference for us on the mound," Hotelling said. "Our guys had a different mentality on defense when'Esh'was pitching. Defensively we knew he would keep the ball down and give us a chance to make a play."
In his final game as a Panther, Eshnaur tossed 5 1 / 3 innings of flawless baseball against the Goblins.
With the help of senior catcher Daniel Middleton and a solid defensive nucleus behind him, Eshnaur held Harrison scoreless until the top of the fifth inning, where the Goblins scored two of their 10 runs.
"When you look back at that Harrison game, you obviously wish the outcome would have been better," Hotelling said. "But I can't get down on these kids because they gave it their all for one last game."
Hotelling also credited senior infielders Kyle Laster and William Reams for their leadership and offensive prowess, as well as senior pitcher Wes Eaton and outfielders Will Pruett, Ethan Provost and Clint Thurman for their hard work ethic and winning spirit.
For the Panthers this season, personal success played second fiddle to reaching team goals.
Whether it was Middleton throwing out a base runner, Reams going down the first base foul line to make an out or Pruett making an amazing catch in the outfield, the Panthers won and lost as a team.
Adding to the senior's success, several underclassmen enjoyed a stellar season.
Sophomore third baseman Luke Hulse, who was named the team's best offensive player, gave the Panthers a spark at the plate, where he finished with a teamleading. 478 batting average and three home runs.
"When he was a freshman in 2007, we knew we had to have Luke (Hulse ) in the lineup," Hotelling said. "Luke's one of the best high school hitters I've seen in a long time."
Middleton, who was named the Most Valuable Player by his teammates at the end of the year banquet, finished second in hitting with a. 462 batting average and three home runs as well.
"Daniel (Middleton ) plays with a lot of grit," Hotelling said. "Defensively, Middleton can throw somebody out at anytime. For opponents wanting to steal bases, it's never easy with Middleton behind the plate."
Middleton showed how valuable his presence was to the Panthers'defense against Harrison, where he controlled his territory at home plate and forced out two Goblin base runners.
Laster, who split time with Middleton behind the plate as well as playing second base, was tabbed the Panthers'best defensive player.
"Kyle (Laster ) was solid in every phase of the game. He was definitely someone we could count on in clutch situations," Hotelling said.
Justin Gray, a talented junior shortstop, was selected the team's most improved player.
As the leadoff hitter in the Panthers'potent lineup, Gray found success late in the season with his first-ever varsity home run against Greenwood.
Hotelling also said that freshman left-handed pitcher Dusty Rhodes was a great addition to the team.
"Dusty (Rhodes ) brought good character to the dugout and was one of the guys that would do anything to help the team, even if it meant picking up the equipment," Hotelling said.
Rhodes, as well as freshman right-handed pitcher Kyle Teague, provided the Panthers with some innings on the mound.
"Both Dusty and Kyle helped us out late in the season, especially when our arms were limited," Hotelling said.
Hotelling, who resigned as head baseball coach at the end of the season to become a varsity offensive line coach at Rogers Heritage High School, credited volunteer assistant coach Grady Nickols for his willingness to take time away from his schedule and help the Panthers'baseball program.
"Coach Nickols has been my'rock'and a key asset to me and this program," Hotelling said. "He's an administrator at the high school who doesn't get paid a dime to coach baseball, but he loves the game and I'm going to miss having him around."
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