The Porter Pirates return seven starters from a team that was 25-16 last year and has made it to regionals the past two years. And with the help of an up-and-coming youngster and a freshman move in, fourth-year coach Jared Webster is optimistic that the Pirates can make it even further this year.
“I’ve got four seniors that have been with me since I took this job and they’ve all been key contributors to our success here. Three of them-catcher Blake Cole, shortstop Mason Plunk and third baseman Logan Crain-are all full-time starters and the fourth, Brandon Henson, has gained more playing time in the outfield each year. Sophomore left hander Landyn Smith is really coming along well this year. He was 7-3 his freshman year and so far is 5-0 this year. We also have a move-in from Texas in freshman Tyler Durrett, another left hand pitcher, and he will probably be our ace on the mound this year. He beat Buffalo Valley which was a state qualifier last year, earlier this spring and struck out 17 in the Darrell Fairchild Tournament which we won,” said Webster.
The head coach has put together a challenging schedule to get his team ready for the road ahead with games against teams like Fort Gibson, Vian, Warner, Haskell, Adair and Holland Hall. And he notes the road in Class A will be tough again this year with teams like Rattan, Wright City, Canute, Hollis and Pioneer as well as area schools like Red Oak, Tushka and Dewar all in the teams-to-beat category.
“I think the strength of our team will be our two quality lefties on the mound. I think we’ll be real competitive when those two are out there. Our defense with three veterans on the infield will be strong. Areas we need to strengthen will be filling the holes in left and right field and improving the quality of our pitching depth. We have several guys who can come in to pitch but we need to help them improve even more in those relief roles,” said Webster.
The Pirates are off to an 11-3 start at this writing and ranked in the top 20. A consistent offensive effort and quality relief pitching will be the key for the Pirates to advance to that next level.
