Despite no postseason due to COVID-19, Highland 18U Bulldogs have strong summer

There was no postseason for the Highland 18U Bulldogs baseball team this summer thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but all things considered, coach Kyle Schmitt’s club enjoyed a very successful season on the field.

After a slow start on the first weekend of June, the Bulldogs got themselves going over next two weeks and finished the season with a 17-8-1 record.

“I feel like we played really well we won almost 18 games and it would have been cool to hit the 20-win mark and we got pretty close to it, so I’m satisfied (with the season),” Schmitt said. “It (was tough) that legion got canceled and we didn’t have a postseason, but I was happy with how it went and I think the guys were satisfied with getting to play after losing their senior (high school) season (to COVID-19).”

At the plate, Highland got big contributions from third baseman Tyler Robards and outfielder Chase Wilson. Robards batted .444 with a .500 on base percentage and consistently made himself a pain to opposing pitchers.

“I mean he just always found a way to get on (base),” Schmitt said.

Wilson was steady at the plate as well, hitting a stout .407 with a .514 on base percentage.

“At the beginning of the year he was probably my six or seven hitter and by the end (of the season), I had him batting fourth,” Schmitt said. “He put the ball in play and got on base.”

In the field, Highland was strong all over the field with the gloves. That strong fielding defense was anchored by shortstop Jack Korte, centerfielder Landon Oestringer, and Wilson in left field.

“You want your shortstop and center fielder being the best defensive players and when you’ve got two guys that almost make every single play out there, it makes the rest of the defense come together and they play really well,” Schmitt said.

“Chase Wilson is a speedster, so anything that was hit out there he got to in left field,” Schmitt said. “Those three were really solid defensively for us most of the season.”

Pitching staff has several bright spots

In the pitching department, Highland was not long on arms but the Bulldogs had quality in right-handers Kolby Frey, Tyler Werner, JD Barnes, and Wilson.

Frey was the workhorse of the staff, pitching 36 innings. In seven starts, he fashioned a 3.50 ERA, and led the team in strikeout to walk ratio with 54 strikeouts to 11 walks.

“Kolby got the most of our innings and had a couple of bad starts (early) but took the ball, didn’t complain and pitched well,” Schmitt said.

Werner pitched 30.2 innings, appeared in eight games, started six games and had a 2.97 ERA. Barnes pitched 27 innings, appeared in nine games and had four starts, while finishing the season with a team-leading 1.82 ERA.

Wilson excelled as the Bulldogs closer during the summer with 11 appearances and a sturdy 2.33 ERA.

After a slow start, the Bulldogs got rolling

Highland went 1-2 on the weekend of June 5 to start the season.

A trip to Elsberry and Washington across the river the weekend of June 12 changed the tone of the season for Highland. The Bulldogs went 5-2 in that tournament and finished second to Alton with an appearance in the tournament championship game.

“I really felt like we hit our stride during that tournament and then after that tournament I believe we didn’t lose another game until July, so I felt like once we started winning in that tournament we settled in,” Schmitt said.

Praise to the seniors, a look to the future

Although the Bulldogs didn’t get to play in the postseason this summer, Schmitt was glad his seniors — Frey, Wilson, Korte, Carter Wiegman, Oestringer, Werner, Barnes, and Doll — got to finish out their time as Bulldogs.

“I started coaching them when they were freshmen, so I knew what I had going into the season and I did feel we could win a lot of games. I think it’s good for the seniors that they got to play one last summer with their friends,” Schmitt said.

The Bulldogs will be a lot younger in 2021, as Chad Barker, Bryce Iberg and John Walker will be the only returners for next summer’s club.

“For next season it’s going to be a very different team,” Schmitt said.

This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 11:10 PM.