Coming off a fall season in which they finished 20-3, the Twin Rivers High School Royals baseball team is excited for the new season set to begin in just a few weeks.
“We lost six seniors out of our starting lineup last year,” said Royals head baseball coach Chris Newman. “We have a lot of younger guys coming in, getting an opportunity to step in and fill up those roles.”
Newman has been having his team at practice working on drills to make sure they are ready to go come game day.
“So far at practice, we’ve been hitting fundamentals every day,” Newman said. “Trying to see who fits where. That may take a few games, it may take the entire fall season. But that’s kind of goal this season is figuring out who fits where.”
During their 2024 season, Newman’s team had the opportunity to play together during both the school year or summer ball.
“We had six seniors in the lineup and two juniors on top of that,” Newman added. “Really, I let them go out and play the game like they’ve been playing their entire lives, and those kids knew how to get the job done. What highlighted the fall season for us was winning the Ozark Foothills Conference Championship. Looking at this fall, hopefully we can find a way to repeat.”
With some new faces on the team this season, Newman is looking to certain players to lead the way.
“We have two juniors from last year who are seniors now I’m looking at to step in and take charge of the pitching rotation,” Newman said. “Hopefully, those two seniors — not only on the mound, but in the middle of the lineup — can step up and lead the charge.”
The Royals open their season Aug. 30 with a road doubleheader against the Holcomb Hornets, who finished 9-7 last season. The Hornets earned wins against Clarkton, Campbell, Delta (Deering), South Pemiscot, Neelyville, Risco and Gideon. Their final game came against Senath-Hornersville in the Fall Tournament Oct. 5, losing 10-0.
“Starting the season with a doubleheader, you’re going to find opportunities for guys to get them in,” Newman added. “As far as Holcomb goes, they’re a solid team. They were really solid last year. They are returning a lot of players.”
Following their season opener, the Royals will play their first home game with the Naylor Eagles flying into town. The Eagles wrapped up their 2024 season with a 6-13 record with wins against Greenville, Clearwater, Koshkonong, Couch, Lesterville and East Carter. Their final game of the season was played Oct. 14, losing to Doniphan in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament 7-6 in eight innings.
“Anytime you play on your home field, you feel like you have a little bit of an advantage,” Newman said. “As far as Naylor, they’re always a scrappy team. For us, it’s about taking care of what we can control.”
Following the conclusion of the season, Newman hopes to look back and see some growth.
“Two months from now, I’m hoping we can look back and see the growth of a lot of these young guys,” he said. “They’re going to forced to step up in roles they may not be ready for, but these are the guys we’ve got and so they’re are going to be presented with opportunity, and I want to see them step up against older competition and get the job done for us.”
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