Jeff Montgomery has helped coach Festus baseball for 29 years, the last 15 as the head coach. His assistant, Barry Stafford, goes back 25 seasons and works with the pitchers.
Such continuity is rare anywhere these days, but it’s certainly working at Festus. Since COVID-19 canceled spring sports in 2020, the Tigers – 27-8 last season – have won three district titles, played in the Class 5 state championship the last two years, and won it in 2023 with a dominating 8-1 victory over St. Francis Borgia.
In its first two games this season, Festus shut out Fox 7-0 and Poplar Bluff 10-0. When you have a partnership like Montgomery and Stafford, and players who consistently hold themselves to high standards, success usually follows.
“We’ve got our work cut out; graduating six defensive starters and five good arms is going to be tough to make up for,” Montgomery said. “But this group has had that experience and there is some understanding of what it will take to have another successful season.
“We flipped the script a couple of years ago with an energy and determination I still can’t even describe to others. We are not perfect, but we have a good culture here. That is a credit to our kids, our parents and our coaches. We were and are talented but also are very competitive, and that has made this experience special. It is just a great group to be around. We have been through a lot together.
“Coach Stafford does a great job. He can have the hard talks with the boys and he spends a lot of time working with our pitchers on the mentality.”
Any team that can throw two top-flight left-handers in a two-day tournament setup like the state final four has an incredible advantage. That’s what Festus did last year with Ian Brown and Mason Schirmer. Brown, a 2023 graduate, tossed a complete-game shutout to beat Fort Zumwalt South in the semifinals, and in the championship game Schirmer wasn’t perfect, but his five and two-thirds innings and one run allowed was more than good enough to complement a strong Tiger offense.
Four Tigers earned all-state honors from the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association: first-teamers Schirmer, catcher Tyler Bizzle and infielder Hayden Bates and second-team pick Brady Nolen. Only Bizzle graduated.
On a strict pitch count against Fox on opening day last week, Schirmer allowed a double and exited after three innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Junior Charlie Drinen hurled four innings of hitless, scoreless relief and fanned four.
The Tigers had a team earned run average of 2.01 and struck out 248 batters last season. Brown, Nate Moore, Brayden Montgomery and Cole Skaggs graduated, but sophomore lefty Jackson Smith has moved up to No. 2 in the rotation, giving Jeff Montgomery another lefty-lefty combination. Seniors Trenton Young, Gavin Williams, Tyler Reece, Carter White and Adam Marr all pitched as part of a deep 2023 staff. Freshman Cole Malusky and sophomore Brayden Beers join the staff this year.
Bates, a senior, was last year’s Jefferson County Activities Association large-schools MVP, hitting .417 with 41 runs batted in, 40 runs and seven home runs. Centerfielder Nolen, a junior, returns to his spot batting leadoff. He made first-team all-conference after hitting .402, stealing 12 bases and scoring 32 runs. In the championship win over Borgia, he was four-for-four with three RBIs.
Joining Nolen in the outfield are seniors Tyler Reece and junior Caleb Axtetter. “This should give the team some speed and defensive help,” Montgomery said.
The infielders include Drinen, junior Colton Gartner, Williams, Young, Malusky, Beers and seniors Carter White and Trey Anderson, with Smith and Schirmer likely at first base. Malusky, Young and junior Layton Wenstrom will share the catching duties.
Hillsboro Hawks
Festus won state, but Hillsboro won the JCAA large-schools division with a record of 7-1; the Tigers were 6-2. The Hawks went from 6-14 in 2022, Matt Thompson’s first year as head coach, to 20-5 last year with Thompson named the conference coach of the year.
Senior Dom Sutton was first-team all-conference as a pitcher and infielder. At the plate, Sutton hit .281 with 10 doubles and 20 RBIs. On the mound, he struck out a batter per inning and was 8-1 with an ERA just above 2.00. He was the winning pitcher against Sikeston in the first round of districts.
Thompson said junior pitcher/first baseman Keynan Drury is still rehabbing from an injury and is three weeks away from seeing action. He was 4-0 with a 2.47 ERA and also received first-team all-conference notice.
After stealing 40 bases last year in the leadoff spot, senior center fielder Cohen Linderer (second team all-league) will be the catalyst for the offense again.
“We return a lot of bats from last year’s lineup, and key pitching, but we’re battling some injuries right now on the mound and behind the plate,” Thompson said.
Senior Dane Dickmann is back as the closer after posting a 1.60 ERA. Senior Sam Wahl will move to a starting role after providing superb middle relief last year. Senior Gavin Hite started and relieved on the mound last year.
Other Hawks to watch are Sutton’s brother, junior Gunner Sutton at third base and shortstop, junior Easton Day (second base), senior Caleb Quigley (catcher), freshmen twin brothers Max Partney (third base, pitcher, left field) and Zac Partney (first base, catcher), senior Jack Prince (pitcher) and sophomore Hunter Grewe (third base). Pitcher Aidan Roland, a junior, is out for the season with an elbow injury. He pitched eight innings last year and was 1-0.
Hillsboro started the season with a doubleheader at Ste. Genevieve March 16. The Hawks beat the Dragons 14-7 and lost to Valle Catholic 7-5.
De Soto Dragons
As a freshman, Blake Coleman burst onto the scene for De Soto with his solid play in the outfield, his work on the mound, and especially his proficiency at the plate, where he led the Dragons with 24 RBIs, five triples, nine doubles and a .354 average. Those stats earned him all-conference first team honors.
Senior Chase Mcallister (second team) is a four-year varsity starter who also provides a good bat, sound defense and depth on the mound.
The Dragons finished 13-14 last year and 4-4 in conference play. Head coach Matt Buechting enters his 10th season in charge. De Soto opened its 2024 campaign March 15-16 at the Festus tournament, beating Poplar Bluff 11-3 and Fox 6-3.
“We are hoping to strengthen our lineup one through nine, (and be) much more consistent throughout,” Buechting said. “We have made a change in our offseason work and we are expecting improvements in our speed and power.
“We will rely on a lot of different arms throughout the season and I have confidence in all the guys we send to the mound.”
Four versatile seniors will be the backbone of the team. Josh Kaempfe plays outfield and is a key arm out of the bullpen. Colton Fischer will move all around the field and pitch in relief. Trevor Hardin can play multiple spots and swings the bat with pop and Hayden Langston will pitch in multiple roles and can man the infield spots.
Three key juniors include Evan McClinton, recovered from an injury in 2023, who will deploy on the infield and on the mound; starting pitcher Brendan Young, who can also play outfield; and starting pitcher/first baseman Hunter Poncet. Sophomore Levi McCullough is the starting catcher.
The rest of the Dragon roster includes sophomores Will Weber (infield, pitcher) and Connor Heister; juniors Hogan Remingtin (infield, pitcher), Braxton Drummond (utility), Eli Phipps (infielder), Max Rozycki (catcher) and Connor Siebert (outfielder) and senior catcher Craig Huskey.
Windsor Owls
For the past two seasons, Windsor has lost to Festus in the Class 5 District 1 championship game and watched the Tigers go all the way to state. The Owls finished 16-15 a year ago, including a 3-5 conference mark.
As has been its custom, Windsor began this spring at the St. Charles West Tournament, which concluded Wednesday, after the Leader deadline. The Owls are 0-2 after being shut out March 15-16 by Pattonville 2-0 and Parkway South 15-0.
Six Windsor players who were second team or honorable mention all-conference performers return this season. Of those six starters, seniors Ayden Kveton and Lukas Weiler and junior Cole Scott all hit above .300. Scott bashed a team-leading seven homers and had 28 RBIs. In a 10-2 victory over Perryville, he hit two homers and drove in seven runs. Juniors Nate Estopare and Keegan Murphy, both honorable mention choices, had on-base percentages over .400.
The Owls will have a 1-2-3 punch in the starting rotation with Scott, Weiler and junior Adam Streicher.
“The trio will get most of the starts this season, with a few spot starts by other pitchers,” said Windsor head coach Randy Green, starting his fourth year in that role and 12th with the program. “The innings on the mound will be split up between 10 different pitchers.”
In the opener against Pattonville, Scott fanned nine, allowed four hits and the two Pirate runs were unearned. Three Pirate pitchers no-hit the Owls, who struck out 12 times. Murphy struck out three in two innings of scoreless relief. Scott was 0-3 at the plate.
“(Scott) hit the ball extremely well last year,” Green said. “We haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure it’s there. He won’t leave the No. 3-5 spot (in the lineup). He’s the guy who can get a hold of the ball and send it out.”
Parkway South pounded out 11 hits and drew four walks and also no-hit Windsor in a game shortened to four innings by the 10-run mercy rule. Streicher, who beat Hillsboro in the district semifinals last year, allowed 11 runs (seven earned) on seven hits before being relieved by Kveton in the third.
“We haven’t been good the first two games, but we saw some nasty starting pitching,” Green said. “We’re going to have to figure out how to get some base hits.”
Green said climbing past Festus in the conference and district is a challenge.
“They did find a way to refill the tank,” he said, noting the Tigers’ 2-0 start. “We’ll see them early again (home and home contests April 8-9) and Schirmer will be pumping like he always does.
De Soto beat us twice (last year) and Perryville played us tough; they were young and scrappy. (And) there’s a lot of tough teams ahead of them.”
JCAA small schools
Crystal City Hornets
Since hiring Zach Weiss as head coach, the Hornets have won three straight Class 2 District 4 championships. Festus is the only other team in the county with a similar streak of district titles.
The problem for the Hornets, who were 13-13 and 2-3 in the league in 2023, is how to get past the sectional round of the playoffs. Losses to Meadow Heights, Greenville and Chaffee have ended promising runs the past three seasons.
For Crystal City to break through this year, Weiss’ young squad will have to do it without any seniors. They do return junior catcher Nolan Eisenbeis (second team all-conference) and sophomore pitcher Cale Schaumburg (first team) and enough offensive punch to compensate.
“Our guys have bought into the philosophy of doing whatever (is) necessary to put pressure on teams by being aggressive on the base paths,” Weiss said. “We have some guys who can drive the gaps, but we also have a couple of guys with some speed, so we will try and use those skill sets accordingly.”
Stars on the football field in the fall, Eisenbeis and Schaumburg will both play multiple positions and pitch. In 36 2/3 innings last year, Schaumburg was 3-4 with a 2.86 ERA. He was one of several Hornets to hit above .300 (.338) and he led the team with 15 RBIs and three triples. Eisenbeis is a skilled defensive catcher and the team’s top bat (.393) with five doubles.
Junior Evan Wolfe gives Crystal a dynamic added punch on the mound. In 36 innings, Wolfe fanned 41 batters and was 4-2 with an ERA of 3.40. Freshman Trent Eisenbeis and sophomore Kaiden Thomas should see action on the hill as well.
“Our pitching staff should be a strength of ours this season,” Weiss said. “Cale and Evan should be the anchors. Nolan and Hayden have looked very good in the off-season. Trent and Kaiden are new to the team this year and we are really excited about them.”
Sophomores Ricardo Pastrana (catcher, infield) and Riley Hendrickson (outfield) and juniors Reed Lamar-Finch (outfielder, pitcher), Julian McGinnis (infielder, outfielder, pitcher) and Matt Nelson (outfielder) gained valuable experience last year and will step into bigger roles.
Crystal opened the season March 16 with two losses at Chaffee, 4-3 to the host Red Devils and 19-3 to Scott City.
Herculaneum Blackcats
In Herculaneum baseball, the names to remember are Black and Duncan.
No, that’s not a new line of power tools. It’s the torque provided by senior captain Devin Black and sophomore Tanner Duncan.
Black will pitch, catch and play in the outfield as he looks to follow in older brother Dylan’s footsteps. The JCAA small-schools co-MVP as a senior in 2023, Dylan was one of the team’s best hitters in years. Devin batted .200 in 94 plate appearances but had more impact as a starting pitcher, averaging a strikeout per inning over 42 innings with an ERA of 3.02.
Duncan also is trying to fill an older brother’s shoes; Jordan Duncan graduated in 2020 after an exceptional Blackcat career at the plate and on the mound. Tanner, the team’s shortstop, is well on his way to matching it after making first team all-conference as a freshman. He hit .301 and had an ERA of 1.60 in limited action.
“Our strengths should be team speed and defense,” said head coach Blaine Boss, who replaces Ryan Dickmann and is also the Blackcat head football coach. “We won’t have much power but have some guys that will be scrappy at the plate. We will find out early on what we have for pitching, so that always helps project on how the season could go.”
Junior Mason Gorza is the third starting pitcher and freshmen Austin Brinkley and Chase Goodwin, sophomores Landen Miller and Jackson LaPlante and junior Clayton Anderson will come out of the bullpen.
“Devin would have to be considered our ace,” Boss said.
Duncan and Gorza anchor the middle infield and top the batting order. At third base is Mason Strinni, the team’s only other senior besides Black. Brinkley and LaPlante are the utility men off the bench.
Herculaneum was scheduled to open the season March 15-16 with two home games against West County as part of the Black and Blue Classic, but both were rained out.
Jefferson Blue Jays
Since beating Elsberry 7-5 to finish third in the state in Class 3 in 2021, the Blue Jays have struggled to break even.
Jefferson has had two losing seasons since then and finished 6-10 last year with a schedule truncated by several rainouts. But half of those wins came against JCAA small-school rivals and only a 3-2 loss at St. Pius X kept the Blue Jays from winning the conference title.
Jefferson’s two home games against the defending conference champion Lancers and Kingston, part of the Black and Blue Classic, were rained out, but the Blue Jays traveled to Kingston March 16 and throttled the Cougars 10-5 and 11-0.
“We are (an) all-around (team) and I think we can play some pretty good defense,” said head coach Robert Kuehnle, beginning his ninth year. “Our bats are there when we need them. We have some guys who can go out there and pitch to give us a chance to win.”
Senior Cole Robinson has the tools to be the ace of the staff, but Kuehnle said he also has capable arms in seniors Kole Williams (quarterback of the football team) and Gavin Bradshaw, junior Nolan Naucke, sophomore Bo Davis and freshman Landon Taylor.
Blue Jay seniors Max Schnitzler and Mikey Frisk have competed together in football and basketball and they’ll end their versatile varsity careers on the diamond. Schnitzler was a first-team all-conference shortstop last year and Frisk returns at first base, where he’ll share time with senior James Heberlie. The outfield features senior Garrett Lalumondier and junior Landon Weiss, whom Kuehnle said “is going to be a terror on the basepaths.” Sophomore Blake Hampton mans second base and junior Wyatt McDaniel is the catcher. Sophomore Matt Wood is a utility player.
“Wyatt has really put on some size and is very good defensively, helping us control the running game,” Kuehnle said.
St. Pius X Lancers
The Lancers won’t have a chance to defend their back-to-back JCAA small-schools titles because Crystal City and Grandview already have canceled games against them after St. Pius was ejected from the JCAA earlier this month.
The Lancers were 10-0 against the conference in their final two seasons. The expulsion takes full affect starting next school year.
That also means senior Zander Street can’t repeat as league co-MVP after sharing the honor last year with Dylan Black. Street was 5-3, struck out 70 batters in 58 1/3 innings and had an ERA of 2.23. He’ll pitch for Missouri Science and Technology in Rolla next spring.
“We have a generational pitching talent in Zander,” said Pius first-year head coach Tony McNabb, who’s coached high school or club baseball for 25 years. McNabb replaces Dan Oliver, last year’s league coach of the year. “Zander is our true ace. He is an excellent student and one of our team captains.”
Street will get plenty of help on the mound. Senior Ty Ortmann is the No. 2 starter. He also averaged a strikeout per inning last season and was 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA.
“He is a strike-thrower and inning-eater,” McNabb said. “Ty will pitch his heart out and provide a number of quality innings for us.”
Freshmen Kam Lebon and Jack Jercinovic are slated for the third and fourth starter roles. Junior Brennan Ervin is the closer.
“Brennan has solid velocity and a closer mentality to go with it,” McNabb said. “We will depend on Brennan to close many wins for Street and Ortmann. (Sophomore) Cayden Payne is our No. 2 closer, who also possesses a strong arm and a closer’s mentality.”
Seniors James Smith and Keaton Held and sophomores Ethan McVey, Mike Moss and Javeon Russell will compete for the remaining innings out of the bullpen.
Defensively, the Lancers will count on junior Gunnar Hosay (catcher), Held (first base), Ortmann (second base), Ervin (shortstop), Payne (third base), Jercinovic (left field), freshman Kam Lebon (center field) and Smith (right field).
McNabb said the Lancers are a hard contact-hitting team, and Ortmann, Street, Ervin, Payne, Held, Hosay, and Jercinovic are capable of driving the gaps consistently. Ortmann also brings speed at the top of the lineup.
“Ty is our table-setter and a high on-base percentage guy,” McNabb said. “He should steal a number of bases this year.”
McNabb said Payne is a dynamic athlete in the cleanup spot; he led the team in RBIs last year with 23. Jercinovic has power-hitting potential and Held is a high on-base percentage hitter who can create scoring opportunities.
“The standard and excellence they portray on and off the field sets the bar extremely high for all of us to aspire to,” McNabb said.
Grandview Eagles
With 21 players on the roster, Grandview could be the deepest squad among the JCAA small schools.
That’s important for a team that graduated most of its starting pitchers as well as the top two hitters, Jayce Poole (.426) and Levi LaLonde (.389, 14 RBIs). Grandview was 4-17 a year ago, losing 7-1 to St. Pius in the semifinals of Class 3 District 4 after getting past Bishop DuBourg 11-10 in nine innings in the first round.
The Eagles also have a new head coach. Jason Kimminau replaces Jeff Ketcherside, who held the position for six seasons. Kimminau is also the school’s head football coach.
“We’re a very young, inexperienced team,” Kimminau said. “We will be focused on playing small-ball and making plays where we can.”
Senior Kody Fox leads the pitching staff after posting a 1-3 record and a 5.44 ERA in 28 1/3 innings last year. He made five starts and tossed one complete game. Kimminau said Fox also can play multiple positions on the infield.
“He has a solid bat and will be a focal point of our lineup,” he said.
The top returning hitter, who also will see mound duty, is senior Travis Bohler. He hit .348 with 11 RBIs in 2023. Another senior, center fielder Travis Hoskins, saw limited action last season but is nevertheless the team’s most experienced player out in the pasture.
“He leads a very young group out there,” Kimminau said.
The infield will feature junior Noah Dudash, who batted .333 a year ago and can cover a lot of ground defensively, and promising freshman Brock Poole.
“(Poole) is a great athlete who really understands the game and will develop extremely well for us this year,” Kimminau said.
The rest of the roster consists of seniors Justin Reed (third base, catcher, pitcher), Wyatt Thebeau (left field), Ethan Lingo (outfield, pitcher) and Michael Pemberton (infield); juniors Liam Turnbough (outfield) and Dylan Bomarito (second base); sophomores Reese Biggers (outfield), Isaac Walker (catcher), Cameron Brooks (utility), Michael Turner (outfield, pitcher), Owen Simpkins (outfield) and Christian Laufer (outfield); and freshmen Brayden Stiebel (outfield), Sebastian Wanninger (first base, pitcher), Syden Frazier (catcher, pitcher) and Max Moore (infielder).
Grandview opened the season at home Monday, losing to Bismarck 17-3.