Wynne turns back Blue Devils in regular-season opener

By Billy Woods

WM School District

WYNNE --- The West Memphis Blue Devil baseball season got under way on Tuesday here with a 22-9 loss to Wynne.

It was the inaugural game in the Brooks Ballesteri Era. Ballesteri is in his first year as head coach of the Blue Devils.

Down 14-2 to start the bottom of the fourth, the Blue Devils charged back with seven more runs to close the gap.

Wynne hit the Blue Devils with an eight-spot in the first inning.

The Blue Devils came back with a single tally in the second inning when the first three Blue Devils walked to load the bases. Jordan House came in to score on an infield ground-out by Tim Boyce to cut the deficit to 8-1.

Wynne answered back with four more runs in the bottom of the second.

West Memphis got its second run when Joshua Kuhn led off with a walk in the third. Kuhn stole second and came around on two wild pitches.

The Blue Devils will return to action Friday at Little Rock Central.

Blue Devil baseballers ready for regular-season opener

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Brooks Ballesteri has been counting down the days since he was hired last May to be the new head baseball coach at West Memphis.

And now after much preparation both indoors and out, the Blue Devil baseballers are ready. They opened the regular season on March 1 at Wynne and they have until the first of May to show the folks around town and the region that West Memphis baseball is back on track.

"We're excited because we've come a really long ways since I was hired," said Ballesteri, a Benton native whose father Mark is the head coach at Benton High School. "I think the kids have seen a lot of growth, both physically and fundamentally. I mean, we've got kids who don't even look like the same person. The weight room has been a big help. I think they're learning the game and I think they're starting to figure the game out a little bit."

It won't be an overnight sensation, but with Ballesteri at the helm, the Blue Devil program is on solid footing.

Ballesteri will be joined on the staff by assistants Jacob Richardson and Josh Fortner.

"Our kids have embraced all the work we've put in," said Ballesteri. "They've worked extremely hard in the weight room and in practice. When we first got started, the kids understandably didn't know how to work properly. It wasn't because they didn't want to. They just didn't know how. Our workouts and practices now are full of energy and intent."

Most of the improvement has been defensively, where the players have been constantly drilled on the fundamentals of catching and throwing as well as cut-off assignments.

"I don't have any set goals for us this year in terms of wins, but the coaching staff just wants our team to become as good as they can be as players," said Ballesteri. "This year, we just want to learn how to win. We want to build up the kids' belief system."

Most of the starting positions have been filled. The Blue Devil lineup is filled with seniors and sophomores. Five sophomores could start on opening day.

One of the sophomores is catcher Chandler Rodgers.

"We think Chandler has a chance to be a pretty good baseball player," said the coach. "He's physical and he has a really good arm. Plus, he'll bat somewhere in the heart of the order."

At first base is the team's most experienced player, Hayden Roeder, a two-year starter.

Another sophomore is second baseman Justin Boozer, a player who has caught Ballesteri's attention this spring.

Also expected to be a stalwart this spring is senior shortstop Wade Rogers. Sophomore Jordan House is expected to start at third base. Also in the mix for playing time at third is Ryan Crouch, who will see some time as the designated hitter.

The outfield will be manned by sophomore left fielder Joshua Kuhn while patrolling center will be senior Tim Boyce. There is still a battle for the starting right-field position between senior Nick Lane, ninth-grader Garren Cupples and sophomore Dylan Greer.

The pitching staff, under the guidance of Fortner, will be led by senior Bryson Jenkins, whose curveball has improved quite a bit, according to Ballesteri. Roeder, Rogers, House and lefty Keland Mills will also vie for starting jobs.

The bullpen will consist of Chandler Rodgerrs, Crouch and Hunter Braun.

Former Blue Devil Mattingly in the glare of the spotlight at CWS

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Steve Mattingly's umpiring career happened by accident.

Today, the former West Memphis Blue Devil is one of the highest profile umpires in college baseball. Many friends from his West Memphis days took special note as Mattingly took his place working behind home plate in last week's College World Series in Omaha.

Mattingly was a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher for Grafton Moore's Blue Devils in the mid-1980s. He even pitched a seven-inning no-hitter in summer ball against Blytheville.

He then took his talents to Arkansas State University, where he was utilized as a seldom-used middle reliever.

But his big break in umpiring happened at ASU when he was encouraged by a friend to volunteer to call a local high school baseball game.

"I fell in love with it," said Mattingly. "So I quit playing baseball so I could ump games."

Today, Mattingly said he works 40-50 Division 1 college games a year for the Pac 12, the Big West and the Western Athletic Conference. He's based out of Phoenix, where he runs an umpires school called The Umpire Training Institute.

"People come from all over the country to our school and we have no problem filling up the spots each year," he said.

In addition to calling last week's CWS, Mattingly also worked the Fayetteville Regional, where the No. 1-ranked Razorbacks advanced with a victory over Nebraska in the title game.

This year was Mattingly's third College World Series. He worked the 2013 Series as UCLA walked away national champs and the 2017 CWS as Florida and LSU met in the title round.

In that series, Mattingly said he was involved in a controversial call in the championship game. He called an LSU runner out at second on the no-slide rule.

"I received some rude emails and some threats," Mattingly said with a laugh. "Referee Magazine even did a story on it. It was actually an easy call. LSU head coach Paul Maineri didn't like the call and argued, but Paul's a very classy coach and it didn't carry over."

Mattingly wanted to make sure he gave special credit to Moore, who coached the Blue Devil baseball team in the first five years of the program's history.

"Coach Moore sat me down for a long talk one day and I really needed to hear what he had to say," said Mattingly. "I wasn't focused on the game and I had a bit of a bad attitude. I still remember it vividly. It was in February of 1986, my senior year, and it turned me around. So, this beautiful house I have in Phoenix and the success I've had in baseball is due to that conversation Coach Moore had with me.

"Umpiring has been a big blessing in my life. I've been doing it 30 years and I've enjoyed every minute of it."

Former Blue Devil Washington eagerly awaiting MLB Draft

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Curtis Washington is only weeks away from having his dreams come true.

The former West Memphis Blue Devil enjoyed a stellar season for Wabash Valley Junior College in Mt. Carmel, Ill., so much so that his name is expected to be called when Major League Baseball holds its amateur draft July 11-13.

Washington, playing exclusively as a centerfielder now after stints as a corner outfielder and shortstop, put up some ridiculous numbers this spring for Wabash. The Arkansas Razorback transfer hit .412 with 8 home runs and 63 RBI. If those numbers weren't spectacular enough, consider that Washington had a .511 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .629 for a crazy 1.203 OPS.

Washington also stole 46 bases in 57 games.

His performance has earned him special attention from Major League scouts, enough so that Washington is expected to be taken between rounds 4 through 8.

"I've had a fantastic season," said Washington. "It doesn't matter so much to me what round I'm taken in. I've dreamed about playing professional baseball for a long time."

Washington's odyssey to the MLB Draft has been interesting.

It all started in the first round of the Class 5A state baseball tournament at Greenwood his senior year. The Blue Devils, coached by Gary Cordell, met Benton in the first round. Washington led off the game with a triple to the centerfield wall, which caught the attention of a scout for the Pro Baseball Report.

A couple of phone calls later and Washington's name was given to Dave Van Horn, head coach of the Razorbacks. Van Horn offered Washington a spot on the Hogs team for 2019.

After a solid freshman season for the World Series bound Hogs, Washington's 2020 season was aborted early due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It then led to a transfer to Wabash Valley JC.

Before this season even began, Washington signed a letter of intent to play next season at Purdue University.

"Right now, I'm a Purdue Boilermaker," Washington confesses.

That is, if he ever makes it onto campus.

The draft and dollar figures may be too enticing to pass up.

"I'm at somewhat of a disadvantage in that I'm a junior college player," said Washington. "But scouts saw me at Arkansas, too. I think I should get picked, but the money and the opportunity will have to be right for me to sign with a Major League organization.

"My last game for West Memphis High School was the springboard for all of this. It changed everything."

Washington has an advising agent, Chris Hubbard, who is fielding all MLB inquiries.

Also on Washington's side is he's playing summer ball in the Major League Draft League for the State College (Pa.) Spikes. Plus, he's working with athletic trainer Caelon Harden, who has been able to rework Washington's body significantly the last two years.

"I've gotten way stronger, I've filled out and I've been able to keep my speed," said Washington.

Among the MLB organizations which have shown the most interest, according to Washington, are the Red Sox, Phillies, Orioles, Dodgers, Pirates, Padres and Braves.

Washington will most likely not be selected in Day One of the draft, which will only cover the first two rounds. He said he plans to be in West Memphis with family and friends for Day Two of the draft.

"We're all looking forward to it," he said. "All of us are excited, and I wanted to experience it with my family and several of my friends."

Balesterri brings high IQ and love for baseball as new head coach

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Brooks Balesterri got his start coaching baseball as an 8-year-old, hitting fungoes to his father's high school team during practices.

Balesterri, 27, was announced on Tuesday night as the new head coach of the West Memphis Blue Devil baseball program in front of an estimated audience of 65 at the Academies of West Memphis cafeteria.

Balesterri wowed the crowd with his boundless enthusiasm and his bubbly personality.

His roots in baseball run deep.

His father, Mark, has been the head coach at Benton High School the last 30 years. Mark's program has annually been recognized as one of the strongest in the state.

"I told Brooks when he was small that I wanted him to be able to hit fungoes to our players at Benton High School by the time he was 8-years-old," Mark said with a smile. "Sure enough, I'd let him do that at 8-years-old. He'd get mad when he was in Little League when he'd try to turn a double play and there was nobody covering second base. He'd say, 'how am I supposed to do this if nobody knows how to cover second?' I was like, 'you're a little bit ahead of everybody right now.' He's always been a student of the game."

Balesterri starred for his Dad at Benton High School and then played two years for Meridian (Miss.) Community College before finishing up his college career playing two years at the University of Central Arkansas, where he was team captain and All-Southland Conference both seasons.

He then stayed at UCA as a grad assistant and he served as head of baseball operations at the school.

Balesterri said he is excited to be in West Memphis for his first-ever head coaching job.

"I think excited is an understatement," he said. "I'm so thankful for the opportunity. Coaching has been a dream of mine ever since I was little. I got to experience from my Dad how to run a program, and I think that has been a blessing."

The young Balesterri spent one year working in medical sales, and while he was successful in that endeavor, he admitted to his father that he didn't love it.

"He called me one day and told me that he liked what he was doing, but that he didn't love it," said Mark Balesterri. "He said his love was coaching baseball and that he wanted to get back into it. I told him he needed to do what he loves."

Brooks has spent the last two years as an assistant coach in Malvern.

Balesterri has a definitive vision for the West Memphis program that has seen its share of highs and lows over the years. He said he wants to dig deep into the younger kids to sell baseball, and particularly Blue Devil baseball.

"The lifeblood of your high school program is the youth programs around the city," Balesterri said.

He said he will install a summer program for West Memphians in the sixth through the 11th grades upon his arrival in town following his Malvern season's finale.

"Everything I know and love about the game of baseball comes from my Dad," said Balesterri. "I think more than anything he showed me how to love the game. What an awesome game baseball is. The relationships you make while playing this game is unlike any other. It's not like football where you play just once a week.

"Baseball is something of a grind. You play several times a week, and it's all about the relationships you build."

Balesterri will have plenty of support as the Blue Devils' head coach. The West Memphis administrators have approved the addition of three full-time paid, baseball-only, assistant coaches along with vast facilities improvements.

"My Dad's been doing this for 30 years and he doesn't even have three full-time assistants," said Balesterri. "I think in a sense he's a little jealous of me. Who wouldn't be? I think it speaks volumes of what the administration is trying to do for this program. The program is not where it needs to be right now, but starting today we are on the go to build this program into a winner. It's not going to be a quick fix, but it won't be long before the city of West Memphis will be proud of what we've been able to do for baseball in this community. I think I have a good plan on how we're going to get to that level."

Balesterri's name immediately came to the forefront of the West Memphis search when superintendent Jon Collins and athletic director Billy Elmore scoured the top baseball people from the Mid-South region.

Balesterri came highly recommended from each of the sources Collins and Elmore contacted, including the dean of high school baseball coaches in the Memphis area, Phil Clark of Bartlett, who had unprecedented success at that school.

"I want to keep boosting the Boys and Girls Club programs in West Memphis and show my face, doing everything I can do to promote baseball in this town," said Balesterri. "But I also want to establish our own summer program for kids in our school district. Playing baseball in the summer is where you develop your skills the most."

WMSD announces improvements to baseball and softball programs

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis School District is making an unprecedented push for upgrading its baseball and softball programs.

And they aren't messing around, either.

The biggest move toward that end came last night when the WMSD introduced its new head baseball coach, Brooks Balesterri.

The 27-year-old Benton native, who is currently an assistant coach at Malvern, met with an estimated audience of 65 current players, future players and their families at the Academies of West Memphis cafeteria on Tuesday night.

Balesterri comes highly recommended from the best baseball coaches in the Mid-South. Brooks is the son of longtime Benton head baseball coach Mark Balesterri, whose Panther team is making another state tournament run this season.

To lure the young Balesterri here, WMSD administrators made a strong commitment, along with the City of West Memphis, to upgrade the baseball facilities at Tilden Rodgers Complex, to also bring in three more paid full-time assistant coaches and two more volunteer coaches to cover both the high school and junior high programs.

Also, another plan was introduced to upgrade the conditioning programs for the baseball and softball players during school hours.

"We are all very excited about our plans for both the baseball and softball programs," said athletic director Billy Elmore. "We wanted improvements done across the board and we think we're giving our new coaches all they need to succeed. As for our new baseball coach, I'm so excited about Brooks right now I think I could step into the batter's box at 49 years old."

The WMSD will announce its new softball head coach in the coming days.

As far as the new offseason program for the baseball and softball players, the AWM will offer strength and conditioning classes during the school day. They will be offered during first through sixth periods. Coaches responsible for this will be head football coach Robert Hooks, Balesterri and the new softball coach.

Emphasis will be placed on "building athletes," not individual sport performance.

"The reason we decided on building athletes is very simple," said Elmore. "If you're a baseball player and you don't have the core strength, you'll get the bat knocked out of your hands against good pitching. We want strong athletes playing both softball and baseball."

Facility upgrades will include installing artificial turf at the high school fields at Tilden Rodgers Complex. Other improvements include enlarging home dugouts with locker rooms, additional hitting cages and field nets for both fields.

Upgrading the coaching staffs will also include Balesterri bringing one assistant coach with him as well as two other full-time paid assistant coaches, one of which is former Blue Devil baseball and football player Parker Grigsby, a 2014 graduate of AWM.

After exhaustive research, Elmore said Balesterri was the easy choice.

"It was obvious right off the bat," said Elmore. "We were five minutes into it, and just listening to his passion about coaching baseball and how excited he was about the game. I made up my mind in the first five minutes of the first conversation with him. We hit a grand slam on this one."

The level of commitment the WMSD is making toward these two programs impressed the large gathering Tuesday night.

Mark Balesterri has been the head coach at Benton for 30 years. He has coached numerous Division 1 players as well as Major League Baseball star pitcher Cliff Lee.

He noted the commitment the school district is making for his son to take over the Blue Devil baseball program.

"I can tell you two things," he said. "First, if we had Brooks on our staff as an assistant right now he would be a huge asset. Now, I know coming from the Dad that sounds very biased. But, he has coaching in his blood and his IQ for the game is off the charts. Second, I've been at Benton a long time and I don't even have three paid assistant coaches. That's saying something."

Balesterri said he will hit the ground running immediately after his current season ends at Malvern. He said he will field summer travel teams for players in the sixth grade through 11th grade.

Balesterri also said there will be a week-long summer camp announced soon.

"Going and playing in (summer) tournaments is so much fun," Brooks said. "I think wearing West Memphis on your chest and on your cap when you roll up to the park is going to be really cool. It'll be something our kids and parents can take pride in. I think you go ask any good baseball coach what contributes to their success the most and they'll say their youth program."

Blue Devil lefty Bell signs with Ecclesia College

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Cade Bell has been a part of the West Memphis Blue Devil baseball program for five years, going back to his eighth-grade year when he was the scorebook keeper.

Today, he is the team's ace left-handed starting pitcher who just signed a college scholarship with Ecclesia College, located in Springdale.

And he couldn't be more excited about it.

"I went to see their team play in Lonoke, and I couldn't be more impressed with an NAIA school," said Bell. "I have not met anyone there that I did not like. I feel like it's a great fit for me and it should bring me closer to God."

Bell has been a bell cow for the Blue Devil rotation for four years, living off his deceptiveness and heart.

"From the time he started with us he always wanted the opportunity to play college baseball," said Blue Devil head coach Josh Fortner. "He's a workhorse. He's very coachable. It's a testament to who he is and his parents. He's awesome. He's a great kid."

Bell said he would get a crack to be a two-way player for Ecclesia, but that his main role would be on the mound.

"They said if I wanted to go two-way I could try it out," said Bell. "But as of right now I'm set to be a pitcher. I think my offspeed stuff is my strength. It's actually been pretty good this year thus far. My fastball is finally coming around and getting some velo on it. I believe it'll be pretty good by the end of the year."

Fortner said Bell is a baseball rat.

"He loves talking baseball," said Fortner. "He's a huge Razorback baseball fan. He's fun to talk baseball with, but he's also just a hard, hard worker. His baseball IQ is also on a high level. He just eats up baseball.

"Cade's senior leadership has also been a big plus for us. We have a small group of seniors on this team this year and I told him before the season that you're going to have to step into a role that is heavier than what's expected. He leads by example, but he's also vocal and holds other players accountable

Former Blue Devil Washington on his way to CWS with Razorbacks

By Billy Woods

WM School District

This time last year, Curtis Washington was a baseball player without a team. Today, he's on his way to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.

Washington, the former West Memphis Blue Devil baseball and basketball star, has been a solid contributor to the CWS-bound Arkansas Razorbacks as a true freshman this year, hitting .353 with a .476 on-base percentage.

His face has been prominently featured on tight TV shots during the Hogs' postseason run in the NCAA Regionals and the recent Super Regionals against Ole Miss, plunging freely on top of teammates' "Hog-pile" after the win over the Rebels that clinched the team's second straight CWS appearance.

"This is a dream come true," said Washington. "I'm so excited I don't know what to do. I've always dreamed of playing on this stage, and now I'm actually getting the opportunity."

The Razorbacks (46-18) play their first game in the World Series on Saturday at 6 p.m. (ESPN) against Florida State.

This time last year, Washington was trying to decide between playing both basketball and baseball at LeMoyne-Owen University or Delta State University, but an independent college scout turned those middling offers into an opportunity to play baseball in the ultra-powerful Southeastern Conference.

The scout attended the Blue Devils' first-round game of the state tournament against Benton and saw Washington belt the first pitch he saw that day to the fence in center field, giving the speedy senior a triple.

He also saw Washington work out in pregame at shortstop and determined his athleticism would project not only at that position, but also in the outfield.

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn was given the scout's info and enticed Washington to head to Fayetteville.

At this point, neither party is sorry about it.

Washington has played in 30 games and started 6 for Van Horn's club, scoring 14 runs, with three doubles, one triple, one homer and a .905 OPS.

"I think if someone had told me a year ago at this time I'd be on my way to Omaha for the World Series...I just think that would have been too much information for me to handle," said Washington.

Though his role with the club has diminished slightly during the postseason, Washington has relished being the team's biggest cheerleader even though he saw action in last Sunday's Game 2 of the Super Regionals against Ole Miss. He entered the game late, flew out to right field and made two catches near the fence in left.

He's still the team's emotional leader, however, as witnessed during the clinching game against the Rebels after the visitors claimed an early 1-0 lead.

"Our fans, I think, were a little stunned and they weren't into it early," Washington added. "I turned around and yelled, 'Are y'all gonna let Ole Miss' fans show y'all up?' That's when we turned the game around and our fans got into it."

Asked what he knew about Florida State, Washington replied, "I just know they're in trouble."

Although Washington also has his eye on the rest of the summer playing in a collegiate league in Camarillo, CA until the end of July, he is still focused on one of the biggest weeks of his life in Omaha.

As has been told and retold, the Hogs came within an easy pop foul of winning the national championship a year ago in the title game against Oregon State. But the easy pop foul was over-run by Hog second baseman Carson Shaddy, allowing the Beavers new life, which they turned into a come-from-behind win for the title.

It hasn't been easy for the current Razorbacks on last year's team to deal with that defeat, but Washington indicated that the team is more than resolved to turn their fortunes around this time.

And, Washington has another special reason to walk away from Omaha with the national title.

"I want to win the ring so bad this time for my teammates on the 2017-18 Blue Devil basketball team that we all felt like should have won the state championship," said Washington.

Three Blue Devils earn postseason honors

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Three West Memphis Blue Devil baseball players earned postseason individual honors this season.

The team's top pitcher, left-handed junior Price Watson, was named all-state and all-conference while teammates Carlson Bennage, a senior, and junior Owens McConnell were named all-conference.

Watson, a University of Memphis commit, posted a 3-4 won-loss record with a tidy 2.45 earned run average. He logged a team-best 40 innings and yielded just 30 hits while walking 14 and striking out 74. Opponents hit just .195 against Watson this season.

Bennage, the two-time boys state singles tennis champion who is headed to Christian Brothers University on a tennis scholarship, led the team in batting average with a .368 mark and in RBIs with 17.

McConnell hit .355 slotted in the middle of the order and led the team in extra-base hits with two doubles and four triples.

Five Blue Devil seniors go out a winner against Kingsbury

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Tom Hanks taught us more than 25 years ago that there's no crying baseball. But there were a few tears shed Thursday at Tilden Rodgers Complex.

Moments after the West Memphis Blue Devils closed out their season with a 16-0 victory over Memphis Kingsbury, the team said goodbye to five seniors during a postgame ceremony.

Seniors Lance Burch, Chavarris Adaway, Mason Kearney, Trey Brossett and Carlson Bennage were honored during Senior Day activities with their parents and Blue Devil coaches.

"These guys are special because they're my first group," said Blue Devil first-year head coach Josh Fortner. "This is a group of players that wanted to keep getting better and better. I'll have nothing but fond memories of them."

The Blue Devils had no trouble dispatching an over-matched group of Kingsbury Eagles. The hosts put the double-mercy rule on them, 15 runs after three innings. However, umpires and coaches agreed to let Kingsbury bat in the fourth inning in order to give each Blue Devil senior their moment coming off the field for the final time in their careers.

"This group of guys was so acceptable to coaching," Fortner added. "When we told them to do something, they did it. I'm excited to see how they transition into becoming husbands and fathers."

West Memphis hit Kingsbury with a six-spot in the first inning on RBI hits from Adaway, Burch and ninth-grader Peyton Voyles.

Another run was added in the second when Burch, who singled with two outs, was brought home on a single from junior first baseman Owens McConnell.

The Blue Devils finished off Kingsbury with nine runs in the third with the help of shoddy fielding by the visitors, two hit batters and run-scoring hits from Burch, Brossett and Kearney.

Starting and winning pitcher Carlson Bennage pitched three innings of no-hit ball and struck out seven. Lefty Cade Bell closed it out by retiring Kingsbury in order in the fourth.

Blue Devils sweep a pair from Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils got outstanding pitching from a pair of brothers and some soft-contact hits that resulted in well-timed offensive bursts on Tuesday at Tilden Rodgers Complex for their first doubleheader sweep of the season.

West Memphis (5-13-1 overall, 3-9 in the 5A-East Conference) came from behind twice, defeating Nettleton 6-3 in the opener and 4-3 in the nightcap.

"Good job of coming back," said West Memphis head coach Josh Fortner. "We were patient. I told them to relax and trust themselves instead of being so antsy."

Left-handed brothers Price and Gage Watson twirled a pair of gems, but only one of them got rewarded in the pitching decisions. Price, a junior who is committed to the University of Memphis, pitched well enough to win in the opener, but exited the game down 2-0 after five innings.

But Gage, a mere ninth-grader, went all the way in the nightcap, striking out 9 and giving up just six hits, just two of which came after the first inning.

In the opener, Price Watson overpowered Nettleton (6-17, 4-8) in the first inning before a misplaced slider cost him a two-run homer for a 2-0 Raider lead.

Nettleton added a third run on reliever Mason Kearney, who finished super strong to earn the victory, in the sixth inning thanks to an error.

Although the Blue Devils didn't light up the exit-speed guns in the sixth, they did manage to explode for six runs to take the lead for good.

Ninth-grade catcher Caleb Catt started it with a lead-off walk, followed by a cue shot single by Kearney to center. Peyton Voyles, another ninth-grader, who entered the game or Price Watson, drove home the first Blue Devil run with a single, and from there the parade of base-runners was well in motion.

All six West Memphis runs scored before the first out of the inning.

Junior Owens McConnell was plunked by a pitch to load the bases for senior Carlson Bennage, who already has a game-winning hit to his credit this season. Bennage made contact and drove home the tying run with a grounder to second.

That led the way to another RBI from Chavarris Adaway with a bases-loaded walk and another from senior Trey Brossett, who was hit by a pitch with the sacks jammed.

The final run came home on a well-placed grounder from Gage Watson.

Kearney was more than sharp in his final inning, working around a two-out error to nail down the victory.

"That's pretty much what Mason's done all year for us," said Fortner. "Early in the season he started a little bit, but I really wanted him in (a relief) role, hoping I didn't have to use him as a starter. It's worked out because he's been pretty consistent pitching."

Once again, the Blue Devils fell behind 3-0 in the nightcap before another short burst of offense provided the winning runs.

A four-run sixth did the trick with Kearney, Bennage, Brossett and Lance Burch all with run-scoring hits. Bennage and Burch each had two hits for the contest to lead the offensive surge.

Bennage's bat, Watson's arm lift Blue Devils over Searcy

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Winning two straight state tennis championships doesn't come without acing some pressure-packed moments along the way. So it was on Wednesday in a different sport for Carlson Bennage.

The West Memphis senior slammed a bases-loaded hit, that unfortunately for him counted only as a single, in the bottom of the seventh-inning to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 walk-off win over Searcy at Tilden Rodgers Complex.

Bennage's success on the tennis court has carried over onto the diamond, where he is slotted in the 3-hole in the Blue Devil batting order. And there he was front and center with the game on the line.

He didn't even flinch, or so it seemed.

"I'd say the tennis helped me there, but I'd be lying if I said my heart wasn't about to jump out of my chest," Bennage said with a laugh. "I was a little nervous, but I got the job done."

The Blue Devils lost the nightcap of the doubleheader by the same 2-1 score.

But it was Bennage's approach at the plate that fittingly made junior left-handed starting pitcher Price Watson a winner.

Watson was his usual efficient self, walking just two batters in going all the way, allowing only four hits and striking out eight.

"I was just trying to stay in my groove and locate," said Watson, a University of Memphis commit. "Today I let my defense work and they came through."

Searcy broke out 1-0 on Watson in the first inning, but he limited the damage by stranding runners at second and third.

Watson's mates answered back immediately as his younger brother, Gage, worked a one-out walk and scored on an RBI single from junior Owens McConnell.

Watson was the maestro from there on.

He enjoyed a 10-pitch fifth inning and an 11-pitch sixth inning to keep his pitch total at 77 heading into the seventh.

With Searcy looking to manufacture a run in its final at bat, a lead-off walk turned into a successful sac bunt. But Watson reached back to retire the next two Lions on a fly to Gage in center field and a pop out to McConnell at first.

"Keeping the pitch count down helped a lot," Watson added.

Watson finished the day at 93 pitches.

The fateful West Memphis seventh started with senior Mason Kearney reaching on an error to the Searcy shortstop. That's when Lions head coach Matthew Davis brought in a lefty reliever to force the left-on-left matchup with Gage Watson and pinch hitter Peyton Voyles.

However, after falling behind in the count to Gage Watson, he was intentionally passed, as was Voyles, setting the stage for Bennage's heroics.

He laced what would have been a bases-clearing double down the left-field line, although the official scoring credits him with a one-run single.

"This kid wasn't throwing as hard as we usually see," Bennage explained. "His first two pitches were looking pretty big, so I got one I could turn on."

In the second game, West Memphis starting pitcher Cade Bell was also sharp with his location and limited Searcy (7-8 overall, 3-3 in the 5A-East Conference) to just one run through four innings.

With the Blue Devils ahead 1-0 in the fourth, the Lions got a bases-loaded walk to tie the game and later went ahead in the fifth.

"We really had a good defensive game in the opener and Price pitched a great game," said West Memphis head coach Josh Fortner, whose club now stands 3-10-1 overall and 1-7 in the conference. "You should win that type of game 10 times out of 10. First game I'm pretty happy. But the bats went cold in the second game. It's slowly coming along, though."

The Blue Devils travel to Memphis White Station on Friday and play at First Assembly Christian School in Memphis. on Saturday.

Big first inning fuels Blue Devil win over Tunica

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devil baseball team got a great start from an all-ninth-grade battery and then relied on the veterans to provide the offense in an 11-3 victory Thursday night at Tilden Rodgers Complex over Tunica (Miss.) Academy.

With ninth-grade left-hander Gage Watson, making his first varsity start, throwing to fellow freshman Caleb Catt, the Blue Devils held down the Tunica offense and then made a six-run first inning stand up.

"It was really good for us to do that finally," West Memphis first-year head coach Josh Fortner said of the first-inning uprising. "That was our first big inning this year. The guys knew the (opposing pitcher's) velocity was going to be down, so the plan was to drive the baseball early."

The Blue Devils (2-4-1) sent 12 men to the plate in the first inning and used RBI hits from Chavarris Adaway, senior Carlson Bennage, third baseman Ownes McConnell and Catt, while another run came from a bases-loaded walk to first baseman Cade Bell.

And that was all the Blue Devils needed against Tunica as Watson, brother of junior lefty Price Watson, who started in center field, was effective early with his fastball.

"Gage did a great job, coming in as a freshman," said Fortner. "He was just competing his tail off, and that's what I expect out of him."

On an early-season pitch count, Watson was lifted after 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on only three hits.

Bennage came in and hurled the final 1.1 innings, showing a lot of moxie by pitching out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. Three singles jammed the bases with just one out, but Bennage got the next Tunica hitter to pop to himself and he got out of the frame by inducing a fly to shortstop Mason Kearney.

"Carl is someone I've been on top of since Day One, but he's the type of guy who can handle that," Fortner stated. "This wasn't anything that rattled him tonight."

Adaway led off the Blue Devil second with an infield hit and he used his speed to produce the inning's first run by stealing second and third and coming hom on an error by the catcher. McConnell added the frame's other tally with an RBI double to deep left-center.

West Memphis added one with three more in the fourth inning on hits from ninth-grader Peyton Voyles and Kearney, who had two run-scoring hits on the night.

The Blue Devils will return to action Tuesday at home for the 5A-East Conference opener against Mountain Home. The doubleheader will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Blue Devils open 2019 season Thursday at home

By Billy Woods

WM School District

New West Memphis Blue Devil baseball head coach Josh Fortner doesn't hide his gratitude and excitement over his new job.

Fortner, who has spent the past few seasons as the team's pitching coach, took over the head coaching job after Gary Cordell held the position for the previous three years, returning the program to relevancy and the state tournament.

"I'm beyond excited," said Fortner, whose team opens the season at home Thursday at Tilden Rodgers Complex against Armorel. "It's crazy the different opportunities the Lord has opened up for me since I came to West Memphis. It's just been mind-blowing to me that so much has been entrusted to me. Baseball is what I wanted to (coach) coming out of college and to be the head coach of a 5A program is extremely exciting."

The Blue Devils (12-15 a year ago) return nearly their entire pitching staff from 2018. The only attrition is Curtis Washington, now making an indelible mark for the Arkansas Razorback baseball team, who served as a relief pitcher last season.

Leading the staff this year, as he has the past two seasons, will be junior left-hander Price Watson, an all-conference selection last season. Watson has already made a verbal commitment to the University of Memphis.

Fortner will shepherd one of the most unique starting staffs in the state this season.

An all-lefty rotation.

Joining Watson in the rotation will be southpaws Cade Bell, Riley Masters and Trey Brossett.

The bullpen will be made up of Mason Kearney, Lance Burch and Chavarris Adaway.

"We're deep with experience for sure," said Fortner. "Whoever takes advantage of these early-season opportunities will get the bulk of the work this season. Mason will be a late-inning guy for us because he has a lot of run on his fastball. This is the most depth we've had in pitching since I've been here."

Leading the everyday starters will be Kearney, who will move from second base, where he's started the last two seasons, to shortstop.

"We're solid there with Mason and I think he'll hit at the top of our lineup," said Fortner.

The catcher will be talented ninth-grader Caleb Catt, who will be backed up by Caleb Troxler.

Returning at first base is senior Tanner Ramsey, who started every game in 2018.

Second base will be manned by senior Carlson Bennage, who started a lot of games last year when Kearney was injured.

Burch, who Fortner said will likely hit in the middle of the lineup, returns at third base. The outfield, from left to right, will be comprised of ninth-grader Gage Watson, Price Watson and Brossett.

Serving as an able-bodied utility player on the infield will be ninth-grader Peyton Voyles, who stood out for the junior high team last year.

"Offensively last year we struggled to hit good fastballs," said Fortner. "We have made strides in that department and we've tried the best we've could to simulate game-action in batting practice."

Thursday's home opener will be followed up by a Friday game at Armorel.

Lefty ace Watson commits to Memphis

By Billy Woods

WM School District

For West Memphis Blue Devil pitcher Price Watson, Memphis was the only choice.

Watson, the Blue Devils' ace left-handed starter, made a verbal commitment to the University of Memphis last week. He is the second Blue Devil baseballer to head to a Division 1 college in the last four months. Last June, graduated senior Curtis Washington inked with NCAA runners-up Arkansas.

Watson said his official visit to the Memphis campus recently sold him on the Tigers' program, which is headed by Darren Shoenrock.

"When I went over there it was a lot more than I was expecting," said Watson, who has led the Blue Devil pitching staff in all statistical categories the last two seasons. "I loved the coaching staff and the campus was awesome and the atmosphere was really good."

In addition, Watson will get top-notch pitching instruction. The Tigers' new pitching coach is former St. Louis Cardinal closer Jason Motte, who led the National League in saves in 2012 and who got the last out of the 2011 World Series against the Texas Rangers.

Watson said he received interest from Ole Miss, but "they've just got so many guys over there."

He also received interest from the University of Central Arkansas, Southern Miss and Arkansas State.

Watson said his official visit to the U of M included sideline passes for the Tigers' football game at home against South Alabama.

"We got to see the players come onto the field," said Watson. "Never got to do that before."

Watson's pitching arsenal includes a fastball clocked in the mid-80s, change-up, slider, two-seam fastball and four-seamer.

"My change-up's good, but I'm really working on my slider," he stated. "I just started throwing the slider my sophomore year."

Perhaps Watson's biggest strength is his control. He's a strike-thrower.

"His walk rate is pretty low," said West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell. "His work ethic is also unbelievable. He's got leadership skills and I think he'll be the glue that keeps us together next year. His work ethic and leadership skills are rubbing off on the rest of our players."

Washington to be a Razorback

By Billy Woods

WM School District

West Memphis senior Curtis Washington was faced with a most pleasant dilemma as his high school athletic carer was coming to a close this spring.

As a two-sport star, Washington was fielding multiple offers from a few colleges and at the same time trying to decide whether the best offer would come from basketball, baseball or both.

After waiting it out patiently, the best offer was a no-doubter.

Washington was invited to walk on with the University of Arkansas' nationally prominent baseball program last week.

"It's a dream come true," said an excited Washington. "Seeing them play on TV lately just gave me chills."

Washington becomes the first West Memphis High School graduate to play for the Razorback baseball program since 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher Stuart Huchingson, who signed with the Hogs in 1978.

A two-sport all-state selection, Washington led head coach Gary Cordell's baseball squad in 2018 in every offensive category, including a .435 average and an on-base/slugging percentage of .1504. Washington rapped a club-high 7 home runs with 29 RBIs.

He was also a key cog for head coach Marcus Brown's basketball Blue Devils, who advanced to the Class 6A state championship game in 2017-18. Washington was the club's top three-point shooter and the team's second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game.

Washington is also Cordell's 40th player to play college baseball and his first to play Division 1 ball.

"(Washington) was the leader of the team," Cordell stated. "He set the tone for everybody. At some point in the season we moved him to the lead-off spot in the order and that's when we took off. He's a great kid and he comes from a great family. I think he'll do well in Fayetteville."

Washington had baseball offers from Delta State University and LeMoyne-Owen College. He also had some feelers from college basketball programs.

His ascent to Fayetteville began with his play in the Class 6A state tournament in Greenwood in May. A scout from the Professional Baseball Report was on hand and saw Washington's first at bat against Benton in which he tripled to the center-field wall and came away with a two-hit day to go along with some dazzling plays at shortstop.

"(The scout) invited me to come down to the PBR Showcase workout," said Washington. "Afterwards he told me he'd contact (Arkansas head coach) Dave Van Horn.

"One day Dave Van Horn called my phone and I was all excited. He told me he was interested in me and wanted me to come for a visit. This was before the Super Regionals (against South Carolina). He kept in touch with me throughout the rest of the season, even when they were playing in the College World series. I'd text him on game days and tell him good luck, and he'd always answer back 'Thank you Curtis."'

As nearly all of local Arkansas baseball fans know the Hogs came dreadfully close to the program's first national championship, coming within one strike and one missed pop foul away from defeating Oregon State in Game Two of the Championship Round of the CWS.

"I didn't miss any of their games on TV in Omaha," Washington added. "I was rooting very hard for them. It just killed me they didn't end up winning."

A few days following the loss to Oregon State, Washington said Van Horn called him back and said he'd signed more players for next year than he actually wanted to and that scholarship money was scarce. However, the Hog coach said he really wanted Washington in his program.

Washington played slightly out of position this spring for the Blue Devils out of necessity. He was more than an able shortstop, but his projected position with the Razorbacks is center field, where he can use his speed (which produced 18 stolen bases this season) to cut balls off in the gaps.

"But I'll also be tried at shortstop, too," Washington added.

Arkansas had several players drafted by MLB teams last June, but the Hogs won't have to retool much with the return of SEC freshman of the year Keston Kjerstad and fellow frosh star Casey Martin, of Lonoke.

"I'm so proud of Curtis, and this is also a big thing for our program," said Cordell. "I think his best position is center field, and I think he's got a chance to do well there."

Washington has spent this summer playing for head coach Junior Weaver and the Marion Toppers. As soon as the season is over this summer, Washington will report to Fayetteville to prepare for fall baseball drills.

"I want to be on that big stage playing for the Hogs and on national TV," Washington said with a smile.

Blue Devils hold off Jacksonville, take the fifth

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis Blue Devils bid farewell for the season to Tilden Rodgers Complex on Thursday, but there will still be meaningful baseball left for the team.

Given the opportunity to create some real momentum heading into the Class 6A state tournament, the Blue Devils took off and ran with it by holding off a late Jacksonville rally for a 7-5 victory over the Titans in the fifth-place match-up in the 6A-East Conference tournament.

The Blue Devils (12-14) will next play on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the first round of the state tournament at Greenwood against either Benton or El Dorado.

West Memphis overcame some early difficulty hitting with men on base and then had to hold off a furious Jacksonville rally in the seventh inning. The Titans had the tying run at the plate with two outs when Blue Devil reliever Curtis Washington struck out the hitter for the West Memphis winner.

"I think the kids are starting to believe in themselves again," said West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell. "We went like a five or six-game losing streak, but we came back and played a real good game and Searcy and lost (1-0) and I think we got some confidence back the other day when we beat (Little Rock) Hall."

Starting and winning pitcher Price Watson went four strong innings before giving way to Lance Burch, who pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth innings. Watson gave up just three hits in his four frames and he struck out 7.

At that point, the Blue Devils had outhit the Titans 7-3, but trailed on the scoreboard 2-1 because the hosts went 1-for-6 at the plate with runners in scoring position.

"That was frustrating," Cordell added. "We got a little anxious up there, doing things the old way instead of what we'd been working on in practice."

Washington's feet cut Jacksonville's lead in half in the third when he led off with a single and then promptly stole second and third. On the way to third, though, Jacksonville's catcher threw it into left field to plate Washington.

The West Memphis breakthrough happened in four-run fourth when senior catcher Taylor Roeder got it started with a lead-off single. Pinch hitter Owens McConnell was then hit by a pitch. With runners at second and third with one out, the big hit came from junior second baseman Carlson Bennage, who singled to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.

"Carlson got the big hit today," said Cordell. "We really needed that right there. I think that relaxed us some."

Watson then reached on an error by the Jacksonville third baseman, which plated a third run. Watson then scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.

Considering the Titans' rally in the seventh, it's a good thing the Blue Devils padded the lead to 7-2 when they plated two more runs in the sixth inning.

Watson and senior Denver Burton rapped RBI singles in that inning.

That left Washington, a senior, who has pitched in and out of jams in the last week, to get the last three outs.

The first four Jacksonville hitters reached base via single, fielder's choice and two hit batsmen before Washington got the second out on a fly-out to Watson, who was stationed in left field. After a balk plated one run, a passed ball and an infield hit cut the Blue Devil lead to 7-5 with a runner at third and two outs.

Washington fanned the final hitter and the Blue Devil celebration was on.

"I think Curtis and Price were the two best players on the field today," Cordell said with a smile. "I'm glad they were on my team today."

Burton had two hits for the Blue Devils and junior Trey Brossett, starting in right field, laced a double into the left-centerfield gap, for the only extra-base hit for West Memphis.

Blue Devils power their way to the state tourney

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The final swing of the day was a no-doubter off the bat of Curtis Washington.

It had the distance.

The only question was fair or foul.

As Washington contorted his body trying to coax the ball fair, it hooked around the foul pole for a long three-run home run.

And with that, the West Memphis Blue Devils were back in the state tournament for the first time since 2012.

Washington's sixth homer of the season put a loud punctuation on the Blue Devils' 16-1 victory over Little Rock Hall on Tuesday in a 6A-East Conference tournament game at Tilden Rodgers Complex.

The only player on the West Memphis squad with state tournament experience (he has played in the last two state basketball tournaments), Washington was all smiles after the game.

Even after he was the recipient of a Gatorade ice bucket over his unsuspecting head.

"I'm so excited I don't know what to say," said a smiling Washington. "I don't know what kind of pitch I hit, but it was hanging up there. I put a good swing on it...and there it went."

With the win, West Memphis (11-14) will host a final 6A-East tournament game against Jacksonville. Blue Devil head coach Gary Cordell said after the game that the Blue Devils will play Jacksonville on Thursday.

Game time is pending as of 9:30 p.m. tonight.

At any rate, the Blue Devils do not care.

It's been a tough row to hoe this season for them, what with several injuries and defections from the team.

Plus, on Tuesday, the Blue Devils were trying to shake off the effects of a heart-breaking 1-0 loss last Saturday at Searcy in the first round of the conference tournament.

"We haven't been to the state tournament in so long," said Cordell. "We've had a lot to fight through. The kids deserve this. I'm so happy for them."

The state tournament begins next Thursday at Greenwood.

West Memphis left no doubt against an over-matched Hall team that came in with a record of 2-21.

Ninth-grade lefty Cade Bell set the tone for the West Memphians Tuesday by hurling all three innings and allowing only three hits and an unearned run and striking out three.

"Cade Bell threw the ball excellent today," Cordell said of his rookie pitcher. "That's pretty good for a ninth-grader. Our future looks bright. We've got three more (pitchers) coming up next year from the junior high team. The sky's the limit for these guys."

The last time a Blue Devil team took on Little Rock Hall, it took a bounce of the ball their way as Marcus Brown's basketball team fended off the Warriors for a heart-stopping win that propelled the team into the state finals.

It took no such drama on the diamond, however.

The Blue Devil offense started slowly, but ended with thunder.

The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Washington led off with a single up the middle. The senior then stole the first of his four bases and came around on a grounder by Carlson Bennage that was kicked by the Warrior shortstop.

Bennage then scored on a wild pitch.

West Memphis put up six runs in the second behind singles from Bennage, senior Taylor Roeder and Bell, who drove in two runs.

After Hall scored an unearned run in the top of the third, the Blue Devils put the Warriors away with eight tallies in their half of the frame.

Bennage got his second hit of the game and sophomore Owens McConnel drove in a run with a single before Washington ended the evening in triumphant fashion.

"All that's left for us now is improve our seeding (in the state tournament)," said Cordell. "I'm just so tickled for our kids. I love seeing them having fun. They played hard today and they came to the park ready to play."

Searcy edges Blue Devils 1-0 in tourney opener

By Billy Woods

WM School District

SEARCY --- Last year it was a questionable drop on a fly ball. This time there was no question.

Looking to secure their first state tournament berth since 2012, the West Memphis Blue Devils battled the Searcy Lions hard before falling here Saturday 1-0 in walk-off fashion in a 6A-East Conference first-round game.

With West Memphis pitchers Price Watson and Curtis Washington baffling the Lions' hitters for the better part of the afternoon, it was evident early on that one run would probably win it.

Two mis-played fly balls fell to the ground harmlessly in the bottom of the seventh to give Searcy the victory.

Last season, the Blue Devil season was ended in controversial style when umpires ruled that West Memphis outfielder Austin Sudbury trapped a fly ball in left field, giving Searcy the walk-off win.

"Bottom of the seventh, kinda the same thing as last year," said West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell. "That's baseball. We didn't make the plays when we needed to make them."

Hopes for a state tournament berth are hardly dampened, however. The Blue Devils (10-14) host Little Rock Hall Tuesday at Tilden Rodgers Complex in a losers bracket game. Hall has a 1-20 record after losing at Jonesboro 29-0 last Friday.

Watson, West Memphis' starting pitcher, had some of his best stuff all season, handcuffing Searcy for 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball. Watson gave up just four hits and struck out 8.

Watson could have possibly stayed in for the duration had a misplayed fly ball in the fifth been caught. However, it was scored a hit and it loaded the bases for Searcy in a scoreless game with only one out in the sixth.

Washington relieved Watson and was faced with a most difficult situation. However, he struck out the next two hitters and the Blue Devils escaped the jam unscathed.

"I was thinking about last year and the way we lost that game," Washington said. "I didn't want that to happen again, so I went in to be a bulldog and do whatever I had to do for my team to get a win."

Though the Blue Devils, who had only four hits on the day, couldn't get much going on offense, they hit several balls right at Lion defenders.

"We hit the ball better than the box score says," Cordell stated. "A few balls we squared up, but hit it right at them."

The Blue Devils stranded two runners in the second inning and one each in the third and fourth frames. Those were their two best chances to score, although the team never got a runner as far as third base.

Washington went back out for the seventh inning and started the frame strongly enough with his third straight strikeout. But a ball lost in the sun that should have been the second out resulted in a double. After a fly out to center for the second out, another fly ball on the infield dropped to the ground to end the game.

"We made all the plays early in the game, but we made two costly mistakes at the end," said Cordell. "We gotta get ready for Tuesday because that's another big game."

West Memphis got hits from junior Lance Burch, Washington, Tanner Ramsey and Watson.

Marion rushes past Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It was simply a bad day at the office for the West Memphis Blue Devils on Thursday at Marion.

Marred by five walks and three hit batsmen in the first two innings, the Patriots hit the Blue Devils for 11 runs in the first two innings on the way to a 16-0 victory over West Memphis.

"We played scared, didn't compete," West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell simply stated. "When (Marion) got that four-run first inning, we gave up."

Sophomore ace pitcher Price Watson, who normally has no trouble filling up the strike zone, was uncharacteristically off his game, walking three in the first inning and giving up a two-run homer before being lifted without recording an out.

It was on for the Patriots from there.

Marion starting pitcher Alex O'Brien limited the Blue Devils to three hits, one each to Owens McConnell, Lance Burch and ninth-grader Cade Bell.

Marion's offense was boosted by the big bat of sturdy-looking ninth-grader Detric Cail, who blasted a two-run homer in the first inning. Three West Memphis relief pitchers plunked four Marion batters.

"Horrible day for our pitchers," Cordell added.

The Blue Devils (10-13) played without three starters. Junior second baseman Mason Kearney, who has been bothered by a sore back, was held out as was right fielder Denver Burton, who has been ill. Senior shortstop Curtis Washington was unavailable because he was attending a basketball banquet in Bentonville, honoring the five best players in Class 6A.

That much took much of the sock out of the Blue Devil lineup.

"It hurt having them out," Cordell said. "But the rest of (the team) didn't step up and do what they needed to do."

The Blue Devils will try and get back on the winning track Saturday when they host Magnolia Heights (Miss.) at Tilden Rodgers Complex at 2 p.m. The game will be preceded by a junior high game at noon.

Blue Devils fall at Nettleton

By Billy Woods

WM School District

A fourth-inning grand slam interrupted what could have been a Blue Devil baseball victory on Tuesday, but instead it led to an 8-3 loss at Nettleton.

Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the bases-loaded homer put the Raiders ahead 4-3. The loss drops West Memphis' record to 10-12 on the season heading into today's game at Marion, which will find sophomore ace lefty Price Watson pitching for the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils got an outstanding game from senior shortstop Curtis Washington, who was only a triple for hitting for the cycle. Washington went 3-for-4 on the day with a homer, double and single. Senior Michael Troxler and junior Carlson Bennage both went 1-for-3 at the plate for the Blue Devils.

Starting pitcher Conner Allen lasted 3.2 innings, giving up 5 runs.

On the junior high level, the Junior Blue Devils have put up some impressive victories, the latest of which was a 7-5 win over Palestine-Wheatley on Tuesday.

Starting and winning pitcher Kaleb Catt hurled two scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out one and walking one. Landon Wooldridge and Matthew Kearney provided solid relief pitching as Kearney got the final three outs for the save.

Kearney also led West Memphis in hitting with a 2-for-3 night.

Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Devils got a two-run single from Bryson Jenkins to give the hosts the lead for good.

The Junior Blue Devils also shut out Paragould on Monday 3-0 as Wade Rodgers spun five scoreless innings. Rodgers allowed only two hits, struck out seven and walked just one. Jackson Hester pitched a scoreless sixth inning to earn the save.

Third baseman Payton Voyles led the West Memphis offense by going 2-for-3 at the plate.

Masters continues mastery over Mustangs

By Billy Woods

WM School District

FORREST CITY --- The West Memphis Blue Devils continued their "Mastery" over Forrest City here Tuesday.

In hopes of saving his two best arms for today's crucial conference doubleheader at Jonesboro, West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell rested his hopes on sophomore left-hander Riley Masters, and the starting pitcher didn't disappoint.

Masters spun a one-hit shutout as the Blue Devils powered their way past Forrest City 15-0 in four innings.

In less than a week, Blue Devil pitchers limited the Mustangs to just one hit over nine innings in two games. Last week, sophomore southpaw Price Watson no-hit Forrest City in a five-inning victory.

Masters kept the mastery going, setting the Ponies down in order in three of his four innings of work, allowing just a first-inning single and walking just one.

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils (10-7) wasted no time jumping on top of Forrest City.

The first four hitters in the first inning reached base safely in a four-run frame that was highlighted by senior shortstop Curtis Washington's two-run triple that split the left-center-field gap and senior Conner Allen's RBI single.

West Memphis added six runs in the third inning, which saw senior outfielder Michael Troxler lead off the stanza with a single to left, one of his two hits on the day.

Masters helped himself at the plate with a two-run single in the inning while junior Lance Burch and Denver Burton had run-scoring singles.

The Blue Devils applied the 15-run mercy rule in the fourth with five more runs. Sophomore third baseman Owens McConnell got the second of his two hits on the day to lead off the inning. McConnell, Masters, senior catcher Taylor Roeder, Burch and Burton all scored runs to put away Forrest City.

Burton reached base three times on the day while Washington, Masters and Burch all had two-RBI days.

Watson's no-no highlights blowout over Forrest City

By Billy Woods

WM School District

Price Watson established himself as a strike thrower last year as a freshman, but on Thursday at Tilden Rodgers Complex, the sophomore lefty literally owned the strike zone.

Watson fired a five-inning no-hitter as the Blue Devils mercy-ruled an overmatched Forrest City team 12-0.

In only his fourth outing this season, the methodical Watson wasted very few pitches and kept his pitch count down to a minimum. After the game, he was very non-chalant at his accomplishment.

"I wasn't really thinking about (the no-hitter). I was just trying to slow it down and throw strikes," Watson said.

Throw strikes he did.

In fact, Watson threw first-pitch strikes to the first 11 Forrest City batters and 12 of the first 13. Watson threw just seven pitches in a perfect first inning and followed that up with just eight more in the second inning.

He had plenty left in the tank had the game not ended in five innings.

Watson said he'd pitched one other no-hitter in his career, when he was 13 years old.

"I thought I was just a little off early in the game," he said matter-of-factly. "I found it very quickly after that, though."

Watson said he used his four-pitch repertoire sparingly.

"I threw a couple of sliders, but didn't throw any change-ups," Watson added. "The command was there, so I was just working off mechanics all day."

Watson walked two Mustangs, falling just short of a perfect game.

His defense was also perfect, fielding what few balls the Mustangs put in play. Watson struck out seven.

"I was hoping to see that perfect game," said Watson's coach, Gary Cordell. "I think today was his fourth outing and you can tell he's getting better. He's timing perfect because we've got some tough games coming up against Marion and Jonesboro."

The Blue Devil offense didn't have to do much besides putting the ball in play against a defensively-challenged Forrest City club. West Memphis (9-7) put up three run in the first inning with the aid of just two hits, by lead-off batter Lance Burch and Watson, who had an RBI single.

The Blue Devils made it 7-0 in the second inning thanks to run-scoring singles by Tanner Ramsey and Curtis Washington.

The offense looked stronger in the fourth inning with several hard-hit balls, including a run-scoring triple by senior Michael Troxler and RBI singles from fellow seniors Conner Allen and Denver Burton.

"I'm proud of all the kids today," Cordell said. "We had a great practice (Wednesday) and everybody worked hard. We had an error-less game today and that's always good to see."

Washington had two hits as did Burton while Taylor Roeder and Tanner Ramsey each had one hit.

Cordell honored his six seniors on Senior Night. It included Roeder, Burton, Allen, Washington, Tyla Bradford and Troxler.

The Blue Devils return the game against the Mustangs on Tuesday at Forrest City before traveling to Jonesboro for a doubleheader on Thursday.

Tech defeats Blue Devils 10-4

By Billy Woods

WM School District

A game that started with a loud bang for the West Memphis Blue Devils ended with a thud.

Curtis Washington's first-inning home run gave the Blue Devils an early lead, but mental lapses and a four-run seventh inning by Greene County Tech added up to a 10-4 West Memphis loss on Tuesday at Tilden Rodgers Complex.

Several things went West Memphis' way early in the game, but throws to the wrong bases, hesitation in throwing at all and base-running mistakes cost the home team in the end.

"Just too many mental mistakes," West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell explained. "We work on them in practice, but today it just didn't translate to the field."

After West Memphis starting pitcher Mason Kearney threw up a first-inning zero on the Eagles, the Blue Devils jumped on the visitors with Washington's two-out clout that cleared the double-decked fence in left-center for a 1-0 Blue Devil lead.

It was short-lived, however.

With the aid of one error, Tech took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the second.

Although Greene County Tech extended its cushion to 6-1 by the fourth inning, the Blue Devils (8-7) were not out of it yet.

West Memphis cut the gap to 6-3 when senior catcher Taylor Roeder laced a one-out double into left-center and fellow senior Denver Burton followed with a walk. Kearney then reached on an error to the Tech second baseman, who hurried a throw to second in an attempt to force Burton at second.

The throw went into left field, allowing Seth McGough, running for Roeder, to score. Later, senior outfielder Conner Allen singled home Burton.

Junior right-hander Lance Burch relieved Kearney in the fourth and worked smoothly in keeping the score close until he appeared to tire in the seventh.

"(Burch) came in and shut (Tech) down," Cordell added. "I think he got tired in the seventh inning because he hasn't been throwing much."

The Blue Devils' best chance to break through against Tech was the two-run fifth when three of the team's better hitters were up with a runner in scoring position and only one out.

But Tech wriggled out of the jam.

Blue Devil hitters made contact for much of the game, striking out only seven times in the game.

"We're cutting down on our strikeouts," said Cordell. "Today we just hit a lot of balls at 'em."

Tech nailed down the victory with a four-run seventh that featured some shoddy fielding.

"Threw to the wrong bases, nobody's backing up the catcher and nobody's backing up third base and both times the ball was thrown over their heads," Cordell said. "We just gotta play better."

Allen led the Blue Devil offense with two singles on the day.

The Blue Devils host Forrest City today in a game that will be designated Senior Day for six West Memphis seniors.

Blue Devils make it seven wins in a row

By Billy Woods

WM School District

BLYTHEVILLE --- After starting the season sloppily, losing the first four games, the West Memphis baseball Blue Devils have strung together a seven-game winning streak after their 14-3 conquest at Blytheville on Tuesday.

Ninth-grade lefty Cade Bell spun four scoreless innings and the Blue Devils hit the Chicks with an 11-spot in the second inning to cruise to the victory.

When asked what part of his team has improved the most, head coach Gary Cordell said, "Pitching, defense...and really hitting."

"We're playing better," Cordell said. "Today, though, we got ahead 14-0 and then got back on our heels. You gotta learn to put teams away. Hitting-wise, we're starting to cut down on our strikeouts and putting the ball in play more."

Mid-week rain may postpone or cancel the rest of the week for the Blue Devils, who are scheduled to play Marion today and then play in the Batesville Classic, where they are scheduled to play nationally-ranked Sheridan in the first round on Friday.

Against Blytheville, the Blue Devils plugged the outfield gap four times for extra bases with senior Michael Troxler leading the way with a double and a single while others with two hits included senior shortstop Curtis Washington and senior right-fielder Denver Burton.

Junior lefty Trey Brossett hurled the final inning to close out the win at Blytheville.

On Monday, the Blue Devils pounded Cordova 12-7 behind 4.1 innings of one-hit ball by starting pitcher Conner Allen, who struck out six and walked three. With the victory, Allen improved to 3-1 on the season. Mason Kearney earned his second save of the season.

Offensively, Bell was the ring-leader with a 3-for-5 performance while Washington again added two hits in five trips to the plate. Burton also hit safely twice while Taylor Roeder, Allen, Lance Burch and Tanner Ramsey all had one hit apiece.

"Defensively, we're still not quite there yet, but we're starting to make the plays and right now we're all healthy and that's something I'm happy about," Cordell added. "We're playing better every game, and that's something you want to keep doing. We'll keep working at it."

Blue Devils pick up two road victories

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis baseball Blue Devils erased the memory of three choppy losses to open the season with their first winning streak of the season.

West Memphis avenged an earlier 11-0 loss to Wynne a week ago and posted an 8-6 victory over the Yellowjackets and then followed that up with a 10-1 triumph in their first road victory of the season at Paragould on Thursday.

The hottest bat among the Blue Devil offense has belonged to senior Conner Allen, who rapped out a triple and a single in a 2-for-4 day at Wynne and then followed that up with a 3-for-4 evening at Paragould which included two runs batted in. Allen also pitched his team to the win at Wynne by hurling four innings and giving up only two hits.

The West Memphis relief corps also was solid at Wynne with junior Lance Burch throwing 2.2 innings of two-hit ball and then getting another inning of two-hit ball from senior Michael Troxler.

Mason Kearney, a junior second baseman, also slapped two singles at Wynne in five at-bats while senior catcher Taylor Roeder banged out a double in four at-bats.

The highlight of Thursday's victory at Paragould was the debut of sophomore left-handed pitcher Price Watson, who threw three strong innings, giving up four hits and one run to go with four walks and four strikeouts.

Once again, the Blue Devil bullpen locked down the decision as Kearney pitched two shutout innings and Troxler closed it out with another zero in the seventh inning.

Four other West Memphians collected two hits at Paragould to bolster the 14-hit effort. Burch went 2-for-4 with a team-high three RBI, junior Trey Brossett was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Kearney was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Troxler went 2-for-4.

Senior Curtis Washington went 1-for-5 with three stolen bases while Roeder was 1-for-4 with one RBI.

The Blue Devils will play at home all this week at Tilden Rodgers Complex, hosting their annual Spring Fling.

Wynne defeats Blue Devils

By Billy Woods

WM School District

It's been a choppy start to the 2018 season, but West Memphis head coach Gary Cordell is confident things will turn around for his Blue Devil baseball team.

The Blue Devils fell 11-0 to Wynne last Friday at Tilden Rodgers Complex to fall to 0-3 on the season.

"I'm competitive, and I don't like to lose, so yes this has been tough," said Cordell. "We'll get it fixed, though."

The Blue Devil Nine started decent enough against Wynne, but it mushroomed on them in the latter innings. Wynne used two errors and a walk in the first inning to plate the first two runs of the game against West Memphis starting pitcher Mason Kearney.

After three innings it was only 3-0, but the Blue Devil bats were once again silent. In the first three games this season they only have two hits, the latter of them coming off the bat of senior Michael Troxler, who singled to center field in the second inning.

"Two hits in three games?" Cordell exclaimed. "With two strikes we still hold the bat on the end of the knob instead of swallowing our pride and choking up just to put it in play. Put the ball in play and make the other team make some errors."

Three more West Memphis errors gave the Yellow Jackets two more runs in the fourth and by then it was all Wynne.

Good news, however, awaits the Blue Devils.

Today, they expect to gain the services of senior shortstop and last year's leading hitter, Curtis Washington, who was helping the WMHS basketball team to the state finals, and left-handed ace pitcher Price Watson is expected to start today's game after experiencing some elbow soreness.

Blue Devil baseball opens today at home

By Billy Woods

WM School District

The West Memphis High School baseball program got a huge shot in the arm last year with Gary Cordell as the new head coach.

Cordell is the longest tenured baseball coach in Crittenden County, having coached on just about every level for over 40 years. His first year as the Blue Devil mentor saw him lead the program to a 13-12 record, its first winning campaign since 2011.

Cordell welcomes back a solid group, including depth in the pitching staff.

The Blue Devils are scheduled to open the season today at home against Valley View.

"I didn't know a lot of the players last year, so I wasn't sure what to expect," said Cordell. "Now, I'm familiar with every one of them. The hardest thing last year was teaching them how to win. We're still working on that now. If you'll remember the Jonesboro game last year. We go up 5-1 into the seventh inning, you could see the kids were real tense and weren't relaxed. One mistake here and one mistake there and we ended up losing. But I really think we've made a lot of progress and I really think we're better this year than last year."

Cordell has a deep pitching staff to work with this year, led by sophomore left-hander Price Watson, who as a ninth-grader had an earned run average of 1.40 last season in 35 innings. Watson's velocity is up even further this spring, and when coupled with the movement on his pitches it makes for very uncomfortable at-bats for the opposition.

Cordell said his starting rotation will have three lefties, including junior Trey Brossett, who pitched in high-leverage situations as a sophomore last year. Other mound hopefuls will include Curtis Washington once he gets through leading the Blue Devil basketball team to the state championship, ninth-grader Cade Bell, Michael Troxler, sophomore Owen McConnell, senior Conner Allen and junior Mason Kearney.

Cordell credits the development of his pitching staff to pitching coach Josh Fortner.

"Coach Fortner is one of the best I've ever been involved with," Cordell said. "The offseason program he made up for our pitchers has really made a difference. He really is a student of pitching and he has really impacted the program in that aspect."

Cordell's lineup is blessed with several players who are interchangeable and diverse.

The starters, at least for the early part of the season include senior Denver Burton, who hit .254 with 9 RBI last year, in right field, Allen in center and either Troxler or Bell in left field.

McConnell will start at third base with Burch at shortstop until Washington arrives, Kearney and either Tanner Ramsey or Brossett at first base.

The catcher will be senior returning starter Taylor Roeder, who hit .244 a year ago.

Washington led the team in hitting last year with a .327 average and he tied for second with Nick Alsbrook in RBI with 12.

The Blue Devils will play their second game on the road this Thursday at Magnolia Heights (Miss.) at 4:30 p.m. The team will also host its annual Spring Fling March 19-23 at Tilden Rodgers Complex.

Today's home opener is set for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.