By now everyone in South Sebastian County knows the Greenwood Bulldogs were the 2018 Class 6A state baseball champions after defeating Benton 4-0 for the crown at Fayetteville's Baum Stadium on May 19th.
It was Greenwood's fourth state title overall during the school year. The others came in girls' golf and volleyball, and football. It was also the fourth state baseball title in school history, but the first in 6A, a division GHS baseball joined six years ago.
The Diamond 'Dogs have been knocking on the door ever since, reaching the title game in 2013 only to lose a 5-4 heart-breaker to Jonesboro after the Hurricane staged a late-inning rally. In 2016 they reached the state semi-finals before losing again to Jonesboro. They were not to be denied in 2018.
The Bulldogs were clearly the best team in Arkansas in 6A, crafting an incredible 24-game winning streak to finish with an equally impressive 32-3 overall record. Their last loss was to Class 7A Van Buren on March 16th in extra innings.
Their other two losses were to Booneville and Alma in late February and early March, playing without their best hitter and starting shortstop, Peyton Holt, who was still in basketball at the time. The team also overcame a couple of key injuries to starters Ryan Daggs and Colton Sagely over the course of the season.
Daggs, whose injury was more severe and required more time to heal, never returned to the lineup. Sagely missed 11 games after ramming into the center field fence at Fort Smith's Hunt's Park, but returned in time to close out the regular season schedule and help his team win the state title.
In fact, Sagely had a hand in driving in three of Greenwood's four runs against Benton, and might have been the game's Most Valuable Player had starting pitcher Connor Noland not dazzled with a complete-game shutout and 12 strikeouts.
“He was on the all-state tournament team, and if Connor hadn’t pitched so well [Sagely] probably would have been the MVP,” said GHS Head Coach Trey Holloway. “He’s just a phenomenal kid who can do it all. He can hit, he can run, [and] he can play the outfield and infield. I love him because he works hard.”
As with all fierce competitors, the most difficult part for Sagely was sitting on the bench and not being able to contribute. “The toughest thing was watching everyone else play,” he said. “It was hard, because I wanted to be back out there.”
The junior outfielder also knows he must continue to get better as he assumes an even larger role during his last two years of eligibility. He's now considered a veteran and a team leader.
“Physically, I need to get better and work on getting muscle,” he said. “I need to get faster [too]. Coming off a state championship, we’ve got big expectations for next season. We have some big shoes to fill.”
Sagely continued his fine play in the opener of the Bulldogs' abbreviated summer schedule last Wednesday, May 30th, against Fort Smith Northside, a 7-1 win for Greenwood. Sagely tripled and scored twice in the victory. The Diamond 'Dogs will play 14 games over the next several weeks.
Coach Holloway's summer program allows for returning players to stay sharp and continue improving on their skills, while giving opportunities for newcomers or up-and-comers to showcase their abilities. Next year's in-coming freshman include pitcher Ethan Clark, who retired all three batters he faced against Northside.
“The biggest thing is getting guys acclimated to our program,” said the coach. “I like [playing] at home, so then I can teach to my dugout. Some of these guys, it’s seeing how well they handle the pressure.
“They’re playing for the first time for their high school team. Some of them are really nervous, so it’s about relaxing and having fun. Baseball is a game where you’ve got to relax and let the game come to you.”
As for next season, the Bulldogs have 15 returning players with some experience, but only four starters. Sagely and returning shortstop Peyton Holt will provide a powerful offensive punch in the middle of the lineup. Also coming back is starting left fielder Chance Eoff, and third baseman and starting pitcher Landry Jurecka.