The Greenwood Bulldogs baseball team opened its 2024 regular season on Friday at home against the Booneville Bearcats. Their original opponent was to be the Gravette Lions, but that game was cancelled, forcing Head Coach Brandon Brewer to find another foe for his Bulldogs, who reached the semifinals of the playoffs last spring but lost several starters to graduation. The challenge this season will be finding replacements for those seniors.
Brewer characterizes his 2024 squad as youthful but talented, acknowledging they will need some time and experience to grow into the players he believes they can become before the postseason arrives in May. Still, four key senior starters remain to form a small but solid foundation of experience and leadership to build around. But those are the only seniors on his varsity roster along with seven juniors, six sophomores, and seven freshmen. Over half (13) of those 24 players have not yet reached their junior year, so they have some growing up to do on the baseball diamond. Their coaches are hoping they mature quickly.
That’s not to say the older players – this year’s juniors and seniors – don’t have room for growth and improvement. They certainly do, and Brewer expects them to do so if they want to challenge for a conference championship and make another deep run into the playoffs. That’s been the standard at Greenwood for many years, something Coach Brewer remembers from his own days as a player for the Bulldogs nearly 15 years ago. It’s one of the reasons he returned, because he understands and appreciates the program’s tradition of athletic excellence across all sports.
As of this writing, the GHS athletic department has already earned three more state championships during the current school year. They came in football, girls’ cross country, and cheer, with girls’ basketball favored to repeat at state champions in the coming week. Over the past 25 years the school has won over 60 state championships, including multiple titles in baseball. No other school in Arkansas can make such a claim over the same span of time, regardless of classification.
As a player at Greenwood, Brewer never won a ring. His senior season the 2010 Diamond ‘Dogs went 31-2, losing in the state finals. But he is more than familiar with what it takes to win a championship, because he coached at Owasso High School in Oklahoma for several years, one of the premier prep programs in the nation and winners of more than a dozen state titles in the Sooner state. He hopes to couple his prior coaching experience and knowledge with the hard work and talent of his current roster to mold another winner at Greenwood this season.
“We’re a young bunch this year,” admitted the coach when asked about the shortage of seniors on the roster. “We’re going to have to cut our teeth early on some things, but the four [seniors] we have all started for us last year. They understand what we expect, and they’ve got to drag those young ones along with them.”
Brewer then went around the horn position-by-position for his prospective starters, beginning behind the plate. “This year we’ve got Ty Holt starting for us as a freshman,” said the coach. “That’s usually your field general,” he said of the catching position. “Your best teams are strong up the middle at catcher, shortstop, second base, and centerfield. He’s got the baseball pedigree and he’s done really well for us so far through the preseason. I think he brings an energy level that a lot of kids can’t for his age. He understands the game well and is definitely advanced in baseball 101. He can handle the pitchers and I trust him to get the job done. He’s got great blocking technique and he’s like the Energizer bunny back there. He won’t have any problems. He’s caught his whole [baseball] life and it’s what he loves to do.”
Holt’s older brother, Peyton, played shortstop for the Bulldogs, was a star receiver and quarterback for the football team, and is currently a starting infielder for the highly ranked Arkansas Razorbacks. Like his brother, Ty also plays football at Greenwood. “He’s very quick and he moves really well,” said Brewer of his freshman backstop. “He’s very efficient with his movements and has a quick release with his throws. He just understands baseball. He’s also going to provide a spark for us on offense. He works extremely hard offensively and has a good eye at the plate.”
Returning at first base is senior Brady Pettigrew. “We need Brady to have a big year for us,” said his coach. “He’s going to be one of our power guys in the three or four hole [in the batting order]. He had a great season last year and we need him to have a great season this year. He hit close to .400 [last year] and was in the conversation for all-state.
“At second base we’ve got a battle going on between Jackson Cole, a junior, and Cooper Webb, a freshman. One of them will earn this spot over the next couple weeks. Jackson did some good things for us last summer, but we need him to be consistent. Cooper had a phenomenal preseason. I really wasn’t expecting him to [compete] for the second base [job], but if he continues to play hard and has a great offensive campaign, he’ll be in the lineup somewhere,” said Brewer.
At the hot corner the coach has senior Austin Bercher pegged as his starter. “He started in the outfield for us last year,” he continued. “We’re moving him back to the infield. That’s his natural [position] and what he likes to do. You like to have older guys on the corners that can communicate with the defense and get them in the right spots. Austin is athletic. He can move a little bit. He can play small ball and understands the game. He’s an excellent baserunner. We’re hoping he continues to have a great year.”
At shortstop is another youngster in sophomore Brady Morgan. “Brady has come a long way since last year,” said Brewer. “He has improved tremendously defensively. I feel like he’s our best defensive infielder, but he has a ways to go offensively, so we’re going to start out DHing for him, and he knows that. His role is to play shortstop and play defense. He’s had a really good preseason defensively. He knows what we’re doing and what plays we have on, and he communicates well.”
The starting outfield will depend on who is pitching that day for the Bulldogs, said the coach. “We have two guys in Austin Mitchell and Grant Karnes who will pitch. On a conference night those two will flip back-n-forth between centerfield and pitcher. In left field is Braden Skaggs, one of our top hitters last year. He’s one of those four seniors and was in a DH role last year. But he’s an excellent outfielder that can go get the ball. He moves well and communicates well in the outfield.
“Austin Mitchell is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the state,” elaborated the coach. “Game one Grant Karnes will be on the mound and Austin will be in center, and he can absolutely go get the ball. He made tremendous play after play last year and we haven’t had a outfielder like him in a long time. His [college] recruitment has picked up a little bit and he has a couple offers. He’s got to come on offensively and get consistent at the plate. But he has a chance to make name for himself. He’s worked harder offensively than anybody I’ve ever seen, so we’re hoping he has a really good year for us.”
The Bulldogs’ right fielder will be Zack Zitsmann, a junior. “Zack is kind of our secret weapon right now,” said the coach. “He didn’t really get any varsity reps last year, but he came on strong in football I thought and really helped them, and he’s going to be the same way with us. I think we will be a good team if he excels. If he continues what he’s done in preseason, then I think he takes us from good to great.” Fellow junior Scott Holland will also provide some depth in the outfield, said Brewer.
Having already identified his top two starting pitchers, the GHS head coach elaborated more about Grant Karnes and Austin Mitchell. The two hurlers will toe the rubber in all seven conference doubleheaders. “Karnes is going to start game one,” said Brewer. “He was an all-stater last year as a two-way guy (pitching and outfield). He got the Arkansas Newcomer of the Year award as a sophomore and he just committed to Wichita State. The D-1 offers are starting to roll in for him. He’s got a lively fastball and he’s super athletic. He figures it out on the fly sometimes. Even when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’s still going to get it done. You know what you’re going to get out of him.
“Austin Mitchell is a bulldog on the mound. He likes to work fast. He was our closer last year and has pitched in some big, tense moments,” added the coach. “As a starter he threw a two-hitter and beat Bentonville 2-0, and they were the 6A runner-up. He’s pitched in big moments. Both those guys we will lean on heavily during conference play to eat up the majority of our innings.
“Grant is going to be in the upper 80s to 90s with his fastball. He throws a true four-seam. He’s got an outfielder’s throw that has a little arm side run. He throws a slider off that, and it is a plus pitch. It’s a good, sharp down-breaking slider and he’s work on a splitter for a third pitch as his changeup. Austin’s fastball will be in the mid-to-upper 80s in the spring. He also throws a slider probably better than anyone we have. It’s a wipeout slider. It’s his best pitch and when he locates that, he is extremely hard to hit.”
Behind Karnes and Mitchell, Greenwood has multiple arms to pitch in relief and during non-conference games, according to Brewer, who is very high on his pitching depth. “For a high school team, I think we are really deep,” said the coach. “Game three will be between Mason Moore and Zack Zitsmann. Moore will be our first go to [pitcher] in the bullpen in conference, and if he doesn’t eat up too many pitches, he will also start game three for us. He’s a junior who has pitched his whole life. He understands how to pitch. He hits spots and can throw three pitches for strikes. He’s not going to blow you away with his fastball, but he’s going to make you hit his pitch. His ability to pitch is off the charts.
“Then we’ve got Zack Zitsmann. Every good staff has a lefty who can come in and stop the bleeding and Zack has proven to be that guy so far in preseason. His [fastball] is low-to-mid 80s and he’s developed a good off-speed breaking ball. When he gets going, he can shut down any team. He’s not yet comfortable pitching in big moments, because he didn’t grow up being a pitcher. But if they throw with the left hand, we’re going to try to make them pitchers, for sure. He’s developed nicely over the last year.
“Then we’ve got Brady Pettigrew, who threw in a lot of games his sophomore year and some last year as a junior. He’s going to be our fifth option. Then we have Aaron Taylor, a freshman lefthander who’s going to provide some depth for the varsity, and Cooper Webb will also provide some depth. Those are our seven top guys,” said the coach.
Turning to the offense, Brewer said, “There’s three or four guys vying for that DH spot. Jackson Cole, Cooper Webb, Scott Holland, and Josh Wright came out of basketball and he’s hitting the ball hard. He plays at a high energy level. Then we have Ashdin Vinci, a junior who is very consistent. Depth wise, we feel like we are ahead of schedule compared to last year.”
Asked about overall team speed, the coach said, “Speed is going to be one of our biggest weapons. Karnes, Skaggs, and Zitsmann can all get down the line. Austin Mitchell, Austin Bercher, and even Brady Pettigrew has some sneaky quickness. Team speed is going to be one of our keys. When we face better pitching, we’ll have to play some small ball, bunt and steal bases, but overall we are really fast.”
As for the proposed batting order, Brewer said, “Braden Skaggs is going to set the tone this year as a senior. He’s a veteran and can communicate well with other hitters as to what he’s seeing at leadoff. We just want to get on base. He’s not going to hit the ball over the fence, but he’s a doubles guy and he can turn singles into doubles. He can play small ball. He can draw walks and drag out some at bats. He’s the prototypical leadoff guy.”
Hitting in the second spot in the GHS order was yet undetermined at the time of the interview, but the Bulldogs have three good candidates to choose from, according to Brewer. They are Cooper Webb, Ty Holt, and Grant Karnes. “We want someone who can handle the bat at little and can bunt in certain situations. Someone who knows the strike zone and can get on base for our power hitters.
“We really want someone other than Grant in the two hole because Grant can hit it out of the park,” said the coach. “Brady Pettigrew is probably our biggest power hitter. He can elevate the fastball and drive it out of the yard. Zack Zitsmann probably has the shortest swing and quickest bat we have. The ball just jumps off his bat. They will be our three, four, and five hitters. It will probably be Karnes, Pettigrew, and Zitsmann to start out and we’ll go from there and adjust if we need to.”
The bottom half of the order is also still in flux. “It will be a mix to start out. We’ve got to find the right combination. Whoever is not in the two hole, we may want to start another lineup from six, seven, eight, and nine. Who’s the next guy that gets on base the best? Who’s our guy who can handle the bat well? It’s going to be between Holt, Webb, Bercher, Mitchell, and the DH spot will factor in as well, and that’s going to [change] quite a bit early on so we can find the right combination. In a perfect world your #9 hitter is your double leadoff who can get on base and have a chance to score a run. When we made our run last year the bottom of the lineup produced and was getting on base for the guys at the top.
“We’re not going to put up crazy numbers offensively,” admitted the coach. “Our bread and butter is going to be good pitching and defense. If we can get 6-8 runs a game, we feel good about our chances. We’re going to have to move guys around [on the bases] and steal a lot of bags and be able to play small ball at times. We’re a singles-doubles team.”
Asked about his roster construction, the coach said that he is pleased with his overall numbers “We’ve got 35 guys in our program, and typically our junior varsity guys will suit up with our varsity for those JV/varsity games. You like to have guys in the dugout to be there for support. I’m really happy with the numbers that we have.”
Asked about the competition this coming season, Brewer started with Russellville as a dark horse in the conference race. “They got a move-in who is committed to Arkansas who’s throwing 90 to 93 on the mound, and that’s tough in the 5A West, and that’s our first conference game on March 12th. Van Buren has been to the state finals three of the last five years. They’ve got a kid who pitched well last year as a freshman and he’s only going to get better as a sophomore. We’ve got our work cut out for us, for sure.” Van Buren will be Greenwood’s second league opponent on March 26th.
“There’s going to be six teams that are state quality teams vying for those four [playoff] spots, and we’re going to be one of those six,” said the coach. “We’re going to have to play well on [conference] Tuesdays and see where the chips fall. It’s between Russellville, Van Buren, [Greenwood], Mountain Home, Alma, and Greenbrier, the latter of which returns a lot of great players. Mountain Home made the state tournament last year and Alma played a bunch of young guys last year and they gave us fits.” Harrison and Siloam Springs round out the conference, but Greenwood has both of those league doubleheaders at home. “This is a tough conference, but we should be in the mix and I’m comfortable with that.”
Last season the Bulldogs went 13-1 in league play, their only loss to Greenbrier, and won the conference championship and the #1 playoff seed that went with it. But that team had six seniors who were major contributors and must be replaced. “We’ve got some young guys that have got to cut their teeth and gain some experience early. Last year we went on a 16-game run, but I thought we peaked early. Hopefully, as we progress, we will play our best ball at the right time down the stretch,” said Brewer.
“I’m excited. We’re going to be battle tested early. We play a really hard schedule, and I like it that way because we never get into a lackadaisical attitude,” said the coach. “We’re going to be tested in non-conference games as well when we get the season started.” The non-conference slate includes several 6A schools from Arkansas and a couple opponents from Oklahoma. “We’re just trying to find good quality teams [to play],” said Brewer.
Finally, the GHS baseball coaching staff had a couple changes. “We got to hire Kaleb Shaffer full time,” said Brewer. “He interned for us last year and he got a full-time job with the school, so that means Luke Hales is no longer with us. He’s moved over to track, and that’s a good fit for him. We also added one more volunteer, Ethan Clark, who was a great player here and pitched at the collegiate level and pro ball a little bit, and we’re excited that he’s back in town and willing to help us out.”