Holton Baseball Preview 2019
Holton baseball head coach Joe Purcell is heading into his 19th year as the head coach of the Wildcats. Coach Purcell and the Wildcats finished with a 7-15 record last season. Assistant coaches again this season are Don Brees and Tim Prine.
At Class 4A-DII regional play last season, the Wildcats beat Big Seven League foe Jeff West in the first round, but lost 7-1 to KC Bishop Ward in the regional title game.
Two seasons ago, the Wildcats beat KC Bishop Ward in the regional title game and qualified for the state baseball tournament for the first time ever.
The Wildcats have eight returning letterwinners and starters this season, five of which are two-year lettermen.
Those returning starters are as follows:
*Junior Eli Prine (two year letterwinner).
*Junior Cody Mulroy (two-year letterwinner).
*Senior Zane Moylan (two-year letterwinner).
*Senior Parker Gilliland (two-year letterwinner).
*Senior Brett Brees.
*Senior Jackson Martin (two-year letterwinner).
*Sophomore Blake Mulroy.
*Junior Taygen Fletcher.
Prine was an honorable mention All-League pick as an infielder last season. Cody Mulroy was an honorable mention All-League pick as a catcher. Fletcher was an honorable mention pick All-League as a utility player.
Coach Purcell said he will also have some underclassmen that will contribute at the varsity level this season. Those underclassmen are as follows:
*Junior Hayden Rivers.
*Junior Keegan Purcell.
*Sophomore Kyle Bohnenkemper.
*Junior Maverick Uhl.
Zane Moylan, Maverick Uhl, Cody Mulroy, Blake Mulroy, Jackson Martin and Parker Gillilanbd are all returning pitchers with a lot of varsity innings under their belts.
With stricter guidelines on innings pitched per week being added to the prep ranks a few years back, six pitchers on the roster will also help Holton this season.
“I believe we have a very good pitching staff and that definitely should be one of our strengths,’’ Purcell said. “Right now, the Big Seven is a very competitive league with very good athletes. It will be a tough league.’’
Coach Purcell said the Wildcats are very deep at the pitcher position.
“We are deeper at the pitching position than we have ever been,’’ Purcell said. “We will need to improve on the offensive side of the ball. I think this will be a fun team to watch. They like to compete and they like playing the game.’’
