With eight players with significant varsity playing time last season returning this year, Warrenton High School baseball coach Eric Burle is optimistic about this season.

Last year, the Warriors started five freshmen and three sophomores. They still have a young group. The group has played a lot of baseball, and there is much varsity experience returning, Burle said.

One of the returning starters is Kannon Hibbs, who was was named all-state honorable mention last season as a sophomore. Burle believes Hibbs will be a big part of what the Warriors accomplish this season.

Burle sees the Warrenton offense being balanced between utilizing power hitting and also executing moving the runner over and getting the runner to home plate when needed. They have quite a few guys that have gap power on this year’s team, Burle believes. The Warriors have had good gap power the last couple seasons. “I think that it’s going to be a good mix because I got a lot of guys that play a lot of baseball, a lot of summer ball and stuff like that,” Burle said. “So you hope they have enough savviness to situational hit, but also when you throw Kannon and a couple other guys in there, that can really drive the ball to the gaps. Not a ton of guys that can mash the ball, but we got a few guys that can swing it pretty well. And then we have a few guys that are more role players. Move the runner over type thing.”

One of the team’s focuses this year is improving the pitching and catching from last season, Burle said. He is optimistic the Warriors will be improved in both areas this season.

“Hopefully we’re a little bit stronger in those areas,” Burle said. “I mean, a lot of those guys that got experience on the mound last year were freshmen. So a little growth curve. Hopefully they’re going to grow up and throw more strikes this year. And also, we need to get a little more consistency behind the plate with our catch-
ing position, which we’ve got a couple guys competing for it.”

Burle believes the youth on the pitching staff was the main issue last season. They would get two strikes and have hitters in 1-2 and 2-2 counts but walked the batter or hit the batter with a pitch, Burle said. The focus this year is attacking the strike zone, Burle added.

“Some of it was growing up a little bit and being able to focus and mature a little bit,” Burle said. “You hope those guys all grew up and matured a little bit. We have one senior that had a few innings but outside of that, all the guys were freshmen, sophomores and juniors pitching. A lot of it’s probably you hope they grow up, and you hope they’re a little bit stronger mentally.”

Although the Warriors were under .500 last season, Burle stressed they had leads after the fourth inning in half of their losses last season. He believes Warrenton competed in all of their games last year.

Burle added the ultimate goal is to win a district title.

“The ultimate goal is to be able to play our best baseball come middle of May when districts start,” Burlesaid. “I mean that’s really the thought and the process. Kind of number of wins, or this or that; we don’t really put a goal on that, but I mean really just to be playing our best baseball. Hopefully, along the way, you’re picking up some wins, and along the way you’re also competing maybe for a conference title and put yourself in a good spot for district play.”

The Warriors (1-3) won their season opener before dropping their last three games.

They defeated O’Fallon Christian 11-4 in the season opener. Kannon Hibbs went 2-3 with a solo home run and three runs scored. Troy Anderson went 3-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.

Warrenton lost games to Fort Zumwalt East 14-0 and St. Dominic 6-5. They lost to Windsor 12-2. 

The Warriors are scheduled to host Hannibal and Wright City Saturday.