By Derrick ForsytheRecord Staff WriterThe program’s best season in over a decade resulted in considerable recognition for the Wright City baseball team when it came time for postseason honors.The Wildcats were awarded five spots on the Eastern Missouri All-Conference team following a 21-6 season that saw them reach the Class 3, District 6 championship game.Coach Shannon Wells says several others were deserving of accolades, but the Wildcats’ tremendous batting average across the board helped eliminate some worthy candidates.Kyle Tuepker — Junior earned a first-team selection as an infielder after leading the Wildcats with a .455 batting average and 40 hits. Tuepker accounted for 29 RBIs and 31 runs scored.He played shortstop and also pitched 18 innings, striking out 33 batters with a 5.44 earned run average.“Kyle was a pretty solid infielder,” said Wells. “He could hit for power but could also hit for average. Offensively, he had one of the highest averages in the conference.”Chase Jones — Junior was named to the first team after spending much of the season as the Wildcats’ starting catcher. Jones batted .440 with 37 hits, recording 28 RBIs and 34 runs scored.“He was by far the best catcher in the conference,” said Wells. “He’s smart and had learned the game very well since last year. You could see the difference in his growth, and he became a very valuable player for us.”Donovan Mozee — Junior slugger claimed first-team accolades as a utility player after tying for first in the conference with six home runs. Mozee batted .406 with 26 hits and 26 RBIs. He also had five doubles, scoring 16 runs.“Offensively, he was always a threat to hit a home run,” said Wells. “He adjusted really well at the plate.”Devin Telkamp — Senior garnered second-team honors after an admirable showing as Wright City’s ace this season. Telkamp pitched 40 innings, carrying a 3.33 ERA and going 7-1 as a starter through nine appearances.He batted .329 with 25 hits and 16 RBIs.“Devin got on mainly for his pitching efforts,” said Wells. “We had some pretty good pitching in our conference, and he was worthy of that. His fastball was solid, because he’s pretty good at locating at times.”Tyler Brittain — Junior outfielder used his speed to lock in a spot on the second team after leading the Wildcats with 31 stolen bases. Brittain batted .386 with 27 hits and eight RBIs. He also accounted for 30 runs scored.“He was really good defensively for us in right field,” said Wells. “He had several big plays for us out there, using his speed to track down balls. He was also smart on the base paths, and we knew if we got him on, we could advance him.”
Wright City's Donovan Mozee was named to the Eastern Missouri Conference first team.
Derrick Forsythe photo.
