Entering the season there was uncertainty over how the Wright City baseball team would respond to having lost three players, including an abundance of pitching, to the college level.The Wildcats were also under the direction of a new coach, but Shannon Wells ultimately came away very pleased with his team’s showing during a 14-10 campaign.“I thought the kids performed really well. When you lose the pitching depth we did. Usually when you lose the pitching depth we did, you take a few more losses. We ended up having some good quality wins.”Sub-par hitting allowed Wright City’s inexperienced pitchers to bide time for getting comfortable on the mound.The Wildcats had eight players bat .380 or better, including five who hit .400 and above. They scored 199 runs through 25 games.“I thought up and down our lineup was pretty solid one through nine once we figured out where we wanted people hitting,” said Wells.Senior Austin Marsh was a difference-maker both on the mound and at the plate. He batted a team-best .506 with 45 hits and 31 RBIs.Meanwhile, sophomore Troy Muse collected 27 hits while batting .380 in the No. 2 spot. He was a team leader with 21 stolen bases.“Marsh was a good lead-off, and Troy turned out to be a good two-man,” said Muse. “He could take a walk too.”But it was the Wildcats’ depth that really helped them stay competitive, with a tremendous on-base percentage.Sophomore Andrew Pfuhl was second on the team with a .418 batting average, recording 28 hits and 20 RBIs, while scoring 18 runs.“Our strength was probably our hitting and ability to move runners around when we needed to,” said Wells. “I knew if our pitching wasn’t on during certain games, we could out hit teams.”Additionally, Dallas Deroy, Chase Jones and Devin Telkamp each batted .380 or above with at least 36 at bats.Jones played outfield before transitioning into the Wildcats’ starting catcher.“I was really happy with how Chase progressed,” said Wells. “Behind the plate you could tell he was pretty experienced. He was solid at blocking the ball.”Pfuhl, who had been catching, moved to first base.“I thought Pfuhl progressed throughout the season,” said Wells. “He adjusted well at first base.”Sophomore Tyler Brittain turned out to be one of the Wildcats’ most dangerous players on the base paths, stealing 12 bases and reaching a team-best 31 times.“He is so quick and can get on by bunting and out-running the people,” said Wells.Telkamp was the most utilized pitcher, carrying a 3.41 ERA through 41 innings. He struck out 30 batters while walking 22 and allowing 20 earned runs.Marsh tossed 32 innings, sporting a 2.60 ERA while striking out 37 batters and walking nine.“I thought pitchers did really well,” said Wells. “Telkamp and Marsh settled down and anchored that spot. Telkamp’s pitching was pretty good throughout the whole season.”Senior Dallas Deroy, junior Adam North and sophomore Kyle Tuepker were also relied upon for pitching support.Deroy missed part of the season with an illness but was able to return and pitch 18 innings, while also netting a .417 batting average with 15 hits.North made a resounding return after suffering an elbow injury.“He did a really good job pitching this year coming off Tommy John surgery,” said Wells. “He finally got clearance to throw any pitch he wanted. He velocity started getting better and he started keeping the ball down low better.”Wright City finished fourth in the Eastern Missouri Conference.              Wells says defeating Orchard Farm twice and beating a state-ranked Cuba team were two of the Wildcats’ greatest accomplishments.“Overall, I thought the team got better as the season went on,” said Wells. “When you start five sophomores and one freshmen, you’re going to have some hiccups along the way.”JONES PROVIDES NEW TALENTDerrick Forsythe Photo.