The Wright City baseball team is aiming high this season, driven by the leadership of four talented seniors: Drew Elsenrath, Jakeb Orf, Micah Boeckman and Duan McRoberts.

With eyes set on both the EMO conference and district championships, the Wildcats are determined to make a deep postseason run.

“I’m ready to win a conference championship this year and definitely a district championship,” Elsenrath said. “We have the talent to do it.” 

The Wildcats have not won a conference title since 2019, and their last district championship was back in 2006. 

In recent years, they have been agonizingly close in the first round of districts, falling just one run short in the past two seasons.

“We’ve kind of been unlucky. We lost by one run last year and we’re right there, we just need to take that step and this year, we’re going to make that step for sure,” Elsenrath said. 

Coach Cody Bair has high expectations for the four seniors, noting the core is the team’s biggest strength. 

“I couldn’t have been blessed with a better group of kids,” Bair said. “Those four guys are always stepping up to the plate and taking charge. They make sure the guys are meeting expectations.” 

McRoberts mentioned the quartet has a nice chemistry on the field. 

“We’ve all played together since we were young and we know each other well,” McRoberts added. “A lot of our underclassmen, they listen to us and I feel like that’s very valuable to helping our team be better.” 

Bair will be entering his second year as head coach. He said he plans to bring a holistic approach this season. 

“I want to continue to put the kids in the best situation to be successful, so we’re working on different things this year, as far as not just the skill development, but nutrition and mental health,” he said. 

With a roster that blends “passionate” upperclassmen with “fiery” underclassmen, Bair and the seniors are amped about the team dynamic. 

“This has maybe been the most fun team that we’ve had in our last four years,” Boeckman said. “We all have great energy and we mesh well together.” 

Orf echoed the sentiment, adding, “We have a good team culture. Everybody’s friends, we get along very well and we have a lot of talent.” 

Bair emphasized that success this season will hinge on consistency in pitching and competitiveness at the plate. 

Elsenrath will take on the role of the team’s ace. Boeckman, who also pitched for the Wildcats last season, will transition to the infield after an off-season injury. Other pitchers, including Logan Rose, Carter Pierson and a few sophomores, will also play key roles on the mound. 

“(Elsenrath) has grown tremendously over the last two years,” Bair said. “I think everybody’s going to be surprised by what they see out there.” 

Wright City is slated to start its season at 2 p.m. on March 21 against Winfield on the road.

“They’re always a quality opponent,” Bair said. “We’ll let our guys test themselves against Winfield, see where we stand early in the year and make adjustments as we go.”