As a .500 season would suggest, the baseball season had its share of ups and downs as the Wright City baseball team finished with a 15-15 record.

Rather than focusing on any negatives, sophomore catcher Kayden McCurdy said that everyone left the field on the final day with gratitude for senior Logan Rose's efforts and hope for a stronger future for the program.

“I felt as the season went okay,” McCurdy said. “There is a lot to improve on. Our goal, as a team, was to win conference. We came just short of that. In the long run, I felt we were better than what our record says we were. We played down to other teams and just lost focus (sometimes). We picked it up at the end of the season.”

Wright City did pick things up at the end, winning both of the team’s final regular-season games over conference foes, North Callaway at the Southern Boone Classic and Elsberry, before dropping its district game to Fulton in a 1-0 heartbreaker.

Wildcats Coach Cody Bair said that the key takeaway from this season was that the team was able to build for the future.

“We learned how to compete consistently at the varsity level and how to handle the ebbs and flows of a game, along with the highs and lows of a season,” Bair said. “There were moments where our inexperience showed, but the growth that came from those moments should really help us move forward. We will have many returning players who took on major roles, and that experience is extremely valuable. Because of what this group went through this season, we expect to be a tougher, more disciplined, and more confident team next year.”

The coach said that the team’s top senior, Logan Rose, who hit .283 with seven RBI while also serving as the team’s top pitcher, earning three wins and owning a 4.72 earned run average, usually pitching against top competition, is the player others should pattern themselves after.

“Logan represented the program well and truly gave everything he had to the team,” Bair said. “We are grateful for the time, effort and dedication he gave to the program throughout his career. He set a strong example through his work ethic and commitment, and we are excited to see what is next for him.”

With plenty of talent expected back in 2027, Wright City looks to build off a season in which the team averaged 6.4 runs per game while giving up 5.5.

Players who led the way on offense this season were a trio of sophomores in shortstop Tyler Martin (.385 average, 1.067 slugging percentage, eight doubles, three triples, 22 RBI), Cameron Moyer (.356, 12 RBI) and Leighton McDonald (.344, four home runs, 28 RBI). 

Even though the junior class played key roles, McCurdy said that a handful of newcomers did their part to strengthen the program this season and should be relied upon in future years to help build the program.

“I saw a lot of our younger guys grow throughout the season, whether it was on varsity, junior varsity or on the C team,” McCurdy said. “We had two freshmen really exceed expectations with Ty J (Jarmuszkiewcz) and Fin Parra. All of our younger guys worked their butts off in the end. They put their head down and went to work. We started seeing great jumps in their performance and their abilities.”

Bair said that, though there were plenty of positives this spring, beating a tough North Callaway team truly showed the Wildcats’ mettle. 

“The team also showed flashes of the identity we want moving forward,” Bair said. “One example was the comeback win against a very good North Callaway team during the Southern Boone Tournament. The expectation now is to apply the lessons learned this season to drive growth during the offseason. Our players understand that development does not stop when the season ends, and we are excited about the direction the program is heading.”