Patriots in pursuit of redemption in 5A state title game

Marion set to face team that sent them home in 2021 in tourney championship

Marion School District It has been 369 days since Van Buren rallied past Marion in the 2021 Class 5A state quarterfinals in Jonesboro, but to Marion coach Pete Prater it seems like yesterday.

The details of the loss are particularly galling. The Pats led the Pointers 3-0 into the bottom of the third inning before Van Buren struck for a pair of runs in the third, three in the fifth, and an insurance run in the sixth for a 6-4 come-frombehind victory that eliminated the Pats and pushed the Pointers to the semifinals.

Van Buren won the state title eight days later with a 12-1 victory over Jonesboro, a team that Marion split with earlier that season.

Prater wasn’t surprised that Van Buren went on to win the state title last spring, and he hasn’t forgotten what could have been, either.

“You get beat out the year before by a team that goes on to win the state tournament and it sticks with you,” said Prater, who will complete his fifth season as head coach at Marion on Saturday afternoon. “We felt like if we could have gotten past that one then we’d have had a good shot at the title. Their kids carry a chip on their shoulder, and most importantly they’re pretty good.”

Marion (28-5 overall), the No. 1 seed from the 5A East, will get its rematch with 5AWest champion Van Buren (26-5) at 4 p.m.

Saturday afternoon at Benton Sports Complex with the victor earning the 2022 Class 5A state baseball title. The game will be shown on Arkansas PBS affiliates, as well as online at https://www.myarkansaspb s.org/watch. The contest will not be streamed live on MarionPatriots.com or on the Marion Patriots Activities Network mobile app.

The Pats and Pointers were lights out at last week’s state tournament in Hot Springs. Marion ran the table against White Hall (10-0), Benton (5-0), and Sheridan (7-0) to advance to the final. The Pats have been particularly hot in May, posting a 5-0 record, and have not allowed a run since April 30.

Van Buren eliminated Maumelle 4-1 in the playoffs’ opening round before rallying to beat Marion’s chief 5A East rival Jonesboro 4-3 in the quarterfinals before topping Batesville 12-3 in the semifinals to set the stage for Saturday’s final.

“Our guys played pretty well at Hot Springs, about as well as we have played all year to be honest with you,” said Prater. “Again, we’ve got to maintain it.

Van Buren is a good swinging club, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen this year.

More than any other year we’ve been here, I feel like we’re prepared both on the mound, at the plate, on the field all that stuff, we’re better prepared than we’ve ever been. We have seen some really, really good teams, good hitters, and good pitchers. I feel we’re prepared, it’s just a matter now of trying to lock in again one more time.”

Expect senior right-hander Chase Armstrong (1.00 earned-run average with 96 strikeouts) to start on the bump and hit in the middle

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Photo by Chuck Livingston PATRIOTS (cont.)

of the order after batting .305 with a .422 on-base percentage this spring. The Arkansas State signee paced the Pats in 2022 with 29 hits, seven home runs, and 34 RBI. Senior Ben Gerrard (1.49 ERA with 84 strikeouts) would likely be the first reliever out of the bullpen. Senior Dylan Kight (.341 batting average, .542 on-base percentage, seven doubles, three triples, and two home runs) completes the battery at catcher.

Look for junior Connor Taylor (.267 BA, .352 OBP, 19 RBI, and 10 runs) at first base, while Payton Voyles (.281 BA, .414 OBP, 18 runs, and 13 walks), Connor Brinkley, and Matthew Kearney settle in at second base, shortstop, and third base, respectively.

Senior Gage Watson (.276 BA, .403 OBP, 27 hits, two triples, three home runs, 27 RBI, and 30 runs) anchors the outfield in center field, where he’s likely flanked by Luke Bullins (.302 BA, .402 OBP, 15 runs, 10 RBI, and four doubles) in left, and Kaleb Catt in right.

Van Buren has three capable pitchers, each offering a different dynamic.

“We faced the (Devin) Gattis kid last year, and he can throw that breaking ball at any time,” said Prater. “3-1, 2-0, it doesn’t matter. He can pitch backwards. (Eli) Gilreath is a fastball-type guy with a slider. The (Connor) Brady kid, who’s also their catcher, could be a back-end guy for him. Decent velocity at times, and he loves to compete.”