DECATUR --The Decatur Bulldog baseball team will have an entirely different feel this season as they begin their 2017 season. A new conference, new competitors, new rules and a renewed confidence will drive them to what could be one of the best baseball seasons in several years.
Jason Porter is returning to the dugout for his fourth season as Decatur's head baseball coach, coming off a successful 2016 season. The Bulldogs finished 2016 with 4-6 overall and 3-4 district records and two players named to the 2A-4West all-district baseball team.
This season will be different due to the restructuring of the conferences in April, 2016, by the Arkansas Activities Association. The Bulldogs, along with long-time rival Eureka Springs, were shifted to the 1A/2A district 1 conference this season. Both teams will face a strong Omaha baseball program, as well as St. Paul and Alpena.
With two weeks of practice under their belt, the Decatur Bulldogs are proving to be one of the most fundamentally ready teams Porter has coached since coming to Decatur from St. Paul in 2013. When he first arrived in Decatur, Porter found himself with serious recruiting problems due, in part, to competition from the Decatur soccer program. This presented Porter with a real challenge: "How do I get kids interested in playing baseball?"
He managed to recruit enough players his first two seasons to fill the roster but was faced with an even bigger challenge.
With most of his new players having little to no experience in baseball, Porter was forced to spend most of his valuable practice time teaching fundamentals. For the next two years, the team failed to win games. That changed during the 2016 season when Porter was able to focus more on game strategies and less on the basics.
The 2017 Bulldog baseball team has an entirely different attitude in comparison to previous years. His players take to the field with more confidence and a genuine love of the sport.
"This year's group has been nice because I have players that have either played with me before or are coming into the program with experience already under their belts," said Porter. "It's been nice in practice because we are able to jump into the game situation and work on a game plan instead of spending time on fundamentals."
Returning for his final season is senior Leng Lee who led the 2A 4West in batting average and was named to the all-district team in 2016. Lee's primary position will be at shortstop. But Porter plans on using him in another key area on the team.
"This year, Leng is going to pitch a little bit more than he did last year," said Porter. "He is a guy that I can count on to get strikes. He's not going to blow pitches by the batter like Jay can, but with good defense behind him he will make a great addition to our pitching staff."
Jay Porter, who led the district in strikeouts and was another member of the 2A all-district team in 2016, is also returning for his final season. His experience on the mound over the last four years as a team leader will be key to the success of the program this season.
One of the problems last year's team faced was a lack of pitchers. In addition to Jay Porter, there were only two other players capable of taking the mound. A new rule that was implemented by the AAA this year forced Porter to re-evaluate his pitching staff.
Under the new rule, a pitcher must take a mandatory day of rest between games if he throws 85 pitches. Eighty-six pitches or more will require a three-day rest period between games.
"We have two or three days between most of our games," Porter said. "We will definitely have to keep a close eye on the number of pitches the guys are throwing."
Fortunately, Decatur has three very competent players who can relieve Jay Porter and Lee when they reach this limit.
Jimmy Mendoza, Tommy Douglas and freshman Brian Ward have proven to be valuable additions to the Bulldog pitching staff. Like Jay Porter, who has played baseball since he was 3, Ward will assume his primary role behind home plate as catcher.
Tommy Douglas, a transfer student from the Springdale School district, alternates between first and third base. He was a member of the Springdale Bulldog baseball team last year and will prove to be a strong asset for Decatur.
Porter sees a definite change in the makeup of his team going into the 2017 baseball season and a renewed confidence that could prove to bring home a district championship. All the hard work and dedication to the sport by Porter and his players makes the Bulldogs a formidable force in the 1A district 1 conference this season.
"If I can meet the kids halfway with my preparation and their intensity, we should be able to compete and beat any team we face this year," said Porter. "From the first year I got here until last year, we have gotten better. I believe that going to the regional tournament is not out of the question."
The Bulldogs begin their 2017 season on the road March 14 to take on the Highlanders at Eureka Springs. Game time will be 4 p.m. For a complete schedule of Bulldog baseball games, go to decatursd.com/athletics/baseballschedule.
Sports on 03/08/2017