Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

2015 Team Preview: Neosho Wildcats

March 7, 2015

Shon Plack and Jeff Viles
Prep Baseball Report-Missouri

As we prepare for the upcoming 2015 high school season, we will be taking a preseason glimpse at programs from around the state.

Team: Neosho
Nickname: Wildcats
Class: 5A
League: Central Ozarks Conference-Large
Head Coach: Donny Pennington
Twitter Handle: @neoshobaseball
2014 Overall Record: 16-7
2014 League Record: 5-2, 2nd place
2014 Post-Season Finish: Lost in districts

Number of Position Players Lost: 2
Number of Pitchers Lost: 1
Number of Returning Starters/Position Players: 7
Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4

TOP RETURNERS (Commit)
Kody Kelly, 3B, 2015
Colton Marion, SS/RHP, 2017
Jayce Parmley, RHP/1B/OF, 2015
Chris Paullus, SS/2B/RHP, 2015
Bryce Slavens, LHP, 2016

OUTLOOK
The Neosho Wildcats will open the 2015 season in Benton, Kentucky on March 20, then travel to nearby Arkansas and Oklahoma before playing their first conference game against Branson on April 14.  Coach Pennington will rely on a trio of seniors this spring, looking to earn a conference championship and make a run into the state playoffs.  Kody Kelly, a 6-foot 180-pound 3B, batted .312 with seven extra base hits as a junior. Jayce Parmley, a 6-foot-4 180-pound 1B/RHP, hit .390 with one home run and 14 RBI, while earning a 4-2 record on the mound, fanning 39 batters in 35.2 innings in 2014. Chris Paullus, a 5-foot-11 195-pound 2B/RHP, was a .231 hitter a season ago with a 2-1 record as a pitcher.  The Wildcats will also look to get offensive production out of sophomore Colton Marion, a lefty hitter.  As a freshman, Marion hit .375 with nine doubles and three triples. Marion was also 2-0 on the mound with 11 innings pitched last season.  Junior Bryce Slavens will also have an increased role on the mound for the Wildcats.  As a sophomore, Slavens fanned twelve batters in 15-plus innings.  Neosho will compete well in COC-Large and will be a team to watch in District 12. 

CLICK HERE, to see the MHSBCA Rankings
CLICK HERE, to see the entire list of 2015 Missouri Team Previews

Coaches Preseason Questionnaire 

We appreciate all of the help provided by high school coaches across the state assisting with our preseason coverage. If you have not already done so you can fill out our coaches' preseason questionnaire online by CLICKING HERE.

For More Missouri News