By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
The Okarche baseball team made somewhat of a statement this spring.
The Warriors showed what the program is capable of throughout the 2019 season. They finished 12-11 and just shy of the Class A regional tournament, but they bought into new ideas and philosophies and a new head coach, Mark Framel.
“When I first started in the fall, one thing I knew we had great kids with great work ethic,” Framel said. Okarche’s first-year coach came on as an assistant in the fall under then head coach Rob Friesen. Friesen is also the Athletic Director at Okarche.
“The seniors started to lay a foundation and they bought into everything we were trying to instill. They helped with working on really getting our field into shape, worked in the community, worked in school and bought into what we wanted to do as a team. From there everyone else kind of fell in line behind that leadership.”
The Warriors went 12-11 as well in the fall, but in the spring they seemed to come together early, winning two of their first three games over Class B Dover 18-0 and Arapaho-Butler 10-1. And after a pair of losses in the Chisholm Trail Invitational, Okarche once again got hot, winning five of its next six games over Glencoe and Morrison in the Pioneer Tournament as well as three straight over Class 2A Hinton, Class 5A Bishop McGuinness and Dover.
Two of Okarche’s biggest wins came towards the end of the season. The Warriors defeated then No. 10 Cashion 5-0 before knocking off then No. 12 Ripley 4-1.
“Going out and fighting and competing and wanting to lay it on the line is nowhere near a concern of mine anymore,” Framel said at the end of the regular season. He was pleased with the development of his team and how they bought into playing as a team. “They built that atmosphere and take pride in what they’re doing for each other.”
The Warriors’ season came to an end with a pair of losses to Southwest Covenant in the Class A district tournament, sandwiched with a win over Hydro-Eakley. Although the team fell short of its ultimate goal of reaching the Class A state tournament, the program took major strides due to the foundation laid by seniors Tucker Neuenschwander, Dalton Schwarz, Joe Mayhew and Lathen Stover and a new atmosphere helped along by Framel.
“That group showed a lot of leadership and character throughout the year,” Framel said.
“Individually I saw growth in all areas, physically and also with our baseball IQ and approach towards adversity.
“It was a great season in all aspects. We didn’t reach our ultimate goal, but we grew as a team and the kids grew as individuals. What they did with the program, each other and the community really speaks to the character of the team.”
