By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
When the Reese family selected and moved into their Okarche home, they appointed their son and youngest of two, Bryce, to choose and design the garden outside the house.
He played a part in other decisions as well, but the thought of growing plants and being in charge peaked his interest. He had other hobbies and activities, but the process of picking out, planting, growing and producing seemed to be his getaway. And in some ways it reflected his high school baseball career.
“Being able to design the outside parts of our new house and the shrubbery and the plants was something I really loved,” Reese said. “It’s a fun and interesting process and I love the science and how plants work. Growing something and watching it produce is really great.”
Reese himself has grown plenty as a varsity baseball player at Okarche. The seed was planted his freshman year when he made his debut in a pair of scrimmages leading up to the district tournament. He gained experience last year as a starter and as one of the team’s top arms in the spring. And the growth continues as just last week he tossed his first no-hitter in the Warriors’ third game of the 2019 fall season.
“I realized that pitching is my strength during the spring of my freshman year and I saw that I could get so much better,” Reese said. “It was two games that I got to start against the Oklahoma City Bombers and Binger-Oney. I threw three or four scoreless innings and from there I knew I had found my true passion.”
Reese played baseball and basketball growing up and attributes his athletic ability to his dad, Steve, who also played baseball and basketball at Okarche. Reese also credits Steve’s knowledge and teaching to his current pitching prowess.
“He was an exceptional pitcher at Okarche in his day,” Reese said of his dad. “He’s been there for me whether it was catching bullpens or teaching me a changeup and a splitter. He’s helped me get to where I am now and along with my mom he has been my biggest inspiration.”
Reese is hitting his stride as a pitcher. Entering his junior year, expectations were high and he has produced, tossing with four scoreless outings, including his no-hit bid against Erick in the 2019 Rockin R Wood Bat Classic hosted by Hammon and Arapaho. He’s helped lead the Warriors to a 3-2 record through their first five games.
“Bryce is a guy with good velocity, good mechanics and throughout a game can keep guys off balance,” Okarche coach Mark Framel said. “He can throw three different pitches with the count or against it and in different situations. He’s worked extremely hard and it’s paying off in big ways.
“He’s also a great kid with a ton of faith. He’s a baseball rat and is someone the guys look up to even as a junior. You can’t say enough about him. I’m just proud of the kind of kid he is and what he’s all about.”
Reese is also a 4.0 student and has already received letters from different colleges for academics. He intends to pursue a career in sports science while also looking to pitch and play at the next level.
“I’ve thought about it,” he said about the next step after high school. “It depends on where I get offers for academics or sports. I’d really like to go to a Division I school. We’ll see how it all turns out.”
For now, Reese is focused on baseball, school and making sure the plants and crops in his garden receive the proper care. He loves his town, pointing out how folks in Okarche have become like family over the years. He also thinks this year’s team can top his favorite moment as a player – when the Warriors reached the regional tournament after knocking off Binger-Oney twice in districts the same season he made his debut.
“I really think we can do it this year,” he said. “If we play the right kind of baseball and get hot at the right time, we can go all the way.”
