Pauls Valley Baseball is looking to achieve a record-breaking season under the leadership of new head Coach Dillon O’Bryant.
After last season’s 6-15 record, O’Bryant is leading the team with the intention to see “incremental growth everyday” to achieve an impressive season.
“I want to see our kids compete, fight through adversity, and come out on the other side better for it,” O’Bryant says.
To see improvement this season, an eye is on several key players who will have to step up and steer the team in the right direction.
“I think everything starts with one of our seniors, Justin Humphrey. He plays center field and pitches for us. He has great range in the outfield, he has good power at the plate, and he has good velocity with his fastball and commands his off-speed pitches well,” O’Bryant says. “But where he is most valuable to our team is that he is very coachable and is a great leader for everyone to look up to.
“Another is junior Micheal Hammond. He plays third base and pitches for us. Micheal’s bat provides much needed power for us. I also enjoy his great attitude about life, and the game of baseball. Lastly, Sophomore Tanner Perry. Tanner is an extremely athletic kid, and a great baseball player. Good glove in the field, power at the plate, and tons of high baseball IQ. He pitches and will play in the infield for us.”
O’Bryant shares some more information about the team dynamics and how they will play a big role in the outcome of this season: “We are a young team. 17 of our 23 are either Freshmen or Sophomores, so we are lacking in experience.”
Although a majority of the team is young, O’Bryant is sure to highlight the impressive seniors. “We have a good senior class. Sometimes when you come to a new place, you cannot wait for the seniors you inherited to move on. That is not the case with this group. They will be greatly missed; I wish they were sophomores in our program and could reap the full benefits of what we are building.
With the leadership from both the coaches and players, Pauls Valley seems to be set up for success and O’Bryant is confident in the future of Pauls Valley Baseball.
“Like any coach in year one at a new place it takes time,” O’Bryant says. “So as a staff we are constantly working diligently to build a foundation that will support an elite program down the road.”
