Holt Baseball Turns in Record-Setting Season

After any season-ending loss, it may seem like standard coach-speak to quip “remember the good games.” But for the Indians’ 2011 season, the state of Missouri will do just that.

Humiliated by a 12-run beat down by Fort Zumwalt East in mid-March, Holt just wanted a piece of its pride back when the two squads got together for a rematch in April. Instead, the Indians served up a dish of revenge that will find its way into the Missouri State record book.

Highlighted by a 15-run second inning, the Indians put together a stats-packed game that ranked in several team single-game records, as well as setting a new mark with 14 hits in one inning. The previous record of 13 had held since 1999 and been tied twice since then.

“(Zumwalt East) had embarrassed us two weeks prior,” admitted Holt coach Joel Adam, who finishes his 16th season. “We came back and obviously had a huge inning against them, and became a part of six or seven different records. Now the kids can say ‘I’m part of a record book somewhere’ – not a lot of people can say that.”

Despite a season cut short by a district loss to a white-hot squad, the Indians did turn in a 2011 worthy of reminiscing. For the 10 seniors that graduate from the team, most took a part in 38 Holt wins over a two-year span, including 18 this season. The squad also went 4-2 in the GAC South, ranking third in a conference displaying five teams with 18 wins or more – and two of the final eight in the state playoffs.

“We didn’t have anyone throwing 90 miles-per-hour like some teams have, but we did have a bunch of guys who bought in and really worked on mixing pitches up and throwing three pitches for strikes,” Adam said. “We had some fantastic seasons, individually.”

That includes Conner Hales, who pitched just 10 innings in 2010 and was expected of no more than number-three status this past spring. Instead, the senior went an undefeated 7-0 in eight games before suffering his first loss in the district playoffs.

And he couldn’t have done much better as the Indians’ leadoff man. Hales led Holt in average (.457), hits (42) and runs (36), and chipped in 15 stolen bases as well. In 113 plate appearances, he struck out just seven times.

“You can look at average all you want, but as a leadoff hitter, you couldn’t ask for anything more,” Adam said. “He gets on base six out of ten times, he steals bases … he came right over from a hockey team that won a state championship, he had a heck of a senior year. There is no question he had a year he will never forget.”

Five graduates will continue with college ball next season, including Nolan Fisher at Southeast Missouri State. Fisher led Holt with 30 RBIs and was second only to Hales in average (.440) and OBP (.539). The Indians were second in the GAC in offense, with 218 runs scored and a 7.8 per-game average.

Next season will be the senior year for Nate Giessmann, who led the 2011 team in extra base hits with 12 doubles, 2 triples and a home run. He hit .419 and batted in 27 runs. Junior Ben Snarr led the conference with 21 stolen bases, and classmate Dylan Skinner knocked 7 doubles and 22 RBI.