4 grades, 4 stars behind Scott City’s scorching start

Scott City pitcher Kobe Watson winds up to throw against Delta on Tuesday, April 2, at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

In a battle between two No. 2 ranked teams, Class 3’s Scott City Rams defeated Class 1’s Oran 13-8 to improve to 10-1 on Wednesday, April 3, in Oran, Mo.

With seven seniors all contributing to their success, the Rams look every bit like the team that can win a third straight district tournament and a second straight 20-win season. Fresh off hosting the Babe Ruth World Series, senior Lawson Graff earned his third win in four outings this season, registering a 3.74 ERA and totaling 25 strikeouts.

There are so many key players on the Rams that each class has produced a star player this year.

Senior: Blake Wilbrun

Among the many standout pitchers on the Scott City staff, the one who stands out the most is senior Blake Wilbrun. In his last outing, Wilbrun threw a no-hitter with four strikeouts against Twin Rivers on Monday, April 1. He has a 1.00 ERA and a team-leading 26 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched over three outings so far this season.

Junior: Kobe Watson

There are six hitters in the Rams lineup who have driven in 10 runs or more so far this season, but only one has over 20. Junior Kobe Watson leads the Rams with 21 RBIs and has a .475 batting average along with a 1.192 OPS. Watson is also among Scott City’s arsenal of arms. He has made two appearances and hasn’t given up a run in eight innings.

Sophomore: Jackson Gloth

The Eagles felt the wrath of Jackson Gloth on Wednesday, as the sophomore went 3-for-3 with a double, home run, and five RBIs. Gloth has provided the pop in the Rams lineup with two home runs and 14 RBI so far this season. He also leads the Rams in OPS (1.437) with a slash line of .448/.610/.828.

Freshman: Kaden Lowery

As a freshman on a team filled with upperclassmen, Kaden Lowery doesn’t get many opportunities to shine. He has so far proven to be a valuable asset in the bullpen. He closed out Wednesday’s game against Oran with four strikeouts over 1.2 perfect innings for his first career save. He has pitched in 2.2 innings over two appearances, totaled seven strikeouts, and has yet to give up a run.