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Sikeston Silver Sox seeking to add stability, opportunity for Bulldog athletes
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Sikeston Silver Sox Post 114 pitcher Tyler Stokes throws against Perryville in the American Legion AAA District Tournament recently at Perryville City Park.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com
Prior to the COVID pandemic shutting down the 2020 high school spring sports schedule, the Sikeston High School baseball program had been on very solid footing.
The Bulldogs had strung together a decade’s worth of winning seasons, which included a pair of MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 championships in 2017 and 2019. However, the past three years have brought an aura of inconsistency, which is something that Sikeston Silver Sox Post 114 team manager, Craig Templeton, has tried to overcome during the summer and fall months of each year.
“Look at the past three years from a Sikeston (High School baseball player) kid’s mindset,” Templeton said, “in 2020, they had COVID, and they got shut down. In 2021, a coaching change. In 2022, a coaching change. And in 2023, a new coach is coming in.”
With that level of instability, it is no wonder the Bulldogs, and consequently, the Silver Sox, have struggled since 2019.
“There have been a lot of different pieces to the puzzle that have been shuffled around,” Templeton explained, “and we’re kind of like the glue that keeps them together.”
As the high school program has drifted, Templeton, along with the Ladies Auxiliary Unit and American Legion Post 114, have tried to continually offer an opportunity for Sikeston High School players to partake in the Legion baseball season through the summer and fall months.
“We are here for (the players),” Templeton said. “We want you to be here.”
Templeton has been a part of the Sikeston Post 114 program for over a decade, and he lauded past coaches such as Josh Hampton and Pete Kennard, as well as the current coaches, Trent Sidwell, Will Pratt, Chris Whites, and Cody Rodgers, as well as field maintenance supervisor Brandon Taylor, for all providing great instruction and a fun environment for young baseball players to learn in.
“We don’t want the kids’ interest level to be: ‘Well, I don’t want to play baseball because it is no fun.’ Just because of everything that has gone on, the changes…”
This summer was a productive one for both Legion teams, the senior squad (ages 16 to 19 years) and the junior squad (mostly ages 15 to 17 but could be as young as 13 or as old as 18 to participate).
The senior squad tied a program record for victories with 12, while the junior squad didn’t have a lot of success on the scoreboard, but Templeton said Rodgers did a great job of helping the young players grow in their ability and knowledge of the game.
“Cody is a very good people person and a very good coach,” Templeton said. “He is very knowledgeable of the game. It is more teaching, and some coaching, at that level.
“He slowed things down for them. There were a lot of good teaching moments in the games.”
At this time, the Sikeston High School has not named a baseball coach for the 2023 season, which Templeton hopes can be done soon.
“We are not separate from the high school (program),” Templeton said. “We view what (the high school coaches) want, we want to do that with them. It builds a successful foundation and program.”
Templeton cited the Jackson American Legion program, which mainly consists of Indian players and results in tremendous success each year.
“At the end of the day,” Templeton said, “we are going to teach you how to play the game and how to win. Our biggest obstacle is that we lose kids to organizations around us. Our end goal is to keep the Sikeston kids together through the fall, winter, and summer, all the way through, and have them gel together like a Jackson Legion program.”
The Sikeston Silver Sox will be competing and training this fall, and Templeton said more information will be released in the next month.