While the season may not have ended the way the Pryor Tigers wanted, there were still several highlights and moments that made this a season to remember.
Defeating Carl Albert in the opening round of the state tournament was a huge step for the Tigers and head coach Gerald Osborne.
“Anytime you beat Carl Albert it is a great win! Carl Albert has been a great program for a while, and they were the two-time defending state champions,” coach Osborne said. “I don’t think we felt safe until the 3rd out was made in the bottom of the 10th with us in the lead. I knew our guys weren’t going to quit and was really proud of how we continued to make plays and pitches with the winning run at 3B in the 7th, 8th, and 9th. We showed a lot of toughness.”
For the seniors, it was their third state tournament, laying the foundation for Tiger baseball and the underclassmen to build upon.
Six starters are back for the Tigers next season. Jaron Bailey- P/OF, Gavin Roberts- P/SS, Brock Ward- P/OF, Treyce Crawford- 2B, Carter Sloan- 1B, and Clinton Stohler- C/3B.
“Bailey, Roberts, and Ward were a combined 19-4 on the mound this last season,” said coach Osborne.
Several players received 5A-4 All District honors including Gavin Roberts-District Player of the Year, Sergio Banuelos- 3B, Riley Hurst- OF, Bryce Pathkiller- P, Jaron Bailey- P, Brock Ward- DH, and Carter Sloan- 1B.
Three players are headed to the Oklahoma State Games. They are Jaron Bailey, Gavin Roberts, and Clinton Stohler. Riley Hurst was named to the OBCA All-State team.
“Great season! Our goal is to be playing our best in May and to be “Overachievers!” I don’t think many people would have predicted this team to have had the success they had! Great group of young men that worked hard, loved to play and were willing to do whatever they needed to do to help the team,” said coach Osborne.
