With five senior starters returning, the Calera Bulldogs have their sights set on returning to the state tournament again this spring under the watchful eye of 17-year veteran head coach Rickey Teafatiller.
“Last spring we were ranked 13th but beat No. 4-ranked Wister at their place to win the regional. Last fall we ended up in a tough regional with Byng, Latta, and Oktaha and didn’t make it. But we lost just one senior, so we feel pretty good about our chances this spring,” said Teafatiller.
It starts on the mound for the Bulldogs with senior southpaw Nakni Anna, a four-year starter, who struck out 55 last fall with a 2.8 ERA and a 5-1 record. He also plays centerfield when he’s not pitching and hit .396 in the fall. You’ll also see senior Jeffrey Sweeney on the mound for Calera. He had a 3.8 ERA and hit .314 from the leadoff spot in the lineup. Senior Colt Weaver is at first and hit .300 last fall. These three seniors have already signed to play college ball next year at Northern State-Tonkawa. Seniors Cole Reese and Clayton Francis will also make big contributions. Reese, who also hit .300 in the fall, can pitch and play in the outfield. Francis is a big stick with a .396 average. Junior Ryan Dunn returns at catcher and is a guy who doesn’t always receive the credit he deserves according to Teafatiller. The Bulldogs also feature a strong freshman class featuring Logan Bumgarner who led the team in hitting in the fall with a .491 average.
“He hit cleanup and led the team in hitting while playing third base, catching and pitching for us,” said Teafatiller. “I think he’s got a chance to be really good and maybe one of the better ones to come out of here. If we didn’t have our seniors we could probably start all freshmen and win a lot of games with this crew,” said the head coach.
The Bulldogs will play a tough schedule that includes a spring break trip to Alabama as well as matchups against Latta, Silo, Tushka, Roff, Marietta, Madill and Newcastle.
“We’re starting the season ranked sixth and I think we’ll move up from there,” said Teafatiller. “But with all of the talent in this part of the state we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
