Getting to play a full season is something the Ponca City Wildcats baseball team is wishing for in 2021.

That didn’t happen a year ago as schools shut down and spring sports were cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic is still on the scene, but schools are able to function somewhat and plans to play spring sports are going forward.

The Wildcats were anticipating a decent season in 2020 with a good group of seniors on hand. But unfortunately for the team, only six games had been played when the shutdown happened.

Not only did last year’s seniors lose the last year of their careers, but those who are coming back for this year lost an opportunity to get valuable experience, either on the junior varsity or varsity levels.

Ponca City Head Coach Casey Love is looking forward to this year with guarded optimism. He knows that his team doesn’t have the experience it would have had if last season had been a normal one, but he likes the kids he has at his disposal for 2021.

“The kids are working hard, they have a great attitude,” Love said. “I wouldn’t trade the kids we have for anything.”

“We know that we don’t have a lot of experience as last year was taken away from us. Our kids are being thrust into a varsity situation without a lot of varsity experience,” he said.

The goal for the season is to continue to work hard and try to reach our potential, he said.

“We want to be the best team we can be at the end of the season. None of us feel we are fully prepared, but we are looking to work through mistakes and progress through the season to be the very best we can be.”

The 2021 season is far from being a normal year. Besides losing the bulk of last year’s games, neither summer games nor practices were held. Workouts this fall were interrupted by a district shutdown of activities in November. They were able to resume in December. Weather reared its ugly head to wipe out a few scrimmages scheduled last week. But Love says he isn’t complaining as he knows other schools have had similar experiences.

There are only two seniors on this year’s roster--players that Love expects to provide leadership for the younger players.

One is Nate Harbeson, who is expected to play at second base. Harbeson played at quarterback for the Wildcats’ football team and performed capably as a starter in several games.

“Although he lacks the experience he would have had, had we been able to play an entire season last year, he is a great individual and a great leader,” Love said about Harbeson.

The other senior is Hunter Freeman, who pitched and played third base in last year’s abbreviated season.

“He’s a humble and hard working kid,” Love said about Freeman.

Love is excited about his catcher, Carson Williams, who he says is one of the top catchers in the state.

“Carson is the most experienced player on the team even though he is just a junior. He’s been starting since his freshman year. We expect him to lead by example,” Love said.

“We have really good kids. They show up on time and want to do what it takes to improve,” Love said. “Our philosophy is ‘purpose and tempo’. The purpose is to get better today and tempo is to go at a high pace with a sense of urgency. I’m proud of our team’s mentality.”

The Wildcats are scheduled to open with a bang on Monday. Then they will initiate district competition with a doubleheader against Muskogee. The games are set for the Po-Hi baseball field.

“Our schedule will have a lot of fluidity this spring. Kids may be playing in junior varsity games one day and in varsity games the next,” Love said.

He said he also is appreciative of the Wildcat coaching staff. Assistants include Stoney Parks, Jeremy DeNoya, Cody Campbell, Cory Burkett and Tanner Williams. Parks and DeNoya will be working mainly with the varsity, while Campbell and Burkett will work primarily with junior varsity teams and Williams with freshmen.

PONCA CITY WILDCATS

2021 varsity baseball schedule

March 1-- Muskogee (2), 4 p.m.

March 4 -- Guthrie, 5 p.m.

March 5- at Chisholm, 4:30 p.m.

March 8-- Jenks, 6 p.m.

March 9-- at Jenks, 6 p.m.

March 11-- Alva, 5 p.m.

March 13-- at Yukon, 1 p.m.

March 18-20-- Perry Tournament

March 22-- Bixby, 4 p.m.

March 23 -- at Bixby, 5:30 p.m.

March 25-27-- Bartlesville Tournament

March 29-- Sapulpa, 5 p.m.

March 30-- at Sapulpa, 5 p.m.

April 2-- at Collinsville, 5 p.m.

April 5 -- at Tulsa Union, 6 p.m.

April 6-- Tulsa Union, 6 p.m.

April 10-- at Enid, 11 a.m.

April 12-- Owasso, 7 p.m.

April 13-- at Owasso, 7 p.m.

April 17-- Putnam City West, 1 p.m.

April 19-- Booker T. Washington, 4 p.m.

April 20-- at BT Washington, 4 p.m.

April 22-24-- Guthrie Tournament

April 30-- Enid, 5:30 p.m.

May 1-- at Bartlesville, 1 p.m.

May 5-8-- Regional Tournament