ROGERS -- Rogers Heritage has vaulted back near the top of the 7A/6A-West Conference baseball standings this season after missing the state tournament a year ago for the first time in school history.
Junior Kacey Murphy has been a big reason for the War Eagles' resurgence.
Profile
Kacey Murphy
School: Rogers Heritage
Class: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Notable: Hitting a team-best .536 through 18 games with two home runs and second on the team with 17 RBIs this season. … Dominating on the mound also to the tune of a 4-1 record with a 1.84 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 34.1 innings. … Hit .274 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 29 games and 5-5 on the mound with a 3.20 ERA in a team-high 54.2 innings with a team-high 65 strikeouts as a sophomore.
7A/6A-West Conference Standings
Team^Overall W-L^Conference W-L
Fayetteville^19-3^8-0
Rogers Heritage^14-4^6-2
Bentonville^16-4^5-3
Rogers High^10-9^4-4
Van Buren^9-9^4-4
Springdale Har-Ber^16-6^3-5
Springdale High^7-14^1-7
Siloam Springs^2-14^1-7
Thursday
Siloam Springs at Bentonville (DH), 4:30 p.m.
Van Buren at Fayetteville (DH), 4:30 p.m.
Rogers High at Springdale Har-Ber (DH), 4:30 p.m.
Rogers Heritage at Springdale High (DH), 4:30 p.m.
Friday
Springdale High at Lincoln, 4:30 p.m.
He has been outstanding both at the plate and on the mound for the War Eagles, who currently sit second in the league with a 14-4 record overall and 6-2 in the conference.
Murphy's pitching performance last week is a good example. The left-hander tossed a one-hitter and struck out 18 in Heritage's 7-0 win over Siloam Springs. Just three Panthers hitters put the ball in play in the seven-inning game against Murphy.
It might be hard to believe, but Heritage baseball coach Keith Kilgore said that wasn't Murphy's best effort of the season.
"He's been better," Kilgore said. "There were quite a few hitters he went 2-0 or 3-2 and came back and struck them out. That's not to say he wasn't very good, because he was."
Murphy bounced back from his first loss of the season by dominating Siloam Springs. Save a tough outing against Fayetteville, he has been dominant. Murphy has allowed just nine earned runs in 34.1 innings, but six of those came against the Bulldogs.
Even with that one bad outing, Murphy's season numbers are sparking with a 4-1 record and 1.84 ERA. He has struck out 62 and walked only 11.
The 17-year-old has also been swinging a hot bat for the War Eagles, leading the team with a .536 average with two home runs and 17 RBIs. Murphy has already matched his RBI total from last season with six conference games left. He also only hit .274 in 29 games a year ago.
He's been red-hot lately, going 8-for-10 in his last three games.
Kilgore said the big change for Murphy from his sophomore year has been maturity.
"He's grown up," Kilgore said. "Kacey's become a team leader for us and somebody that we can look to as an example. He's gotten big hits at key times this year."
Kilgore pointed to Murphy's one tough outing on the mound as an example of his maturity. He appeared to have a Fayetteville hitter struck out on a 2-2 pitch, but the call went the batter's way and he eventually doubled in a run in the first inning. He also gave up a two-run homer later in the inning, but his attitude remained positive, Kilgore said.
"When I went out there he was like 'I'm OK.' He didn't make any excuses," Kilgore said. "That's what you like to see."
Murphy has come back strong after taking four months off from pitching on doctor's orders after suffering some arm soreness. He started playing catch from 30 feet in late August and didn't get back on the mound until January.
Murphy said he feels strong, after the time off and credits his improved command to the throwing program and offseason bullpen work. But increased confidence has also played a big part in his performance this season.
"I've been more consistent hitting my spots this year," Murphy said. "My fastball has so much more movement this year.
"I feel more relaxed, more confident," Murphy said. "Just the experience and being in those tough situations, I feel better about that."
Heritage assistant coach Greg Harris said Murphy is getting more movement since he changed from throwing a four-seam fastball to a two-seamer more this year. His velocity, which was in the low 80s a year ago, has also increased to 85-87 mph.
That experience has also helped him at the plate.
"Going to the plate last year, I was thinking about this pitcher has two more years experience than I do," Murphy said. "This year I'm just focusing on the ball and not thinking as much. I'm seeing the ball really well right now.
Murphy said Heritage's team chemistry this year is also strong, which has contributed to the success on the field.
"We all get along real well, and we push each other," Murphy said. "It's been a lot of fun."
Sports on 04/22/2014