WATN: Diamond 'Dogs Were Great In '98

SPRINGDALE -- There was a time when Springdale High's baseball team was the best in the state.

Although the program has seen hard times the past few years, and is currently without a coach, that wasn't always the case.

In 1992, Springdale reached the state finals before losing 6-3 to a Pine Bluff team that featured a junior center fielder who hit a home run in the game. His name is Torii Hunter, who is in his 16th year in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers.

In 1998, Springdale again reached the finals with a team that lost 11 games that season. This time, the Bulldogs captured the title 4-1 behind junior Kirk Eagle, who struck out 12 batters against Fort Smith Southside. The victory capped an improbable run for the Bulldogs (20-11), who claimed their only state championship after losing 14-4 to Rogers in the conference tournament.

"At one time, we were last in the conference," said former Springdale coach David McGinnis, who led the Bulldogs for 18 years. "Everything came together at the state tournament. Kirk was outstanding. In the last 39 innings he pitched, he gave up only three earned runs. That's pretty overpowering."

CONFERENCE STRUGGLES

Springdale finished 9-17 in 1997, but there was reason for optimism in 1998 with six seniors and a group of experienced juniors. The roster included at least three players who helped Springdale make the state finals in basketball earlier that spring.

The Bulldogs started the season 7-3 but struggled with a 4-6 record in AAAA-West Conference play. The Bulldogs fell to 0-4 in the league after a 9-8 loss to Southside and a 12-5 loss to Rogers. The Mounties also embarrassed the Bulldogs 14-4 at the Tyson Sports Complex when teams in the largest classification held conference tournaments.

"One thing that you learn through athletics is how to roll with the punches," said James Baber, who was 5-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 1998. "I gave up a home run in that game and it opened up the floodgates. But we woke up the first morning of the state tournament with another opportunity to go compete and our record was 0-0. We responded well and came away with something to show for it."

Rogers finished 23-5 after starting the season 16-1. The Mounties had a talented team that included Patrick Woodruff and Ryan Fox, who each played at Arkansas.

"We run-ruled Springdale in the district tournament, then they turned around and won the state tournament. Go figure," former Rogers coach Dr. Tom Woodruff said. "I do know David always got the best out of his players regardless of the year. The fact that Springdale was the fourth seed in that state tournament and went on to win it all is evidence of that."

ELIMINATING NO. 1

Springdale did not receive an easy draw after barely making the state tournament as the No. 4 seed from the AAAA-West. The Bulldogs were matched in a first-round game at Baum Stadium against Sheridan, which was ranked No. 1 in the state. The Yellowjackets were loaded with top talent, including center fielder Cliff Crouse and pitcher Jarad Manatt, who each signed with Arkansas.

"I remember calling around for a scouting report on Sheridan and I called coach (Noel) Boucher from Conway," McGinnis said. "He talked about how good a pitcher Manatt was and said Sheridan could really swing the bats. Before I got off the phone with him I said 'if our pitcher is on, it'll be a heck of a ball game.'"

Sheridan took a 1-0 lead after only two batters when Crouse led off with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. But that didn't rattle Eagle, who struck out 12 in eight innings. Manatt struck out 11 and both pitchers had to leave after eight innings after reaching the maximum limit for innings pitched in one game.

Springdale then scored in the ninth to win 6-3 and eliminate the top-seeded Yellowjackets from the tournament.

"I remember warming up in the bullpen, then stopping to watch (Sheridan) take infield," Eagle said. "There were three or four baseballs going at once and they were fielding everything without any errors. They looked like a small college team, but we beat them. Our record wasn't that great, but we knew we were better than people thought."

Two days later, Springdale pounded Cabot 15-5 in five innings then outslugged tradition-rich Pine Bluff 10-7 in the state semifinals. That set up an all-AAAA-West final against Southside, which had edged Springdale 9-8 in the regular season.

REBELS IN THE WAY

A victory over Southside was all that stood between Springdale and its first state championship in baseball. The Rebels had a tough team led by pitchers Justin Leraris and Barry Cole and junior infielder Brett Hagedorn, who later played at Arkansas.

Springdale had only four hits in the game and Southside (22-6) helped with four errors that led to three runs. The difference still was Eagle, who struck out 12 and did not walk a batter.

"Eagle was the story of the game," former Southside coach Steve Haaser said. "We had a lot of chances with men on base, but Eagle got out of it."

Eagle was helped by a Springdale defense that made only five errors in four tournament games. He was particularly pleased with the work behind the plate by Billy Ray Rutledge, a sophomore who took over at catcher early in conference play.

Rutledge, who was also a standout football player, coached baseball for five years at Springdale before resigning earlier this year.

"The Southside guy (Brandon Young) who hit a home run against me, came up later in the game with the bases loaded," Eagle said. "I knew I could throw anything because Billy Ray would catch it or block it, and I got (Young) swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Billy Ray and I worked well together. We were on the same page on every pitch that year."

Eagle won his final six games in 1998 to finish 9-2 on the season with a 2.62 ERA. He was named Most Valuable Player of the state tournament after going 2-0 and posting 24 strikeouts in 15 innings. Jason Fears, Mike Walton, and Justin Harp were named to the all-tournament team.

"Kirk had great control but only an average fastball," McGinnis said of Eagle, who continued his career at Crowder (Mo.) Community College. "He mixed up his pitches and had great presence on the mound. He had a lot of confidence and, when he pitched, we felt like we could beat anybody."

BAD NEWS BULLDOGS

Springdale had another strong team in 1999, when the Bulldogs finished 24-7 with players like Eagle, Rutledge, Walton, and Harp. Springdale won conference championships in 1999, 2000, and 2004 and 11 of the players on the state championship team went on to play college ball, including Baber and Brett Hobbs, who both played football.

"Some things had to happen for us even to qualify for the state tournament that year," Rutledge said. "I remember coach McGinnis saying 'you can't win it if you're not in it'. We got in and got hot at the right time."

The Springdale players from 1998 are in their 30s now and spread across the state. Eagle lives in Blytheville, where he is a truancy officer for the Blytheville School District. Hobbs left Van Buren for Charleston, where he's the defensive coordinator for the Tigers. Baber owns a technology company in Bentonville.

McGinnis retired as Springdale baseball coach in 2007 and he was elected to the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.

"Looking back, I view our success on the field as a culmination of the community involvement of the city of Springdale," Baber said. "We had genuinely dedicated faculty in our classrooms, coaches committed to athletics and in building character and integrity, and parents who didn't just show up but were raving fans. I'm proud of my teammates, not just for what we accomplished when we were kids, but for who they are today."

Sports on 07/06/2014