BENTONVILLE -- A catcher normally isn't the player asked to fill the leadoff hitter's position in a baseball lineup.
Bentonville baseball coach Todd Abbott, however, felt some changes were necessary after his team had been held to two hits in a loss to Fort Smith Southside earlier this season. That's when he asked Matt Bratspies, who was batting third in the order at the time, to take over that spot, and the senior welcomed the challenge.
State Tournament Pairings
Baseball
Class 7A
At Burns Park, North Little Rock
Thursday
Bryant, Springdale Har-Ber, North Little Rock, Bentonville have first-round byes
Game 1: 3W Rogers High vs. 3E Cabot, 10 a.m.
Game 2: 2E LR Central vs. 5W FS Southside, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: 4W Fayetteville vs. 3C LR Catholic, 3 p.m.
Game 4: 2C Conway vs. 6W Springdale High, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: 1C Bryant vs. Winner Game 1, 10 a.m.
Game 6: 2W Springdale Har-Ber vs. Winner Game 2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: 1E North Little Rock vs. Winner Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 8: 1W Bentonville vs. Winner Game 4, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Championship
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 5:30 p.m.
Class 6A
At Sheridan High School
Thursday
Alma, Sheridan, Jonesboro, Benton have first-round byes
Game 1: 3S Pine Bluff vs. 3E Mountain Home, 10 a.m.
Game 2: 2E Searcy vs. 5S El Dorado, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: 4S Lake Hamilton vs. 3C Siloam Springs, 3 p.m.
Game 4: 2C Greenwood vs. 6S Texarkana, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: 1C Alma vs. Winner Game 1, 10 a.m.
Game 6: 2S Sheridan vs. Winner Game 2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: 1E Jonesboro vs. Winner Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 8: 1S Benton vs. Winner Game 4, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Championship Game
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 10 a.m.
Class 5A
At Harrison Community First Sports Complex
Thursday
Field 1
Game 1: W1 Little Rock Christian vs. C4 Pulaski Academy, 10 a.m.
Game 2: E2 Batesville vs. S3 Watson Chapel, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: C1 Sylvan Hills vs. W4 Farmington, 3 p.m.
Game 4: S2 Hot Springs Lakeside vs. E3 Valley View, 5:30 p.m.
Field 2
Game 5: S1 White Hall vs. E4 Wynne, 10 a.m.
Game 6: C2 Jacksonville vs. W3 Greenbrier, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: E1 Greene County Tech vs. S4 Magnolia, 3 p.m.
Game 8: W2 Harrison vs. C3 Beebe, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Field 2
Game 9: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, noon
Game 10: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 2:30 p.m.
Field 1
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday
Field 2
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 2:30 p.m.
Championship
Saturday, May 21
Championship
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 3 p.m.
Class 4A
At Ashdown
Thursday
Shiloh Christian, Central Arkansas Christian, Ashdown, Clinton have first-round byes
Game 1: S3 Hamburg vs. E3 Lonoke, 10 a.m.
Game 2: N3 Pottsville vs. S4 Crossett, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: E2 Gosnell vs. N4 Dover, 3 p.m.
Game 4: S2 Arkadelphia vs. E4 Jonesboro Westside, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Game 5: N1 Shiloh Christian vs. Winner Game 1, 10 a.m.
Game 6: E1 Central Arkansas Christian vs. Winner Game 2, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: S1 Ashdown vs. Winner Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 8: N2 Clinton vs. Winner Game 4, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Championship
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 12:30 p.m.
Class 3A
At Norphlet/Smackover
Thursday
At Norphlet
Game 1: W1 Booneville vs. 4th-3 Mountain View, 10 a.m.
Game 2: 2nd-2 Mayflower vs. 3rd-4 Fordyce, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: W3 Rivercrest vs. 4th-1 West Fork, 3 p.m.
Game 4: 2nd-4 Genoa Central vs. 3rd-2 Haskell Harmony Grove, 5:30 p.m.
At Smackover
Game 5: W2 Harding Academy vs. 4th-4 Smackover, 10 a.m.
Game 6: 2nd-1 Greenland vs. 3rd-3 Manila, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: W4 Horatio vs. 4th-2 Glen Rose, 3 p.m.
Game 8: 2nd-3 Corning vs. 3rd-1 Mansfield, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
At Smackover
Game 9: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, noon
Game 10: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 2:30 p.m.
At Norphlet
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday
At Norphlet
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Championship
at Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 12:30 p.m.
Class 2A
At Parkers Chapel/Junction City
Thursday
At Parkers Chapel
Game 1: N1 Riverside vs. E4 Palestine-Wheatley, 10 a.m.
Game 2: S2 Junction City vs. W3 Hackett, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: E1 Mount Ida vs. N4 Rector, 3 p.m.
Game 4: W2 Magazine vs. S3 Murfreesboro, 5:30 p.m.
At Junction City
Game 5: S1 Woodlawn vs. W4 Hector, 10 a.m.
Game 6: N2 Buffalo Island Central vs. E3 Ouachita, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: W1 Conway Christian vs. S4 Dierks, 3 p.m.
Game 8: E2 McCrory vs. N3 Pangburn, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
At Parkers Chapel
Game 9: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 10 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 12:30 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
At Parkers Chapel
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 10 a.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 21
Championship
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 10 a.m.
Class 1A
At Mountain Home
Thursday
At Cooper Park
Game 1: W1 Scranton vs. 4th-2 Mammoth Spring, 10 a.m.
Game 2: 2nd-4 Kirby vs. 3rd-3 Concord, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3: W2 Armorel vs. 4th-1 Alpena, 3 p.m.
Game 4: 2nd-3 Nemo Vista vs. 3rd-4 Trinity Christian, 5:30 p.m.
At Clysta Willet Park
Game 5: W4 Taylor vs. 4th-3 Greers Ferry West Side, 10 a.m.
Game 6: 2nd-1 Sacred Heart vs. 3rd-2 Bay, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: W3 South Side Bee Branch vs. 4th-4 Caddo Hills, 3 p.m.
Game 8: 2nd-2 Viola vs. 3rd-1 County Line, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
At Cooper Park
Game 9: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 10 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 12:30 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
At Cooper Park
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 20
Championship
At Baum Stadium, Fayetteville
Game 15: Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 3 p.m.
"I always know that whenever I get on base, I get a courtesy runner," Bratspies said. "We have great runners that come in for me, so I know if I get on base we get some speed on the bags.
"That was the first thought that ran through my mind, and I was actually ready for it. I almost expected to get moved up to either the two- or the one-hole. I like it, and I'm still there, so it was a good decision."
Bratspies continued to pound the ball in his new role. He finished the regular season with a team-high .436 batting average -- good enough for second among 7A-West Conference hitters -- and led the offensive charge for Bentonville, which won 11 of its last 13 games to clinch the league title and a top seed for the Class 7A state tournament, which starts today in North Little Rock.
Meanwhile, he continued to do quality defensive work behind the plate. He handled almost all of the Tigers' catching duties for the pitching duo of Kasey Ford and Drew Young and made opposing baserunners hesitant about stealing bases when they did reach base.
"We had talked about moving Matt to leadoff for about a couple of weeks before we did it," Abbott said. "He had swung the bat so great, so we talked about moving our best hitter up there so he could get more at-bats.
"It was probably the most significant move for us, and it made great dividends. He's been great all year long -- solid, steady. He's a mature kid, and he hadn't changed a thing. He's had the same approach at the plate and quality at-bats all year long."
The only thing Bratspies did differently after the change was make opposing pitchers work a little harder. The Tigers' coaches wanted him to cut down on swinging at first pitches, which Bratspies admitted was a struggle at times.
That didn't mean he had to lay off all those pitches, especially if he found one that was too tempting to resist.
"Coach Y (Curt Yarrington) came up to me and told me I was put up there for a reason," Bratspies said. "If I get a first-pitch fastball into my wheelhouse, I should take a hack at it.
"I'm still trying to hit the ball up the middle like we always practice, and I'm hitting line-drives and ground balls."
Sports on 05/11/2016