Baseball: Cox key for Fayetteville's run

FAYETTEVILLE -- The grind of travel baseball nearly cost Hayes Cox his love for the game before he even was a teenager.

Now that fire burns hotter than ever as the senior leads Fayetteville into the 7A State Tournament as the top seed from the 7A-West Conference. The Bulldogs play at noon Friday against the winner of today's first-round game between Conway and Rogers High.

When he was 12 years old, Cox was doing what many young baseball players do these days by playing travel baseball almost year-round. He was recovering from a dislocated left elbow suffered while playing football. That, along with the rigors of travel baseball, drained his passion for the sport, he said.

"There were times when I got burned out, especially at that young age," Cox said. "I was missing birthday parties and stuff like that and feeling kind of left out, so we slowed it down."

Instead of the seriousness of travel ball, Cox opted for the Fayetteville Youth Baseball program that summer. He made more birthday parties, won a city championship, went 3-for-3 with three home runs in the all-star game and rediscovered his passion on the fields at Walker Park.

"That season was just all about having fun for me," Cox said. "I was on a team with some really good friends, and that's really just what baseball is all about. That's when I refound my love for the game."

This season, the right-hander is the Bulldogs' No. 2 starter and posted a 5-2 record with a 1.00 ERA. Cox also is heating up offensively with four hits in his last six at-bats, including a pair of triples in a 10-0 win against Van Buren that clinched the conference championship.

Fayetteville senior first baseman Barrett Banister said Cox doesn't care about personal statistics as much as winning. Banister has teamed up with Cox since those early days of baseball and said he hasn't changed a bit.

"Hayes always wanted to win. He hated, just hated losing," Banister said. "I remember him always wanting to get dirty by diving for balls and being a great shortstop. And that's exactly what he still does today."

Fayetteville coach Scott Gallagher said the Arkansas Tech signee "is a Bulldog who attacks the zone" with an 86-87 mph fastball, a curveball and his best pitch: a changeup. More than any physical tools, Gallagher said Cox's approach makes him a college-level pitcher.

"His composure on the mound affects other players and how they play," Gallagher said. "We usually play really good defense behind him, and that's because of his mentality."

As a No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs understand the pressure is on to compete for an eighth state championship. Ace pitcher Miller Pleimann will start Friday, and if the 'Dogs get into Saturday's semifinals, it'll be on Cox to pitch them into the championship game.

"I think this team is a group of brothers. I know that sounds kind of tacky, but it's true," Cox said. "We'll be a little nervous because it is the playoffs, but a lot of us have been here before and know how to handle ourselves because it's a game we've been playing our whole lives."

Sports on 05/11/2017