New coach, new turf, new season for Clinton baseball

By Danny C. Davis

The Clinton High School baseball team has opened the 2022 season with a lot of excitement, with a new coach and with new field turf. Sam Temple, who, as Clinton’s head baseball coach twenty years ago, rebuilt the Arrows from an 8-18 record in 2001 to a 25-8 record in 2002, says he hopes to rebuild CHS baseball back to being contenders at a high level again.

Temple left Clinton after a year and spent three years as an assistant at Mississippi College before moving to lead at Hinds Community College for sixteen years. He racked up over 400 wins at Hinds, including three MACJC State Championships, two Region 23 Championships, and two NJCAA College World Series appearances titles.

Clinton finished 10-17 in 2021, and 3-6 in the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020. CHS has not won a playoff game since 2017.

Not only does Clinton now have a highly-regarded baseball coach with a winning tradition, the team also has new state-of-the-art playing turf. The entire infield and outfield have been laid with green sports turf by Shaw. Only Clinton and Jackson Prep in the Central Mississippi area have the turf, and only a handful of teams statewide have it. The Shaw sports turf for baseball fields is also installed at the Major League Baseball stadiums for the Tampa Bay Rays, Phoenix Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins.

“We have a great staff that could be head coaches a lot of places and are very happy to be back here at Clinton with great facilities and great support from administration,” said Temple, who led Warren Central to the then-Class 5A Championship in 2001 before coming to Clinton.

“There are people out there who feel their kids are going to get an amazing opportunity at the game of baseball the way we coach and practice.”

“I believe that the game of baseball is to build boys into men, and what a great game baseball is to teach just that — teaching that in baseball, like life, most of the time things do not always go your way; and, then, what are you going to do about it,” said Temple. “Life lesions are learned about how the game can beat you up and how you bounce back. Most of the guys I have coached have figured this out later in life.”

Temple said he feels athleticism is the team’s strength heading into the season.

“We have some young men who can run and be athletic and be good defenders. I have been pleased with our infield defense so far. We seem to field and throw the ball better than when we started out in the preseason. But it is all about teaching the athleticism in players how to play the game of baseball. This is a game of fielding and reps, and we need to get more of that under our belts. Right now, our athleticism is sped up, and we have to learn to slow it down; and that will happen with some game experience.”

Temple says he feels good about the Arrow pitching staff, coached by Kyle Nichols.

“Coach Nichols has done a great job, and his coming on the staff this year was the first great thing for us when we came back. He has done wonders for our pitchers so far. Our pitching staff is not built on hard pitching, but is a group of guys who all throw about the same way and really work hard.”

The Arrows also have a lot of depth on the mound this year.

“Grant Holmes [a senior] is our hardest throwing pitcher. He commands the strike zone and has a good breaking ball. We use him as a stopper or closer a lot. Tytrez Carr [a senior] has thrown well and has the ability to throw [ball speed] up in the mid 80s. Tyler Janos [a senior] is a crafty side arm pitcher and can start or close for us. Cole Manuel [a junior] is one of our top consistent pitchers. He is good for us on the mound and at third base and is also a good hitter.”

“Manuel and Janos are also both our catchers and a strength of our defense. It would be hard to find a better two catchers for a first-year coach.”

Temple also said junior Charles Chisolm will also see time on the mound and also plays outfield.

“Charles is a right hand pitcher that has a chance to be very special for us this year.”

Also expected to see pitching time are junior Bob Bland, who also plays outfield, and sophomore Kemper Meacham.

Holmes and Janos have already signed with Hinds Community College.

Another defensive strength for the Arrows, according to Temple, is junior shortstop Kette Stavely.

“Kette has been a starter at shortstop since the eighth grade and is a big part of our strength on defense.”

Sophomore AJ Seiter, a newcomer, can also play catcher, plays a lot at first base and also pitches.

“AJ is already helping us tremendously at the varsity level,” said Temple.

Senior centerfielder Ashton Johnson is the leader in the outfield, has a lot of speed running the bases and is one of the top hitters.

Junior Jack Collins, a left hander, also plays first base and is a relief pitcher. Second base is played by senior Peyton Davis and sophomore Takorre Clowers.

Clowers also at times will play third base, outfield and will also pitch.

“Takorre is a good all round utility player for us,” said Temple.

At third base will be Manuel, Clowers and Ethan Williams, who also pitches and plays outfield.

Also in the outfield is senior speedster Parker Fulton, Holmes, Clowers and Wiggins.

“We have a lot of interchangeable players at all the positions, and that is the way we like it,” said Temple.

Offensively, Johnson, a speedster, is the leadoff batter. Either Davis or Clowers usually bat second. Janos is usually in the three hole with Manuel, often batting cleanup, with Holmes batting either third, fourth or fifth. Collins and Seiter usually follow in the lineup.

“We are playing a lot of guys in different positions and pitching a lot of guys,” said Temple. “We believe down the road that will help us. Getting more guys experience on the mound will be a good thing for us.”

The schedule is tough again, with Clinton in the Region 4 Class 6A with Madison Central, Germantown and Murrah.

Key non-region games include MRA, Jackson Academy, Warren Central (two times), Ridgeland and Pearl.

CHS will play region opponents Germantown, Madison Central and Murrah three times.

“The schedule was already about 95% complete when I got here last June,” said Temple.

“Our goal is to be playing well enough at the end of the season and be the team nobody wants to play by the end of the season. The team is working real hard to get to that point.”

“We have a great seventh and eighth grade team and have started the ninth grade team back up.”

“We also have a great relationship with the Clinton Baseball Association and want to work a lot with youth baseball in Clinton.”

Assistant coaches include Nichols; Annon Etheridge, infield; Grady Turman, outfield; Walker Watts, ninth grade and catchers; and Les Kelly and Isiah Rush, eighth grade coaches.