Defending state champion Bell City baseball team shows poise in return to final four

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Bell City baseball coach Justin Simpher and his players take pride in a large picture that hangs inside the school's gymnasium commemorating the 2105 team as Class 1 state champions.

A year ago, the Cubs parlayed their first district title in 25 years into the "Kings of Class 1" with a sparkling 25-3 record.

This year, Simpher returned all but one starter from the state title squad, and he wasted little time at the start of his third season as head coach in making a point to his players.

Bell City's Nate Finney celebrates with teammate Austin Hicks at home plate after scoring on a Bobby Wright grand slam in the second inning of the SCAA Conference Tournament championship against Bernie on Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Bernie, Mo. The home run put the Cubs up for good in a 7-5 victory.Josh Mlot

"I remember the very first practice we had -- the rankings came out, coach printed them off and walked out to the field with us and told everyone to pass it around," said senior center fielder/pitcher Peyton Maddox, one of four Cubs batting above .400. "He said, 'You know what this means?' And we were like, 'What?'

"And he said, 'Nothing,' and just ripped it up right in front of us.

"And he said, 'We're going to work just as hard.' We all knew what we had to do to get back to that same level and then some. We wanted to take the next step and really come out this year, which I felt like that's what we've been doing."

It was the first move Simpher took to keep his defending state champions on their toes, walking a fine line between overconfidence -- a unique confidence acquired from last year's accomplishment.

The Cubs (22-3), who had a losing record as recently as two years ago, have maintained the poise and work ethic of champions.

They have negotiated the perils of success and playoff baseball to return to the final four, where they will play Silex (14-6) in the state semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Monday in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Bell City's Peyton Maddox delivers a pitch to a Sikeston batter in the sixth inning Saturday, April 2, 2016, at VFW Memorial Stadium in Sikeston, Mo.Chris Pobst

"They've come back ready to work and wanted to make their school proud and their community proud," Simpher said. "That's what they've worked hard to do. That's the biggest thing that makes me proud. They've come back in focused, ready to try to do what they can to get back where they're headed again. They've just really worked hard for it."

In a relatively short span of time, the Cubs have gone from the hunter to the hunted.

"Last year, I thought we were one of the teams that were having to go after a team, and we were one of the teams trying to knock down one of the big dogs -- that big dog last year being Oran, because ever since I was a freshman we hadn't beat Oran one time," said senior third baseman Nate Finney, who is second on the team in batting at .442.

The Cubs began their escape from obscurity and rise to prominence with an extra-inning victory over Oran in last year's district championship game, and they again turned back the Eagles in the district final this year.

Bell City pitcher Austin Hicks and catcher Bobby Wright react after their 4-1 win over Oran in the Class 1 District 2 championship game Thursday, May 19, 2016 in Advance, Missouri.Fred Lynch

"That was our challenge. Now it feels like all the teams are after us, and we're the big dog," Finney said. "It's good to finally have some recognition."

However, the Cubs have found the billing of top dog can be harrowing at times.

Their most recent victory, a 3-0 win over a young Bismarck squad that entered the state quarterfinals with a 12-15 record, is an example of the coups lurking.

"They know we went to state," said junior shortstop/pitcher Cole Nichols, who leads the team with a .500 average and four home runs. "In a way, when you play a team like that, there's really nothing to lose if you lose to them, especially if they're the same team as last year. I mean, during basketball, that's how I felt whenever we played a team that was really good. We have nothing to lose. Just go out there and have fun. I think that's when you play your best."

It took a nine-inning, no-hit, 14-strikeout performance from junior left-hander Austin Hicks to hold off Bismarck.

"I feel like everyone wants to play their best game against us this year and prove they can beat us from last year, but for the most part, we've played pressure-free baseball," Hicks said. "We're not worried about what people are wanting to do to us and played our game. The outcome has been in our favor more times than not."

Hicks was on the mound in relief in last year's Class 1 championship game, securing a 6-3 win against Atlanta, a day after starting and posting the win in an 11-1 win over Northwest (Hughesville) in the state semifinals.

The team's ace with an 8-1 record and 1.59 ERA, Hicks said he drew on the experience acquired from last season's run to the title. He said it's part of the team's mental maturity, which is the primary difference between the Cubs of this season and a year ago. On paper, they're much the same, with this year's team batting higher overall at .363 (.331 in 2015) but with a higher ERA of 1.55 (1.37 in 2015).

"It really just kind of helped calm the nerves," Hicks said of his state experience. "In reality, that quarterfinal game, it's a big game, but I've pitched on that stage before. And I knew how to control my nerves a little bit better this year. I mean, it's still a big game, still nervous, but not as nervous. And I knew what I had to do to win and get us back to state."

In the end, a visiting Cubs team escaped a situation where the Indians could have advanced to the semifinals in walk-off fashion with a run in any of three innings.

Simpher praised his team's ability to not buckle under pressure, and his players don't hesitate in pin-pointing the source of their unwavering focus.

"Coach," Hicks said.

"Day in and day out, he's focused, no matter what. If we have a good day or a bad day, he's always focused and finds a way to bring us back to our ultimate goal."

When pressed for particular ways Simpher gets the team to focus, Hicks pondered, only to find a general approach.

"There's no easy days," Hicks said. "Every day is a fight. I feel that's prepared us for our games. The atmosphere we have in practice carries over into games."

The Cubs have bought into the focused approach. Players sound mature beyond their years, embracing Simpher's simple challenge to become the best players they can be on a daily basis.

"Even if a team is under .500, you can never take them for granted," Finney said. "You got to play them like the St. Louis Cardinals. You've got to play like they're the best team in the world, and that's what we try to do every day."

Bell City has encountered defeat just three times this season. One loss came to a far bigger school in Class 4 Sikeston. Losses to Class 2 Bernie and Class 1 Oran were avenged.

The Cubs got back for an 8-0, early-season loss to Bernie in the championship game of the Stoddard County Conference tournament, ending the Mules' three-year reign with a 7-5 victory.

"Last year, they were the team to beat, and they still were this year," said junior catcher/pitcher Bobby Wright, who's batting .436 with a team-high 47 RBIs. "They put it on us the first time. We were wanting to get back at them. You just want to go through every team until you see them again. It's like, we've got you again. We're not going to make the same mistake twice."

The Cubs again flashed that feisty attitude against Oran. The Eagles became the only Class 1 school to defeat Bell City over the last two seasons when they handed a 5-3 loss to the Cubs in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

"That was an important loss to Oran, to accept that they're out there, and they're going to get you and beat you," Nichols said. "That was an awakening, and I thought we took it well."

It was the last loss encountered by the Cubs, who got exacted revenge with a 4-1 victory over the Eagles in the Class 1 District 2 championship, part of their current six-game winning streak.

"It's always good to be brought back down to the level," Hicks said. "You know, sometimes your head gets big. You know, if you go on a 10-game winning streak, you're going to think you can't lose. It's just human nature, but that loss brings you back down and shows you that you've got to refocus and get ready to play games and you can lose.

"And this time of year, you can't lose or you go home and don't get to play any more. We're just a bunch of guys that don't want to go home yet."