baseball is here! Bartlesville, dewey open seasons saturday
Bartlesville High School’s Merciez Barrett pitches last year. The Bruins open their season noon Saturday against NOAH at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
BENVENUTO, THE SUN
Ready … Set … Swing!
Eternal mantra of spring
— forget the calendar's lie —
known as that baseball thing.
The bees aren’t even humming,
The ghostly trees are still bare
— blossoms aren’t even blossoming —
but “Play Ball!” is surely coming.
Fresh-chalked diamonds sparkle to life,
Sublime, whispering winds blow
— not quite warm and not quite cold —
to herald halcyon days
of fun and strife and gritty praise.
Miracles bloom in willing hearts,
fount of yesterday springs forth,
everyone is a child again.
Welcome the sun — the season starts.
(By Michael Jerry Tupa)
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By Mike Tupa
February 28, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
With a preponderance of returning veterans and the procurement of two talented transfers, the Bartlesville High School baseball team is set for a prospective prosperous season.
And, it all starts this weekend.
The Bruins — coached by Cody Price — are scheduled to pull up the season curtain at noon at Rigdon Field in Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Tulsa NOAH will provide the visiting opposition.
Only five players graduated off last year’s Bruin team — which means Price welcomed back most of his starters or secondary contributors from last year.
This year’s starting outfield going into the opener is slated to include Kaden Romesburg, Damien Niko and Jaxon Zaun.
Zaun is transitioning from the main catcher’s role he filled last season. Transfer Noah Collins from the State of Texas is set to handle catcher duties.
Another newcomer expected to make an immediate impact is Dewey High School transfer Cooper Swaim. He’ll probably play one of the corners and hit in the middle of the lineup, Price said.
Barrett Merciez will play a key multi-faceted role as shortstop and the main returning starting pitcher.
Junior Sam Marcella also will wear multiple hats. Hunter Shea also is expected to throw a big shadow on offense, defense and the mound.
In addition to Merciez, some other players that could see pitching time are Marcella, Swaim, Niko, Zaun and Collins.
In addition to the experienced warriors, “We’ve got some young guys excited for the season,” Price continued. “Sometimes it will be positional, sometimes it will be on who has a hot hand. We’ll have a lot more depth than last season.”
Last season’s campaign turned out to be a painful anomaly. After three-consecutive 20-plus win seasons from 2021-23, the Bruins slipped to 13-22 in 2024.
Bartlesville High School’s Jaxson Zaun returns to home plate last year. The Bruins open their season noon Saturday against NOAH at Bill Doenges Memorial Stadium.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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Much of that had to do with a plague of inexperience and growing pains.
But given a fair hand, Price is as talented as any top-notch coach in getting the best out of his skill set and experience.
Price’s career record as Bruin head coach is 88-70, which means he could achieve the 100-win career mark sometime in latter-March or early April.
Bartlesville also will be home at 5 p.m. Monday to take on Sapulpa.
From March 17 through March 19 Bartlesville will make its annual spring break playing excursion to the Gulf Coast Classic in Alabama.
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Bartlesville’s first eight games
— Saturday (March 1): Home, vs. Tulsa NOAH, noon
— Monday (March 3): Home vs. Sapulpa, 5 p.m.
— Tuesday (March 4): At Owasso, 5 p.m.
— Thursday (March 6): vs. Tulsa NOAH, 5 p.m.
— March 8: Home vs. Oologah, noon
— March 10: At Broken Arrow, 5 p.m.
— March 11: Home vs. Broken Arrow (5 p.m.)
— March 13: Home vs. Holland Hall, 5 p.m.
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SOME OTHER AREA BASEBALL OPENERS
Dewey is set to play host at noon Saturday to Haskell, and to host Tahlequah-Sequoyah in a Monday doubleheader (5 p.m., 7 p.m.).
Nowata plays host at 5:30 p.m. Monday to Regent Prep; Oklahoma Union travels Monday to Quapaw for a 5 p.m. showdown.