2022 baseball Bulldogs strive for toughness, competitiveness

Seven of the 12 players listed on the 2022 Fulton High School’s Baseball team are returning recruits, with five new to the program.

Make that six, if counting longtime FHS Boys’ Basketball Coach John Dillard.

Dillard will be at the helm for the launch of this year’s high school baseball season.

It will be the first year for Dillard to move from the court, to the diamond.

He has spent 31 coaching basketball, 22 of those at the college level, and nine for high school teams, seven of which have been at Fulton Independent, coaching the Bulldogs.
His roster will include seventh graders Shane Acosta and Killian Klimper, eighth grader Javarious Gholson, sophomores William Price, Christian Sproul and TaZiyah, juniors Tyler Baggett and Tristan Lalley, and seniors Travail Morgan, Skyler Norwood and Krish Patel.

As it stands now, for this week’s start up play, Patel will be on the mound for the Bulldogs, with Sproul behind the plate.

Baggett will be stationed at first base, with Acosta on second and Gholson at third.

Lalley and Price will be in the infield, with Klimper in the outfield. Plans are to station Morgan in center field, Norwood in right field and Ware in left field. Ray will serve as a utility player.

Gholson, Lalley, Morgan. Patel, Price, Sproul and Ware have the benefit of seeing action on the field for the Bulldogs in past seasons, while newcomers include Acosta, Baggett, Klimper, Norwood and Ray.

“Our biggest asset is an excellent group of young men who are very coachable. Our biggest challenge is a young roster,” Coach Dillard said.

The Bulldogs were 0-11 for the 2021 baseball season’s record.

The coach will count on Krish Patel as a team leader, as well as capitalize on his consistent arm.
“Krish is an excellent pitcher with great control,” Dillard said.

He also sees Patel as a top hitter, joined by Christian Sproul, who has exhibited skill and accuracy with persistent hits.
On the field, defensively, Travail Morgan is the player Dillard will look to for managing control of opponents at the plate and on the bases.

“Hickman County will probably be our toughest competitor on our schedule this year,” Dillard said.

Overall, this year’s Bulldog team, as well as the coaching staff, will set foundational goals for the 2022 season.

“I want us to establish a toughness and competitiveness within the program,” Dillard said.