Third-year sophomores set to make impact on WC baseball, softball

by Rick Mauch

Sure, they didn't get to finish their sophomore seasons playing for Weatherford College last spring. But thanks to a waiver in the rules by the NJCAA, they'll get another season this year.

Five baseball players and one softball player are back for their second sophomore season.

When COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the remainder of their season in 2020, the NJCAA granted a waiver to allow sophomores to return for a third season to their respective community college teams if they chose.

For the Coyote baseball team, shortstop Hunter Rosson, third baseman Brett Brown, left-handed pitcher Cade Farr, right-handed pitcher Hayden Alexander, and right-handed pitcher Matthew Hickey made that decision. So did Stephanie Jimenez, who plays third base for the Coyote softball squad.

"We are thrilled to have Steph back for another season," Coyotes softball coach Haylee Williams said. "She brings experience and leadership in addition to her skill set. I think she had a vision on how her career at WC was going to go, and having her sophomore season cut short in 2020 did not fit that vision. So she is back to try and go out with a championship attached to her name."

Jimenez was selected to the All-Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Team in 2019. No team was selected for either sport in 2020 as a complete conference slate was not completed.

Rosson and Brown were each consistent hitters for the Coyotes last season, with over a third of the base hits for both going for extra bases.

Rosson, an Aledo High School graduate, had 32 hits, of which eight were doubles, one was a triple and four were home runs. He drove in 17 runs, had a .348 batting average, a .587 slugging percentage and a .445 on-base percentage.

Brown (Godley High School) had 30 hits, including six doubles, two triples and three homers. He drove in 22 runs, posted a .316 batting average, a .516 slugging percentage and a .426 on-base percentage.

In addition, each has a keen eye collecting 33 walks between them (19 for Brown, 14 for Rosson). And, once on base, they were among the top base stealers in the nation, with Rosson stealing 19 in 21 attempts and Brown being 15-for-16.

The pitching trio of Farr (All Saints), Alexander (Burleson) and Hickey (Granbury) combined to make 22 appearances (Farr 9, Hickey 8, Alexander 5), post a 2-1 record (Farr 1-0, Hickey 1-1) and register three saves (Hickey 2, Farr 1). In all, they combined to pitch 32.2 innings (Hickey 13, Farr 12, Alexander 7.2) with 48 strikeouts (Farr 19, Hickey 17, Alexander 12) and just 18 walks (Farr 9, Alexander 5, Hickey 4).

In addition, Farr had one of the lowest earned run averages in the conference at 0.75. Alexander had an ERA of 3.52, and Hickey's was 4.85.

WC's baseball season begins Jan. 30, and softball begins Feb. 3.