Mr. May

By Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 6/1/22

As many of you know in the world of baseball, the month of October is taken by former New York Yankee Reggie Jackson and current St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols.

Throughout the month of May, a …

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Mr. May

Posted

As many of you know in the world of baseball, the month of October is taken by former New York Yankee Reggie Jackson and current St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols.

Throughout the month of May, a pair of athletes right here in our backyard have a strong case to claim the nickname Mr. May.

Coming from Tyler Ahring’s Owensville Dutchmen baseball team, senior first baseman Logan Evans has a very strong case as to why he should have the nickname.

After tying St. Clair’s Bulldogs with a run in the bottom of the seventh in their Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 4, District 4 Baseball Tournament semifinal contest on Tuesday, May 17, Evans came up with the bases loaded and no outs after fellow senior Jon Saunsaucie was intentionally walked.

Two pitches later, Evans delivered a walk off RBI single scoring Gavin Loague to give Owensville a 2-1 victory advancing the Dutchmen to the district championship game.

Mother Nature added her two cents worth that week with rain fall that forced the district title game to be played on Friday, May 20 at high noon instead of the evening of Thursday, May 19 as originally scheduled.

Playing from behind throughout the first six innings against Sullivan’s Eagles, Owensville went into the bottom of the seventh inning down to their last three outs trailing 5-2.

Senior catcher Dominic Grigaitis led the inning off with a single before fellow senior Derek Brandt was hit by a pitch setting up senior left fielder Gavin Loague with two on and nobody out.

In danger of striking out, Loague delivered an 0-2 pitch into left field driving in Grigaitis and Brandt cutting the Eagle lead to 5-4 with still no outs recorded by Sullivan.

Landon Valley and Jordan Rabbitt then drew consecutive walks to load the bases for Mr. Evans.

With a count of two balls and one strike, lightning struck twice for Evans and the Dutchmen as he hit a walk off two-RBI single setting off a celebration of historic proportions giving the Owensville High School baseball program their first district title since Bill Seamon’s first season in the third base coaches box back in 1980.

Owensville’s other Mr. May candidate is also a member of the aforementioned baseball team.

Also participating as a member of the OHS Track team, junior Bryce Payne put himself into the running for the nickname Mr. May.

Following season-ending injuries sustained by Alan Kopp in a side-by-side accident days before the annual Four Rivers Conference (FRC) track meet, Payne knew that he was now the number one athlete for OHS in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdle races.

Finishing second to St. James’ Kaiden Snyder in a time of 16.00 in the 110m hurdles in the FRC Meet held at Dutchmen Field, Payne stepped it up for the MSHSAA Class 3, District 5 Track Meet two weeks later in West Plains.

This time, Payne finished ahead of Snyder with a second-place time of 15.15 behind Liberty (Mountain View) senior Jentry Acklin.

Now a week later during one of four MSHSAA Class 3 sectional meets down in Hollister, Payne was the recipient of some good luck.

Seeing Acklin fall during the early stages of the race, Payne won a sectional title in a time of 15.03 putting him in the driver’s seat for a possible state championship with the fastest time in the 110m hurdles entering the state meet.

Winning his preliminary heat Friday in Jefferson City, Payne’s time of 15.54 was the fastest among the eight finalists.

Edging Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) junior Gregory Dennis in the finals, Payne captured a state championship with a new personal record (PR) time of 14.89.

Payne now joins Sean Irwin as the only Dutchmen to post times of under 15 seconds in the 110m hurdles.

Similarly in the 300m hurdles, Payne entered state as one of the favorites and his preliminary time of 40.95 was the fastest among both heats.

Acklin caught Payne in the finals as he settled for second place in the 300m hurdles in a time of 39.54.

Finally breaking the 40-second mark in the 300m hurdles, Payne joins the duo of Irwin and former state champion Devon Dowler with times of under 40 seconds.