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2016 Team Preview: Clever Blue Jays

January 6, 2016

Shon Plack
Prep Baseball Report-Missouri

As we prepare for the upcoming 2016 high school season, we will be taking a preseason glimpse at programs from around the state.

Team: Clever HS
Nickname: Blue Jays
Class: Class 3
Conference: SWCL
Head Coach: Justin Snider
Years as head coach at school: 5
Twitter Handle:  @Clever_Baseball
Team Website: www.cleverbaseball.com
2015 Overall Record: 13-15
2015 Conference Record: 9-5 (2nd place)
2015 Post-Season Finish: Lost in second round of district 5-1 to Stockton

Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 3
Number of Returning Starters/Position Players: 6

Top Returning Players
Chris Amtower, RHP/OF, 2016; 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All District (Evangel)
Tyler Edwards, RHP/1B, 2016; 1st Team All-District, 2nd Team All Conference 
Dawson Little, SS, 2016; 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All District
Tristan Tanner, OF, 2016, 2nd Team All-Conference (Central Methodist)

Season Outlook
The Blue Jays posted a 16-5 record last fall, showing improvement from the 13-15 record they posted last spring. Clever has seen a lot of success under Coach Snider, posting a 146-60 record in five years. The 2016 edition will have the ability to keep the winning tradition going. They will lean a quartet of seniors to lead them in 2016, and building off their team effort from the fall. Chris Amtower will hit lead off and will be the ace on the mound for the Blue Jays.  Amtower finished 4-3 this fall with a 1.56 ERA and 65 strikeouts while posting a .323 batting average.  Tristan Tanner will be a much needed spark plug for the Clever this year.  Tanner plays with high energy and boasted a .468 batting average with a .571 on-base percentage last fall.  Coach Snider will count on Dawson Little to bat in the two-hole this spring.  Little has excellent bat control and batted .367 in the fall.  Tyler Edwards will be the power bat in the middle of the order and a top arm for Clever.  Edwards drove in 26 runs last fall, while finishing with a 6-1 record and 1.79 ERA on the mound.  The Blue Jays will also have a support from their underclassmen.  Sophomore Dalton Karr has game changing speed and plus-arm strength adding defense in the outfield.  6-foot-3 220-pound junior RHP Spencer Flatt will eat up innings this spring for the Blue Jays, displaying a curveball that can be thrown in any count.  Clever will have a top-notched freshman behind the plate in Logan Peebles. Peebles had a promising fall and will be a player to keep an eye on for the Blue Jays in the years to come.  In all, Clever should have a very dangerous team this spring and has the ability to surprise the very good teams in their district.

CLICK HERE, for complete list of 2016 Team Previews.

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