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Hoots sign two players for the 2023 season

The O’Fallon Hoots, proud members of the Prospect League, play their home games at the CarShield Field in O’Fallon.

The O’Fallon squad announced the signing of outfielder Nick Harms for the 2023 summer season. Harms comes as a sophomore from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound outfielder attended Parkway West High School, where he served as the Longhorns team captain his senior year and was named to the All-Conference Second Team, contributing time on the mound with a 5-1 record his final season.

The sophomore went on to play for the CWRU Spartans, where he was named the University Athletic Association’s Rookie of the Year his freshman season, leading the team with nine home runs and posting a .295 AVG with 24 runs scored, 33 H, and 23 RBIs in his 32 games played. Harms started in 25 of the 32 games in the outfield, finishing his freshman debut with a 1.000 FPCT. This 2023 season, the Ballwin -native has put up a .324 AVG, .415 OBP, and .559 SLG in his first nine games.

Pitcher Braden Barnard comes to the Hoots as a redshirt sophomore from Maryville University.

The 5-foot-11, right-handed hurler attended Marquette High School, where he posted a 5-2 record in 39 ⅓ innings pitched with a 1.78 ERA and 46 strikeouts his senior year. The redshirt sophomore went on to play two seasons with the St. Charles Community College (SCC) Cougars, pitching a total of 40 innings in 12 appearances on the mound, averaging 8.33 strikeouts per game. Following his two seasons with the Cougars, Barnard committed to play for

Maryville University for the 2023 season.

The Ballwin native has appeared in three games for the Saints, putting up five strikeouts in two innings pitched in his most recent appearance, helping the Saints to a 4-0 win over Principia on March 8.

The Hoots start the season on May 31 at home against the Cape Girardeau club.

Go to www.OFallonHoots.com for the complete schedule.

*More heroics to come from these stellar athletes

Ambush give hometown fans a win in final home game in the regular season

On Fan Appreciation Day at The Family Arena, the St. Louis Ambush gave their fans much to appreciate when they pulled off a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over the second-place Florida Tropics Sunday afternoon.

St. Louis scored the lone goal of the first quarter when Will Eskay outran an opposing defender and beat Florida goalkeeper Jorge Navarrete in the eleventh minute.

Florida took a 2-1 lead in the third minute of the third quarter.

As the clock raced toward the end of regulation play, Eskay scored his second of the match with 34.4 seconds left on the clock, sending the contest into overtime.

James Thomas, playing in only his third game after coming back from injury, would play the hero role when he headed the game winner into the net one-minute into the extra period.

*Exciting finish

Gary Baute, a St. Louis native, may be educated in business but he lives and breathes sports. As a fan or an athlete, Gary is all sports all the time. He hosted a radio sports program on KFNS, emceed the River City Rascals’ inaugural season, among many other activities. I am currently hosting a Health show on 97.1 FM, ‘Prime Time Health’ www.PrimeTimeSTL.com. It broadcasts Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday mornings at 9.