Willie DeHart – Heavener Baseball MVP Nominee
Wolves’ junior catcher/pitcher seeking to build on sophomore season in which he batted .485
By Buck Ringgold
Heavener baseball player Willie Dehart can play on either side of the battery.
He plays catcher and also pitches.
When asked which position he likes the best, Dehart gives pitching the slight edge.
“I just like being able to kind of be in control of everything,” said Dehart, entering his junior year with the Wolves.
While pitching, Dehart is able to use his curveball and his change-up. But he considers his fastball to be his specialty pitch, and Dehart remarked that he is able to throw up to 80 miles per hour using it.
As far as being on the other side of the battery, Dehart has been able to utilize his pitching skills when it comes to throwing out would-be base stealers.
“I’m good at just framing the ball and throwing people out,” he said. “I was able to throw out several (runners).”
Dehart is also good at the plate as he is behind it. As a sophomore last season, he batted .485.
“I’m usually better just getting on base,” he said. “I don’t get very many big hits; I’m usually just getting on base or hitting runners in.”
Dehart is also wanting to help the Wolves turn their fortunes around this year after having won just a handful of games the season before.
“We didn’t do too good (last season); we kind of had a slump,” Dehart said. “I’m thinking we’ll be better this year, though. We’ve got more freshmen coming up that’s played before and just a little bit more experience.
“Everybody kind of knows each other a little bit better and we have better chemistry.”
Dehart added he has been putting in plenty of work this offseason to ensure the Wolves are indeed able to turn in a better season on the diamond.
“I’ve (spent time this offseason) pitching and working on blocking balls while catching,” he said. “I’ve been working a lot on hitting and doing stuff like that, and I’m just really looking forward to see how we do.”
Dehart is also being counted on to provide more of a leadership role by his coaches.
“We’ve got only one senior, so it’s up to me to help all of the younger kids,” he said.
Dehart has been involved in baseball from an early age, as his father was his T-ball coach.
“I just like getting to go places with the team and just doing stuff like that,” Dehart said. “And I really like to compete.”
He’s eager to be playing baseball again after not playing any travel ball last summer, as Dehart spent that period working instead.
“Yes, it was (hard) not playing baseball (last summer),” he said. “I was missing it quite a bit.”
He was also able to compensate not playing baseball by participating on the Wolves’ football and basketball squads. But for Dehart, there’s nothing like being out on the baseball diamond.
“I’m working on just getting better overall, and just getting better at doing everything,” he said.
