Webster High School Spring Sports Preview

Following successful results from the fall and winter teams, including a state championship runner-up in football, the spring teams at look to go out on a high note as play gets underway in baseball, girl’s soccer and a handful of other sports.

Here is a preview of the teams:

Baseball 

Coach Steve Mazzola's dream of kicking off the season with a road trip will finally become a reality as the squad will travel to Gulf Shores, AL, and play a series of games against local competition, during spring break.

"It's a good chance to bring the team together and create some bonding early in the season," said Mazzola.

The Statesmen will look to a pair of starting pitchers for leadership this season, in juniors Peter Fairbanks, and Pete Forsee.

"Peter (Fairbanks) had a pretty impressive summer, and there are a few colleges looking at him, he's a great athlete, and while there's some room for improvement, we expect he will have a strong season," said Mazzola.

Highlights on the schedule include a game at home against on April 8, at Parkway South on April 11, and at Parkway West on May 3.

Girl's Soccer

After a 17-9-1 finish in 2010, the girl's soccer squad is coming into this season with high hopes.

Coach Chris Allen is looking to three players in particular to lead the team, in senior midfielder Annie Paloucek, who holds the record for most goals scored in a single season (21, in 2009), senior Sara Kerr, who is a strong defensive player in the middle, and junior goalkeeper Jessica Perry, who is committed to play at Samford University, in Birmingham, AL.

The Class 3, District 4 tournament will be hosted by Webster, at Selma Field, and will include strong competition from St. Joe's, , Ursuline, Kirkwood, and Ladue.

Boy's Golf

The golf team is heavy with leadership this season, with seven seniors on the squad. Among the senior players is Mike Becker, who coach Cary Morrison points to as the top golfer on the team.

"Last season he was the player of the year in the Suburban South Conference in his first season of golf, and he has a strong desire and realistic goal to qualify for state...he has all the tools to do that if he manages the courses and his game as I know he can," said Morrison.

Also expected to contribute strongly this season are seniors Gabe Smith, Jack Ketcher, and Bryant Cummings, as well as sophomore James Wunderlich.

"This is the deepest team I have had at Webster, and if they all play how they are capable we could be very competitive in our dual matches, and maybe even in our tournament fields this season," said Morrison.

Boy's Tennis

Coach Terry Verstraete will kick off the season with a match against Eureka, on the road, March 29, and will also see a tough competition against Parkway West on April 20, before heading into conference play in early May.

Boy's Volleyball

One of the most highly recruited players at Webster this spring is boy's volleyball player, Stanley Hinkle, who is being recruited by Hawaii and has been involved in Olympic Development programs.

A 6'5" senior, Hinkle will return following an impressive 2010 season, in which the Statesmen reached the state semifinals under the guidance of coach Helen Buckley.

Track & Field

Participation in track and field is vigorous this season, especially among throwers, where the school has not been as strong in the past. For the boys, coach Jon Petter will lead the team in an invitational home meet on April 5 featuring Oakville, De Smet, Ladue, , Maplewood, Parkway Central, Kirkwood, and St. Mary's.

The girl's team is coached by Ken Manwarring, and they'll open up the season at home against Eureka on March 29.

Lacrosse

The Lacrosse team is still relatively new at Webster, and this season they saw over 60 girls come out for tryouts.

Brittney Dioneda will lead the team this season, and the senior hopes to replicate the 2009 result, which saw the team go deep in the state finals tournament.

"This will be the first year that the players who helped start the team as freshmen, four years ago, will be playing as seniors, and with the turnout they've had, we expect a strong season from them," said Athletic Director Jerry Collins.