EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville baseball coach Tim Funkhouser said East St. Louis is in the midst of rebuilding its baseball program under coach Maurice Scott, a process both coaches described as ongoing, after the teams met on the field.
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East St. Louis dropped a pair of games to Edwardsville on Wednesday at EHS, but Funkhouser sees great potential for the future of East Side baseball.
“You can tell Coach (Maurice Scott), and the rest of their guys are all working at it,” Coach Funkhouser said. “You can tell the little things within the game; they continue to teach it, and they've got a good tone with what we saw out here. The kids, you can tell, are enjoying the game, and the game of baseball's really fun.”
Scott agreed the Flyers’ rebuild remains “a work in progress,” while saying the program has made strides over the past three seasons and expects continued improvement.
“A work in progress, right?” Scott said. “This program has come a long way in the last three years, and we've only got one senior on the team. It's just changing the whole culture at East St. Louis. Everything's about football, basketball, and track, but we've got a nice group of kids who really accept the coaching and are trying to learn the game of baseball.”
Funkhouser said the growth shows up in the details and approach, noting the sport's challenge at any level.
“It can be tough and challenging for anybody, a big leaguer or a high school player,” Funkhouser said. “And it's good to have the support they've got within their program, how their guys are going about it, and trying to get better each day.”
Scott pointed to facilities as a key part of the program’s next steps, saying a planned on-campus baseball-softball complex could boost visibility and participation.
“No doubt about it,” Scott said. “It's something when we get our new facility in the next year or two, it's going to really help our program, because the kids like what they see. Right now, they don't see it on our campus.”
Scott said the team currently plays at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Complex, which he credited as helpful, while emphasizing the value of having baseball on campus.
“We play at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Complex, which has really been helpful in our development with our program, but it's nothing like playing at home, being able to walk outside and practice, and other kids in the school see the game of baseball being played,” Scott said. “I think that would attract more players.”
Scott also cited a middle school program and continuity with players he has coached for years as reasons for optimism, even if progress is not reflected in wins and losses.
“The middle school program is thriving, and it's working,” Scott said. “A lot of these kids started with me in middle school, and they're developing now. So, it's paying off. You don't see it in the win-loss column, but you can definitely see it in the progression during practice and during games.”
Scott said younger players, including incoming freshmen, are expected to add competition for roles.
“We've got some young guys coming back,” Scott said. “I have a good group of freshmen, and the head basketball coach (Mark Chambers, who coached East Side to the IHSA Class 3A championship this past season), his son, Mason Chambers, will come right in and start for us. And a few other guys I have at the middle school level right now, who're going to come in and play. And challenge these guys.”
