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State Gazette Baseball Offensive Player of the Year: Dyer County Choctaw Kole Fenton
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Dyer County Choctaw Kole Fenton
State Gazette photo/Jason Peevyhouse
JASON PEEVYHOUSE
Following a second straight season which not only ended in Murfreesboro but with a all-state selections to go along with the same from his junior year, Dyer County's Kole Fenton wrapped up his senior season with a strong performance at the plate, earning the State Gazette Baseball Offensive Player of the Year Award for the 2024 season.
Dyer County Head Coach Derek Hinson said Fenton's production at the plate came despite moving down in the order during the season.
“We started him out at the leadoff because you want most of your guys at one, two, and three to get the most ABs as possible,” Hinson explained. “These are guys that can turn the lineup over and have some speed at the top.
“Stuff like speed, being able to get on base, great eyes, work the count. That way the guys can tell their teammates what type of pitchers the opposing pitcher is throwing.”
While Fenton was an effective leadoff batter, Hinson and his staff noticed catcher J.D. Binkley was drawing more walks at the time, he was moved to leadoff and Fenton was bumped down to the No. 2 hole. Effectively, this gave the Choctaws two leadoff batters to open the game.
“Then, we're rocking and rolling,” Hinson said. “You could say (Kole) would have had more RBIs had we put him in there earlier.
“Hitting in the two-hole, his RBI totals are crazy. His on-base percentage was high.”
This past season, Fenton led the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average as he sported a .400 average through the season. Fenton collected 56 hits with 15 doubles, four triples, and four home runs while driving in 39 and scoring the same amount himself.
“He's got pop to opposite field,” the Choctaw head coach added. “He really got trigger-happy early in the year trying to do too much. But, Kole finally settled in and started understanding.
“He started taking that opposite field approach and it started paying off big time.”
Developing his overall game was an area in which Fenton improved during his senior season.
“Taking pitches, understanding what the pitcher is doing and being a more patient hitter,” Hinson explained. “Then thinking 'I can hit the breaking ball' or 'I can hit the changeup'.
“Everybody is hunting the fastball. But, if I am the opposing team, I'm not going to keep throwing fastballs. I am going to throw breakers, changeups and something to keep them offspeed. He was able to understand that and it was awesome to see.”
Power-wise, things like this seemed to click midway through the year. Fenton finished his senior season with four homers but the first didn't come until the 19th game a season where the Choctaws played almost 40 games.
“He really set back and paid attention to it this year,” Hinson added. “Just being patient and knowing 'if I get the pitch I am looking for, I'm going to take it'.
“If a guy missed, he was going to make them pay. When he hit his first home run, it was over at Bartlett. He hit a breaker down the line. And we're going 'where did this come from?' Then he just takes off.”
Hinson added it will be fun to see Fenton move on to the next level to play baseball at the college level.
Dyer County's head coach added he feels players like Fenton and his senior teammates are the kind who will come back to spend time around the program during the offseason and free time.
“Those guys will come back and be able to talk to our guys and tell them what to do to get to the next level,” Hinson explained. “That goes back to leadership.
“We love our guys here at Dyer County for that. We have guys that come in during the fall and talk to our guys about what it's like at the next level and what to expect, what to work on.”
Hinson pointed out he feels Fenton will be fine at the next level defensively, but he is really intrigued to see how he will develop at the plate. This is based a lot on the final half of Fenton's senior season.
Being coachable is one thing which sticks out for Hinson and he's interested to see how that carries over into the next level as well.
“In high school, you have that mentality of 'is the next coach going to change me?',” Hinson explained. “'Am I going to listen? Am I going to be coachable?'
“Which, he is – he is going to be coachable. But, when you've done something for so long, are you going to be able to make that change? Or are you going do understand why you're making the change? It can be right or wrong but he needs to realize he's not in high school.”
Hinson stressed Fenton has always been coachable but, with the changes at the plate, he listened even better than in the past.
“He understood what we told him and paid attention to the game,” Hinson said. “There's so many layers.
“You're always looking back and pulling back the layers, thinking 'man, if I would've done that then'. Still, that's why he's blessed to go move on to the next level. He's helped us in tremendous ways. We'll always be here rooting them on.”
Hinson added Fenton will be one of players fans talk about over the next few years.
“If Kole takes care of his business, I think he can move on,” Hinson added.