For Clarkrange sophomore Mason McWhirter, baseball has been part of life for as long as he can remember.
McWhirter said he first picked up the sport at just two years old, though it was a few years later before his love for the game really took hold.
McWhirter said he began to enjoy the sport at age seven. Since then, the Clarkrange Buffaloes infielder and pitcher has grown into one of the team’s key young players, entering his sophomore season after starting for much of his freshman year.
McWhirter said he credits much of his development to his father, who also serves as a coach for the program. McWhirter said his father’s guidance has helped him understand one of baseball’s most important lessons: Learning how to deal with failure.
“He always told me it’s a game of failure and never let it get to your head,” McWhirter said. “It’s a big mental part [of the game.]”
Despite the early nerves that came with stepping onto the field as a freshman, McWhirter said he quickly settled into the speed of the high school game.
“It was pretty nerve wracking [entering my first game,]” McWhirter said. “It’s a lot of action.”
McWhirter now plays two major roles for Clarkrange, serving as both a shortstop and a pitcher. McWhirter said his path to those positions came naturally as he grew in the sport.
“I feel like when I was little, I was more athletic and fielding my position than everybody else,” McWhirter said. “As I got older, I threw harder, and pitching has kind of been [the way to go.]”
McWhirter first began pitching around the age of eight. McWhirter said the early experiences on the mound helped shape his development. After struggling in a few early outings, McWhirter said he leaned on advice from his coaches, some of whom had experience playing in Major League Baseball, to improve his approach.
The hard work has started to show results. During his freshman season, McWhirter emerged as one of Clarkrange’s most productive players, hitting .433 with a .528 on-base percentage while also contributing on the mound.
With three more seasons ahead of him, McWhirter said he has set his sights on an ambitious goal, becoming the first Clarkrange player to win Tennessee’s prestigious Mr. Baseball award.