The 2025 season was a year of growth and learning for the Henderson County Colonels baseball team.
Though the final record stood at 11-16, the Colonels ended the year with a district championship trophy, two regional tournament games under their belt and a young core to build with.
Despite a losing away record, the home crowd saw some of the team’s best performances as the Colonels went 4-3 at B.T. Wayne Field.
A packed audience witnessed a signature 7-6 victory over Lyon County, eventual region champs, in the middle of the season.
“In the couple home games we had, we had a pretty packed-out crowd,” senior Maxton Meadows said. “We loved the energy from them, and it really did help us.”
“The Lyon County game in the regular season was a big one,” junior Hunter Evans said. “After that game it made us think, ‘Yeah, we’re pretty good,’ and we started playing with belief then.”
That belief carried the Colonels into a small postseason run, an undefeated 5-0 district record, and a region tournament upset win over Christian County.
“I think our young guys got a taste of what it’s like to be in the postseason,” said senior Cooper Vowels, who has committed to play at Brescia University. “We pushed each other even when we didn’t want to be pushed.”
Vowels, along with fellow seniors like Meadows and Corben Throgmorton, brought production from the bats.
Meadows, an All-District pick, led the team in batting average with a .305 mark. He credited his success to an approach developed with assistant coach Preston Herndon.
“Coach Herndon told me to put the ball in play at least and use my speed,” Meadows said. “So, I put in the coach’s hands my batting average.”
Throgmorton made his impact known at the plate, finishing third on the team in average at .262, but also on defense.
“Throgmorton played hard in the games and made some phenomenal plays in the outfield,” said head coach J.D. Arndt.
Senior catcher Gavin Herndon hit .258 average while anchoring the backstop.
Much of the team’s identity can be traced to first-year head coach Arndt, whose years of experience across multiple levels brought a steady hand and new perspective. His leadership quickly left a mark.
“You’re not gonna find any other coach that knows any more ball than he does,” Evans said. “He is second to none.”
“When you bring in a coach like JD, who is so intelligent throughout baseball and has coached at every level, guys are going to listen and get better,” Vowels added.
Arndt guided the team through its postseason push and believes this year was a stepping stone.
“We got experience playing two regional games and got a district championship back to Henderson,” he said. “That’s how I look at it.”
Now, as the Colonels look to 2026, they do so with optimism and a growing sense of identity. Several underclassmen stepped into major roles this season and are poised to lead the charge next spring.
On the mound, All-District sophomore Maddox Golday led the team with a 2.06 ERA, followed by another All-District pick in sophomore Cole Thompson at 2.42. Freshman Colby Sutton was not far behind at 2.53.
Despite losing a couple of senior pitchers in Evan Henshaw and Cameron Scherretz, the underclassmen trio will return as one of the stronger returning pitching staffs in the second region.
In the batter’s box, Evans returns after a standout season where he hit .301. The All-District member also tied for the team lead in home runs with three. Sophomore Brody Belt also hit three home runs.
Belt, Will Schwartz, and Wyatt Holland headline a strong sophomore class on the offensive side.
Freshman Tucker Siewert, who became the first freshman in years to homer for the Colonels and finished with two on the year, is expected to play a big role moving forward as well.
Evans, reflecting on the team’s early playoff exit, sees it as fuel. “I hope it lit a fire in us and makes us play harder next year,” he said.
That flame continues not just in the players but especially in the mind of the head coach, who remains focused on the bigger picture.
“We’re just trying to get the program back to where we’re competing for regional championships with the possibility of going to state,” Arndt said. “But whatever team you’re coaching at any level, you’re blessed to be leading people the right way both on and off the field.”
With seasoned pitching, maturing hitters and a coaching staff fully invested in the program’s vision, Henderson County enters 2026 as a team capable of making a run.
“I think next year or the year after, we’ll compete for some region championships,” Arndt said.