To prepare for its crucial 5A East schedule, the 2025 Marion Patriots built one of the more difficult non-conference schedules in recent memory. The Patriots are off to a 5-4 overall start to 2025, including a 1-1 mark in the 5A East after splitting their league-opening doubleheader with Searcy. MHS opened its spring break two weeks ago with a wild 15-13 victory at Class 4A Southside Batesville, the day before beating Searcy 5-1 in the first conference game and losing 7-3 in the nightcap. Over the weekend, Marion traveled to Little Rock, where it split a pair of non-conference tilts, beating Farmington 7-1 and losing to Van Buren 9-7. Marion hosts Brookland on Monday, March 31, before traveling on Tuesday, April ,1 to continue 5A East play at Valley View. Marion topped Southside on March 17 by scoring once in the first inning, five times in the third and fourth frames, and twice apiece in the fifth and sixth innings. The Patriot attack muscled out 13 hits at Southside, led by senior Carson Catt's 3-5 day at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Max Molloy (2-4 with three runs and two RBI), Cohen Bumbaugh (2-5 with four RBI and two runs), and Ladd Langley (2-3 with two runs and two RBI) finished with multiple hits in Independence County, while Myles Holt (1-4 with two runs and an RBI), Tucker Smith and Coleman Barnett (1-2 with a run and an RBI) also had hits. Two of Bumbaugh's hits at Southside were home runs, while Molloy hit one of his own, and Holt, Catt, and Langley each hit doubles. Seven Patriot pitchers worked at Southside as Catt, Jude Jackson, Ben Bateman, Langley, Robert Hall, Hudson McKewen, and Molloy combined to cover seven innings, striking out nine batters with just five hits. Marion was back at it the following night when it hosted Searcy in the conference doubleheader, and the Patriots struck for two runs in the first inning, one run in the third, and two more times in the sixth to pull away for a 5-1 victory. Bumbaugh stifled Searcy by firing seven no-hit innings, striking out 14 Lions and allowing a single unearned run. It was Bumbaugh's sixth no-hitter in his last eight conference starts after earning all-state honors a season ago. Molloy was 2-2 in the opener against Searcy with two runs scored and a pair of walks, while Bumbaugh helped his own cause by going 2-4 with two RBI. Catt walked and scored, while Holt walked, scored, and drove in a run, and McKewen and Hall drove in runs and Brody Byrd was 1-3 with a run scored. Catt, Bateman, Molloy, and Langley limited the Lions to just three hits in the nightcap, but Searcy made the most of its chances by scoring three unearned runs and accepting nine walks to scratch out enough offense in a 7-3 Searcy win. Molloy muscled out two hits with an RBI and a run in the second Searcy contest, while Bumbaugh had a hit and scored a run, and Catt finished with a hit and an RBI. Byrd and Barnett also had base hits in the second contest. Catt and Molloy finished with doubles in the second contest. MHS took a couple of days off over the break before traveling to Little Rock for the annual Joe T. Robinson Invitational, and in the Pats' first contest in the capital city, Marion scored four times in the second and three times in the fifth to pull away for an easy 7-1 victory over the Farmington Cardinals. Bumbaugh threw three no-hit innings at Farmington, finishing with six strikeouts and just one walk. Bateman covered the last two frames, allowing just two hits. Marion outhit Farmington 12-2 as Bateman and Byrd each clubbed three hits, and Molloy, McKewen, and Barnett finished with two hits apiece. Byrd and Barnett had two doubles apiece, while McKewen and Molloy also doubled. Marion led Van Buren most of the day in the second contest at Little Rock, scoring seven runs over the game's first three innings, but the Pointers erupted for three runs in the top of the sixth to steal a 9-7 victory. Bumbaugh (2-2 with a run, an RBI, and a walk), Langley (2-4 with a run and an RBI), and Holt (2-3 with a run scored) led the team for Marion with multiple hits. Molloy (1-3 with an RBI, a run, and a walk), Catt (1-3 with an RBI and a walk), Byrd (1-3), Barnett (1-2 with two RBI, a run and a walk), and McKewen (1-3 with a run and an RBI) also had big days. McKewen, Bumbaugh, Barnett, and Byrd each hit doubles against Van Buren, while Molloy poled a home run. Barnett fired 2.2 innings in relief against Van Buren, allowing four hits and just one run. WHAT'S NEXT? Marion hosts Brookland on Monday, March 31, for a non-conference game at First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas Stadium. First pitch of the varsity game is scheduled for 4:30, followed by a junior varsity game. The Patriots travel to Valley View on Tuesday, April 1, for a 5A East doubleheader that begins at 4:30 p.m. You can watch the Marion-Valley View baseball doubleheader for free on the MPAN YouTube channel, on MarionPatriots.com, or on the MPAN mobile app. 5A EAST STANDINGS ON 3/31 SCHOOL CONF. RECORD Valley View 2-0 Greene Co. Tech 2-0 Marion 1-1 Searcy 1-1 Paragould 1-1 Batesville 1-1 Nettleton 0-2 W. Memphis 0-2 The top four teams make the state tournament in Benton. 5A EAST DOUBLEHEADERS ON 4/1 Marion at Valley View Greene Co. Tech at Paragould Nettleton at Searcy Batesville at W. Memphis