Three Arkansas baseball signees look to lead Fayetteville to Class 6A state title

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – Three future University of Arkansas baseball signees will try to win a Class 6A state title for Fayetteville this weekend.

Mark Brissey, Landon Schaefer and Jaison Delamar will lead the Purple Bulldogs (27-6) against conference foe Rogers (26-4) at UCA’s Bear Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m.


Rogers won the 6A West regular season title and beat Springdale Har-Ber 11-1 in one semifinal while second-seeded Fayetteville downed Conway 11-0 in the other.

“It is always nice to be practicing when other teams aren’t practicing,” Fayetteville head coach Scott Gallagher said. “We have battled injuries most of the year and our kids have done the next man step up deal quite a bit for us.

“We’ve had some ups and downs, but we are really playing well at the right time. We have got our injured guys back.

“They have worked really hard. They are the hardest working group that I have been around in my 20 years here. I’m happy for them that all that hard work has paid off.”


The two teams split a pair of close games during the season as has been the norm the all-time series between the programs.

“They are really a good club,” Gallagher said. “(Rogers head) Coach (Matt) Melson does a great job with them every year. The key is they are always fundamentally sound. That’s usually what decides games.

“…We have had some really close battles and I would expect nothing different this time.”

Brissey, a transfer from Batesville, will be Fayetteville’s starting pitcher in the championship game.

He is coming off an outing in which he fanned nine Conway batters in a 5-inning run rule contest after the Wampus Cats entered the game 25-1.

Brissey also had four RBIs in the victory.

“We are going to give Brissey the ball to start out with on Saturday evening,” Gallagher said. “We have got some really good ones, but Mark has really been awesome and really just had one bad outing.

“He is just a great kid first off, a good person and he has been great for our program. He’s been a really good teammate, a really good locker room guy and on the field he has been really, really good.

“He has been able to throw multiple pitches for strikes, just competes out there and gives us a chance to win every time. That’s all you can ask of him.

“The main thing we have tried to talk to him about is just try being who you are. Don’t try to be anybody different.”

Schaefer is the son of former Arkansas and current Missouri women’s basketball assistant Todd Schaefer.

“Landon has been banged up some, had kind of a recurring injury,” Gallagher said of his center fielder. “So I know he wanted to have a better, healthier season numbers-wise, but he is our team leader and the one that everybody looks to.

“He is the hardest-working person I have ever been around. I have had some good ones that have worked really hard, but he outworks everybody and sets the tone for the work ethic for our team.

“He is the ultimate competitor and I trust him in any situation. He hates to lose.”

Delamar was a star wide receiver on the Fayetteville football and has had a banner baseball season as well.

“Jason has had a great season,” Gallagher said. “I think he is hitting almost .450, has over 40 hits on the seasoning 30 games, which is really good in high school baseball.

“He has 12 doubles and two home runs out of those 40 hits and some are infield ones because he runs really well. He’s also pitched really well for us, starting some games and coming in relief as well.

“He has done just a great job in the field, on the mound and at the plate and is just an all-around great player and has kind of really blossomed this year and been the catalyst for our offense for sure.”

Those three seniors had up an experienced team.

The Bulldogs have benefited form the transfer of sophomore this baseman Tanner Davison, the younger brother of Arkansas softball star Katie Davison.

“He’s been a really big part of our season, especially the second half after the first half being more of an off the bench guy,” Gallagher said. “He has started the last 12 to 15 games and really settled our defense down.”

Photo by John D. James