Clay Street new Highland Skipper; Looks to Grow Young Program
Lewistown, MO — Highland High School will see Culver-Stockton Alumni Clay Street take over the skipper spot. As Coach Street looks to grow the young baseball program and put his system in place, he knows it’s gonna take time. “I think that the biggest thing for us is gonna be to grow. We have a lot of sophomores and juniors, we have two seniors, and maybe one or two freshmen. So I think the biggest thing for us is gonna be to grow and learn these things so that way by the time they become juniors and seniors, that we’re where we need to be.” Coach Street takes over after Athletic Director Ben Buening stepped up to coach the program in the 2025 season.
Clay Street, originally from Fenton, MO, came to Canton to play for Culver-Stockton College as a right-handed pitcher for the Wildcats. Street discussed his time competing in the Heart of America Athletic Conference and his time on ‘The Hill.’ “Yeah, I mean, the heart’s considered one of the top-hitting conferences in the NAIA, but I think that helps a lot. I had a very good pitching coach when I was there; he helped out a lot. So a lot of the things I tell my players are things he told me, and I think having that experience definitely helps me get these guys to understand what they need to do to win.” Coach Street also teaches 3rd grade at Highland Elementary along with his coaching duties.
Coach Street discusses his transition from playing to coaching. “It’s a change, that’s for sure. Being a player, going to a coach, it’s a big difference more than people think it is. But I enjoy it. I’ve played this game forever, as long as I can remember, so just being out here means a lot. I’m trying my best to get it to where it needs to be. So hopefully here in a few years we’ll be in a good spot, and we’ll be better than we were when I started.”
Along with Coach Street, Highland alumni Hunter Florea, Monroe City alumni, and Culver-Stockton Wildcat Maxwell Hayes will assist Coach Street this season, and Coach Street feels they will help the team grow. “Hunter knows a lot, Max knows a lot. We get along well, so it’s pretty easy to coach with them. But yeah, I hope, by the end of the year, we’ve seen some growth going into next year, and we’ll grow even more.
The Highland Cougars will get their season started Monday, March 23rd, taking on the Scotland County Tigers at home with a 5:00 PM first pitch. Coach Street discusses what’s got him excited for the start of the season. “Well, I was excited for the 80 degrees we were supposed to play in tomorrow, but no, I’m excited. I think we’ve got a few more things to work on, and we’ll be where we need to be. But I think it’ll be good for us to see where we’re at and where we need to be by the end of the year.”
