Brothers Levi, Blake and Noah Ashmore scramble around an empty baseball field thats still lit up at night for a crowd thats already made its way out after a sweep by the Iola Indians that signals, perhaps, good things to come.
Each brother is doing his part to clean up the Allen Community College field along with the Indians two other coaches and one or two other players that havent yet split.
Levi rides the tractor to drag the infield while Blake and Noah grab bases to take back to the dugout. Its an arrangement theyve become familiar with for most of their lives. The Ashmore brothers have been bonded by blood and, maybe more importantly, by baseball.
Like it does for almost everyone, it all started in the backyard.
Levi, the oldest brother, is 23 with Blake, 17 and Noah,16. According to his brothers, Levi ruled the roost and was ruthless even in times of play. Just because they were younger didnt mean they got a free pass. Quite the opposite, in fact. If they wanted a win, they had to earn it.
Sometimes I got mad at him for not letting his little brothers win, their mom, Sharon Buckle, said. But it didnt matter. Levi would always say that he did that because he wanted to see them get better. He wanted them to earn the win. He wanted to see them fight for it.
At the end of the 2017 baseball season, Levi Ashmore hung up his spikes after two years at Emporia State, two years at Neosho County and a four-year high school career at Iola.
With a baby at home and another on the way, Ashmore was ready to settle down and focus on family. He moved back home to Iola and became immersed in his brothers high school sports exploits.
He was at basketball games where Blake started some and was a constant contributor, and was a consistent presence at Iola baseball games on their way to the schools first state title back in May.
Ashmore led the Mustangs to a berth in the state championship and a 20-1 record back in 2013. He sat at home glued to his radio until Iola recorded the final out.
Recently he was approached by former Legion coach Rick Vink and asked if he wanted to take over the same Post 15 Indians that he had played for several years ago.
I jumped at the chance, Ashmore said. I told Rick that as long as I could come in and just worry about baseball and not have to deal with scheduling umpires or anything like that, Im sold.
Since then, Iolas put up a solid 12-2 record and looks better every time they step onto the baseball field. Through that stretch, Blake has been a key contributor and Noah has been able to step in and help when needed.
Sometimes theres a lot of pressure, Blake said. But other times he hangs back and lets me do what I have to do and its all right.
Just like in the backyard of yore, Levi is there to push and pull and try to get his brothers to play the best baseball they can.
Hes always been on me, Blake said. Now he hasnt been too hard on me but he knows what he wants out of me and he knows what I can give him. He knows his stuff.
