Page 10 - Friday, March 10, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
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JCTimes 3-10-23.indd 10
3/9/2023 10:00:29 AM
Right
The new base size is
shown. The bottom
base is the new,
larger base; the base
on top is the one used
in the previous
seasons, (photo by
Getty Images)
Left
Senior Baker Jenkins
leads off at first
last week on one
of the War Eagles
three games. For
the week, Baker had
3 hits, 2 RBIs, and
a double. The War
Eagles have a total
of three games this
week. They play on
the road at Bulloch
Academy Tuesday
and at home Friday
against Bryan Coun
ty. (photo by Anna
Kate Hearn)
Left
Bryer Clayton,
a sixth grade at
Jenkins County
Middle School is
shown playing left
field for the
War Eagles. Clay
ton also plays travel
baseball for the
Aces out of Waynes
boro. This weekend,
at a tournament,
he hit a ball out of
the park for his first
home run of the new
season, (photo by
Heather James)
Above
The War Eagles defeated Treutlen 11-2 last week on the road. Gauge
Oglesby, pictured, had seven hits over the three games for the War
Eagles. This included three doubles and four RBIs.
The War Eagles will play at home Friday in a double header against
Bryan County playing at 4 30 and 6 30. (photo by Cara Oglesby)
Countdown to the New
Season (Part 2)
As it was mentioned in last week’s Countdown to the
New Season,” there are new rules that are taking shape
around Major League Baseball. The game is speeding up
with the addition of the pitch clock. Hopefully, more fans
will start watching the games many of us already loved.
The 2022 World Series had the lowest number of view
ers in its history. It is possible that this will draw in more
viewers and fans.
The new base sizes are the second mle change that will
shape the season ahead. According to the MLB rules.
The bases are now 18 inches square (previously 15 inch
es). That decreases the distance between first, second, and
third base by 4.5 inches. (Home plate - which stays the
same size - to first base is 3 inches shorter.)
While the 3 square inches may not seem like much, it will
be enough to hopefully see more exciting steals. Of course,
baseball is a numbers game. Those numbers will tell the
story. Based on a report from CBS Sports, “From 1976-97,
every single season averaged at least 0.7 stolen bases per
team per game. The high was 0.85 in 1987. The league
average hasn't topped 0.57 since 2012's 0.66.
From 2019-21, it was below 0.5, bottoming out at 0.46 in
2021. Last year it rose to 0.51.”Are the new base sizes
working? Through one week of spring training, successful
steal rates are rising.
Major League Baseball also has hopes that the larger
bases will provide more safety. There have been many
close calls or injuries over the years and there could be a
correlation between base sizes and injury. Just as with all
the other rule changes, time will tell the difference they
make.
The new season is inching closer every week. Next week,
in preparation for the new MLB season, the final rule
change, “The Shift,” will be explained.
Left
Gatlin Oglesby is
pictured with one
of his biggest fans,
his dad Jason, at a
recent baseball tour
nament in Charles
ton, SC. Gatlin plays
travel baseball for
Five Star Baseball.
He batted a .500
for the tournament
and hit two doubles
along the way! Great
job Gatlin! (photo
by Cara
Oglesby)
The Jenkins County War Eagles Varsity team took their
record to 6-4 on the season by winning two and only drop
ping one as they faced Treutlen, Bryan County, and Towns
County. The wins pushed the War Eagles into the top 15 in
the early season.
The first game of the week for the War Eagles was on the
road to Treutlen County. This game was all War Eagles
as they would take the win 11-2. It would take Treutlen
5 innings before they were even able to get a mn on the
board. At that point, the War Eagles had already scored
6 runs. The War Eagles would then add another run in the
sixth and four more in the seventh for the win. Gavin Un
derwood struck out 13 batters in six innings, walking only
three, and giving up two runs on his way to the win on the
mound. Gauge Oglesby led the way batting with 4 hits.
On Saturday, the War Eagles traveled to Bryan County on
Saturday for a doubleheader. The first game would match
them up with Bryan County. In this game, the War Eagles
would lose 12-1.
Even though the War Eagles took the early 1-0 lead in
the top of the third when Tyler Williams scored off of an
Oglesby double into the outfield, they would not be able to
score again the remainder of the game. In the 5 th , Bryan
County added 8 runs and ended the game early based
on the “run rule.”
The last game on Saturday for the War Eagles was an
unfamiliar opponent in Towns County from Hiawassee,
GA. As the second batter of the night, Jackson Lanier
would get on base with a double, and would then score on
a single hit by Oglesby giving the War Eagles the early 1-0
lead. Towns County would then take the lead in the top
of the second. In the bottom of the third, down 3-1, it was
again the combination of Lanier and Oglesby that would
allow the War Eagles to inch closer with a score of 3-2.
Then James Allen hit a triple scoring Oglesby and tying
the game up. Allen would then score on a single hit to right
field by Lane Waters.
The scoring would become silent until the bottom of the
5th and the War Eagles got back into the swing of things.
Lane Waters would single on a fly ball to center field. His
hit would score Gavin Underwood and James Allen, giving
the War Eagles a 6-3 lead. Towns County would add 1
more run in the sixth, but it would not be enough. Jackson
Lanier pitched all 7 innings for the War Eagles. Amazingly
almost 80% of Lanier’s pitches were thrown for strikes,
even more, amazing is that 21 of the 30 batters he faced
saw a first-pitch strike. He would throw 91 pitches and get
6 strikeouts.
The War Eagles will be at home Friday against Bryan
County for a doubleheader. The first game begins at 4:30.
The second game will start at approximately 6:30. They
will travel to Bulloch Academy on Wednesday.
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Under the Bleachers
I begin with a disclosure this week about, “Under the
Bleachers.” Just a reminder this short article will mix sports
happenings, fun sports facts, statistics, news from sports
(trades, etc.), and most every time a lesson learned in sports
that cause us to focus on Christ and our relationship with
Him.
Another busy week of sports has come and gone. For sports
enthusiasts like me, it is truly the best time of the year. I
am not a huge fan of football, but baseball and basketball
are my two favorite sports. This week begins conference
tournaments for both men's and women’s college
basketball. The following week, the National Tournament
will begin, a time known as March Madness (next week we
will preview the tournament). At the same time, baseball
spring training and the World Baseball Classic will be
taking place this week. Baseball and basketball, what more
could one ask for?
The Jenkins County tennis team continues their run through
a busy season. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams continue to
play competitively. Last week they played two incredibly
tough opponents at Statesboro High and then less than two
days later to Dublin High. This week they
will have their first two regional matchups facing ECI and
Savannah Classical. Believe it or not, there are only two
teams in their region to compete with. The match against
Savannah Classical is on Tuesday and is played at Jenkins
County High School. Come out and cheer on your War
Eagle Tennis team.
Speaking of tennis, I can recall my days of playing. I
learned a lot of lessons while on the court and it had little to
do with hitting a little yellow ball. One of those hard lessons
that I learned from tennis was dealing with frustration and
anger. Unfortunately, more than one racquet met its death
on the losing end of my frustration. It would hit the ground,
and I learned they are not made to take a beating on the
ground.
All sports can be very frustrating, yet so is life. Life is
always throwing us a curveball. How do you respond when
life comes at your head like a 100 MPH fastball and nearly
takes you out? One way in which we respond to moments
like this is often in anger. We remember not all anger
is sin, Ephesians 4:26 says, ‘“In your anger do not sin’: Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Anger is
not always a sin, yet it is how we respond to anger. Does
your anger reflect the righteousness of Christ? Or, in your
anger are you ashamed of your actions?
Transitioning now to random facts, “Did you know that
in every Major League Baseball season, the league will
use between 200,000 and 300,000 baseballs during regular
season play?” This number does not include practice balls
or spring training, this is during the 162-game season
teams play. This averages to be about 84-120 balls per game
per team. Each ball cost $7, which means MLB teams spend
upwards of 2.1 million dollars just on baseballs.
Many ask, “How do they go through so many baseballs
in one game?” Once you account for foul balls, home runs,
and balls thrown into the stands by players, what happens
to the remaining balls? I know you have seen like I have a
pitcher throw a ball once or twice and they throw the
ball to the ball boy beside the dugout. Most often those balls
thrown to the ball boy, at least at Truist Park in Atlanta, are
labeled and sent to a store within the stadium. At the store, a
fan can purchase the ball. On the ball is a small sticker that
will direct you to a website that will tell you
every player that threw or hit the ball. It is an expensive, but
neat souvenir, and just maybe it helps recoup the cost of that
many baseballs.
As in real life, if you sit “under the bleachers” long
enough you will hear a lot of useless facts (like the cost
of baseballs) and you will leam some interesting facts like
who’s on first, who lost the game, and who got traded in
for someone different. You just never know what you might
hear “under the bleachers,” but as a reminder, you never
know who might be listening and watching you!
Right
Gavin Underwood, a
senior for Jenkins County
War Eagles, calls out that
the ball is, “mine ” as he
waits for a fly ball during
a game over the weekend.
Underwood was on the
mound for the War Eagles
during the 11-2 win over
Treutlen. He had struck
out 13 of the 27 batters
he faced!
The War Eagles went 2-1
last week defeating Treut
len and Towns County
and dropping one game to
Bryan County, (photo by
Anna Kate Hearn)
Right
James Allen, whom
you are used to seeing
on the basketball
court, has transi
tioned to baseball
season and is seen
playing the infield this
past week for the War
Eagles. Allen, during
the game against
Towns County, hit
a Triple, he scored
twice and had two
RBIs. (photo by Anna
Kate Hearn)
WA
P
By Brad Asbury, Sports Editor
for
Tin: Times
pastorbradasbury@gmail.com
Gt£
Varsity War
Eagles Win 2
