Newspaper Page Text
Page 2C
February 21, 2018
2018 SPRING SPORTS 'feVt^W
MARY PERSONS 2018 VARSITY BASEBALL TEAM: Pictured from left to right on the front row: Brian Buchanan, J.D. Richards, TJ. Sauls, Christian Knight, Jake Newton, Austin Mock, Aaron
Mock and Hunter Powell. Pictured from left to right on the back row: head coach Clae Mathis, Ladondre Buckner, Camden Claxton, Garrett James, Cameron Agnew, Conner Watson, Alex Kite,
Trippe Moore, assistant coach Josh Ward and assistant coach Landon Sparks. Not pictured: Wyatt Currie, Donovan Hogan and Xavier Soule. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
Diamond Dogs seek return to top of region heap
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
With a senior-laden team in
2018, the Mary Persons base
ball squad will pursue its goal
of winning the program’s first
region title in seven years.
MP second-year head coach
Clae Mathis said with 14
returners from a 2017 team
that won 19 games in Mathis’
initial season he has high hopes
for his 2018 group.
“The biggest thing I think
that will always be my goal is
to win a region championship,”
Mathis said. “And do I think
it’s possible, yes 100 percent.
I think we’ve got the guys to
do it. Now again, it’s a really
tough region because every
body’s so even with each other
that it’s a coin flip to see who is
going to do that. But I do feel
strongly about the possibility of
that, and that’s definitely the
goal. And not only that, you
definitely want to get past that
first- round. They’ve gotta learn
how to get- past- that- to move
forward.”
Among the returners are nine
seniors with extensive play
ing experience in utility man
Cameron Agnew, outfielder
Brian Buchanan, second base-
man J.D. Richards, catcher
Jake Newton, pitcher T.J.
Sauls, first- baseman Austin
Mock, third baseman Christian
Knight, outfielder Tre Slaton
and outfielder Ladondre
Buckner. Mathis said being
swept- at- Woodward Academy in
the first- round of the state play
offs in 2017 has only provided
more motivation for his core
group this season.
“It- left a really bad taste in
everybody’s mouth when we got-
beat- like that,” Mathis said. “We
were going up to Woodward
thinking we were going to upset-
them, and it- didn’t- go our way.
One of their guys had a big
series against- us, and it- kind of
made a lot- of young guys real
ize that- the work that- we put-
in last- year, that’s what- it’s got
ta be every year. And it’s got- to
be more and more if we want- to
keep doing more than to just- be
a first-round team. That’s not-
the goal ever. It- was nice to get-
back. But- one-and-done is not-
the kind of success we want- We
don’t- want- that- to be the norm
around here. We want- to try to
make some deep runs.”
Mathis said his 2018 squad,
which is more diminutive but-
faster than a year ago, should
be better equipped to play his
preferred brand of baseball,
which emphasizes taking extra
bases.
“Last- year sometimes some
guys looked like they were kind
of lost- on some of the things
we tried to do,” Mathis said.
“And this year they’ve had a
year of doing it, and now we’ve
got- more speed this year. We
graduated some big boys, and
we don’t- have a ton of big boys
replacing them. But- for that-
aggressive style of play that- we
work on here, we think we’ve
got- the right- guys this year.”
Mathis said his team has
enough depth that- the starting
lineup could have a number of
changes from game to game,
especially depending upon
who is pitching. MP will have
to replace its top two starting
pitchers from 2017 in Austin
Benson and Wes Freeman, and
Mathis will turn to a sopho
more, Trippe Moore, to lead
the rotation. Pitching mainly in
relief in 2017, Moore compiled
a 3-3 record with an impressing
1.59 ERA, including 31 strike
outs and 4 saves.
“He (Moore) definitely filled
that- relief role nicely last- year,
and the biggest- thing that-
kept- him from being one of our
(No.) 1 or 2 starting guys is he
couldn’t make it past that four
or five-inning mark. And he’s
got- that- heavy fastball, and
sometimes it- runs out- on him.
But-1 think this year he’s going
to be able to carry that- load for
us for sure.”
Joining Moore in the start
ing rotation will be junior Alex
Kite, who will likely be the
team’s starting catcher when
he’s not- on the mound, junior
Austin Mock, who will start at
shortstop when he’s not- pitch
ing, and Sauls. Having a deep
pitching staff will be especially
important- in 2018 with Region
2-AAAA going to a format- that-
will require teams to play three-
game region series over a short-
span of five days. Mathis said
he’d like to have as many as
nine arms available and other
guys who will see time on the
mound include: sophomore
Conner Watson and a pair of
varsity newcomers, junior left
handers, Garrett James and
Hunter Powell, who pitched on
JV in 2017.
Mathis said with all the dif
ferent- arms, it- helps to have
depth at- the catcher position
as well. Kite, who perhaps has
the strongest- throwing arm of
the bunch, will start- with the
veterans Newton, who will also
serve as the designated hit
ter, and Knight- ready to fill in
as needed. Mathis said Kite is
among his most-improved hit
ters and will likely hit- in the
cleanup spot- after ending 2017
with a clutch homer in the play
off series at- Woodward.
Mathis said of Kite: “We’ve
worked on that swing, and he’s
very confident- right- now. I look
for him to do some big things.”
Starting along the infield will
be Knight- at- third base, Austin
Mock at- shortstop, Richards
at- second and Aaron Mock at-
first- base. Knight-, who served
primarily as a designated hit
ter in 2017, batted .292 with 15
RBIs. Austin Mock, who batted
.341 with 1 homer and 10 RBIs
in 2017, will take over for last-
year’s team MVP, the gradu
ated Tyler Skelton, at- shortstop
and in the No. 3 hole in the
lineup.
Mathis said of Austin Mock:
“I had some guys tell me that-
defensively he can do the same
things that- Tyler’s been doing
the last- several years. And I’m a
firm believer in that-1 have 100
percent- confidence that- we’re
not- going to miss a beat- there.
Obviously, the experience is
one of those things. Tyler was a
big-time gamer. He was a guy
you always wanted hitting in
the clutch. But I think Austin
defensively is going to do every
thing Tyler did.”
Richards, a two-year starter
at- second base, will likely hit
toward the top of the lineup
after a junior season in which
he batted .318 with 10 RBIs
and 8 doubles. Aaron Mock,
who Mathis said saved his
squad with his defense at- times
in 2017, will bat- sixth after hit
ting .407 with 13 RBIs last- year
in order to
see more fast-
balls deeper
in the lineup.
Providing
depth along
the infield
is the versa
tile Agnew,
who started
at- short-stop
in 2016 as a
sophomore.
Mathis said,
“Cam is one of
those guys that-
literally when
we’re taking
infield and out
field, he goes to
about- five dif
ferent- spots.”
Along the
outfield, Moore will slide over
from left-field to centerfield as
a sophomore, replacing Dylan
Smith, who was a standout-
both at- the plate and in the
field a year ago. Moore, who
hit- .370 with 12 RBIs and 16
runs scored as a freshman, will
also move up from the bottom
of the lineup to Smith’s former
leadoff spot- Buckner, who was
a reserve as a junior, is expect
ed to start- in left-field while
Watson, who was also a backup
last- year, will take over for
the graduated Colton Perkins
in right-field. Junior Camden
Claxton, Sauls, Buchanan and
Slaton, who missed pre-season
practices due to basketball, are
expected to provide depth in the
outfield.
Other varsity newcomers
include: senior pinch running
specialist Donovan Hogan and
sophomore JV call-ups Wyatt
Currie and Xavier Soule.
All in all, Mathis said he’s
excited about- the potential of
his 2018 squad.
“People are going to think
we’re probably not- as talented
and that- may be from an on
looker looking in,” Mathis said.
“But I think we can win just as
many games, if not- more, and
hopefully do some better things
when it- comes to finishing that-
region. Focus was a big thing
last- year. We should have not-
been a 4 seed. We beat- teams
early that- nobody else was beat
ing. And we wound up pulling
it- together for one more series
to sneak in by beating Spalding,
who nobody else beat- all year.
So the talent- is here. They
know how to win, but it’s just
the folks have got- to stay on it.
They’re not- used to competitive
ball in May. They’re not- used
to having to go that- extra little
bit.”
Among MP’s top competi
tion in Region 2-AAAA in 2018
will be perennial powers, West-
Laurens and Perry, who have
several key returners. However,
Mathis said last- season’s tight
region standings proved that-
any of the six teams have a
chance to take the crown.
“I think we probably lost- the
most- defensively and pitching,”
Mathis said. “But- you saw the
scores last year. Everything was
one-run, two-run games. From
the top to the bottom, there’s
not- a lot- of difference. Upson-
Lee swept- us and didn’t- make
the playoffs. That’s crazy to
think about.”
Assisting Mathis in 2018 will
be Josh Ward, who comes to MP
after coaching middle school in
Houston County a year ago, and
Billy Stephens, who coached
the c-t-eam squad last- year. Also
helping out- is local Fellowship
of Christian Athletes coordina
tor Landon Sparks while for
mer varsity assistant Michael
Smallwood will move down to
coach the c-t-eam, which will
be divided into two separate
squads this year because of
increased numbers.
Mathis said of the middle
school squads: “There were so
many guys that- were on that-
medium ground that- you don’t-
wanna see them quit- practic
ing, you don’t- wanna see them
quit- playing. Middle School I
think plays about-12 or 13 and
then they’re (D-Team) gonna
play seven, so we’ve got- a lot- of
baseball going to be played. All
of the middle school games are
gonna move over to this field
this year, so this field there’s
gonna be a lot- going on.”
2018 MP JV Baseball Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME
Feb. 28
Schley County
Home
4 p.m.
Feb. 28
Schley County
Home
5:30 p.m.
Mar. 6
Jones County
Away
4:30 p.m.
Mar. 6
Jones County
Away
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 8
Veterans
Home
4:15 p.m.
Mar. 8
Veterans
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 14
Crawford County
Home
4:30 p.m.
Mar. 15
Veterans
Away
4:15 p.m.
Mar. 15
Veterans
Away
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 21
Howard
Home
4 p.m.
Mar. 29
Crawford County
Away
5 p.m.
Apr. 9
Perry
Home
4 p.m.
Apr. 11
Perry
Away
4 p.m.
2018 MP Varsity Baseball Schedule
DATE
OPPONENT
LOCATION
TIME
Feb. 21
Eagles Landing
Away
5:55 p.m.
Feb. 24
Northside (WR)
Away
12:00 p.m.
Feb. 24
Northside (WR)
Away
2:00 p.m.
Feb. 27
Jackson
Away
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 1
Peach County
Away
5:30 p.m.
Mar. 5
Central (Macon)
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 7
Morgan County
Away
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 10
Jordan
Away
12:00 p.m.
Mar. 10
Jordan
Away
2:00 p.m.
Mar. 12
Central (Macon)
Away
4:30 p.m.
Mar. 13
Eagles Landing
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 16
Jackson
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 19
Howard*
Away
5:00 p.m.
Mar. 21
Howard*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 23
Howard*
Away
5:00 p.m.
Mar. 26
Spalding*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 28
Spalding*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Mar. 30
Spalding*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 2
West Laurens*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 4
West Laurens*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 6
West Laurens*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 9
Perry*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 11
Perry*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 13
Perry*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 16
Upson-Lee*
Home
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 18
Upson-Lee*
Away
5:55 p.m.
Apr. 20
Upson-Lee*
Home
5:55 p.m.
April 26-27
(1st Round State)
TBD
TBD
May 3-4
(2nd Round State)
TBD
TBD
May 9-10
(Quarterfinals State) TBD
TBD
May 15-16
(Semifinals State)
TBD
TBD
May 21-23
(Finals State)
TBD
TBD
* Region 2-AAAA Games