Baseball

NCAA Regionals Review Five teams from the Southeastern Conference advanced to the Super Regionals of the NCAA baseball tournament. Florida, the overall No. 1 seed for the tournament, rolled through its regional – including a 10-1 win over Georgia Tech in the final. The Gators face in-state rival Florida State in the best-of-three Super Regionals

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

As the old adage says, “all good things must come to an end.”

After 14 seasons as head coach of West End High School’s varsity baseball team, Southside native Chad Hall recently decided to step down.

Hall said the decision to resign was not a hard one to make. 

“My wife Jamie and I have talked a lot about it

Shannon Fagan/Cherokee County Herald

Brian Sexton recently accepted an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, Hokes Bluff.

After spending the past five years coaching at Gaylesville, Brian Sexton answered the call to return home.

Sexton was recently hired as the lineman coach at Hokes Bluff. He will also assist with the Eagle baseball team.

Sexton officially accepted his new duties back in mid-June

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It is no surprise that the most dominant baseball team in the area also dominated the annual All-Messenger squad.

Southside High School head coach Blake Bone was named Coach of the Year and pitcher/shortstop Andrew Fuhrman was named Player of the Year. The Panthers placed four other players on the list also.

Fuhrman was a major piece in

Four area players were named to the 2012 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State varsity baseball team over the weekend.

Southside High School’s Andrew Fuhrman made first team in Class 5A and Westbrook Christian’s John Mayfield was named first team in Class 2A.

Fuhrman led Southside to the Class 5A state finals in Montgomery, where the Panthers earned a state runner-up

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It seems like some guys just can’t get enough of baseball.

Last weekend I stopped by a friend’s house for a game of cards. There was a large group expected to be there, so I anticipated some pretty good games. When I arrived two tables were full and the stakes were high. My friend told me I

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Coosa Christian High School senior pitcher Hunter Wood signed a baseball scholarship to Miles College during a ceremony at the high school’s band room at noon on May 29.

The hard-throwing Wood joins former Coosa battery mate Justin Langdale, who signed with Miles College at the end of last season.

“It will be fun playing with Justin again,”

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

The varsity baseball program at Etowah High School is about to get a makeover, a very familiar makeover.

Etowah High School and the Attalla Board of Education announced on Thursday that Larry Foster will return as head coach of the Blue Devils’ varsity baseball team.

Foster served as head coach at Etowah from 1981 to 2004, and turned

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

After defeating Hartselle in the semifinals, Southside High School's varsity baseball team had plenty of momentum heading into its Class 5A state championship series against third-ranked Spanish Fort. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they did not have as much momentum as the Toros.

The Toros defeated the Panthers in two games, winning the opener at Patterson Field in

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Southside High School’s varsity baseball team became the center of attention in the media last week. Thousands of fans, three radio stations and numerous sports writers packed the venue of Danny League Field to watch the Panthers battle rival Hartselle in the Class 5A semifinals. The Panthers lived up to the

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It took Southside only two games to handily defeat sixth-ranked Hartselle last week in the Class 5A state semifinals in front of a record crowd at Danny League Field in Southside. The Tigers eliminated the Panthers from the playoffs two years ago in the semifinals.

The Panthers enjoyed splendid outings from pitchers Alex Pondick and Andrew Fuhrman

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent

“Hoka Hey” is a slogan that the Gaston Bulldogs baseball team has on the back of their jerseys. The meaning of this Native American term is to “live life in such as way that one has done all that one should upon one’s last day, so it is indeed a good day to die!” This battle cry,…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

The clash of Class 2A varsity baseball giants at William P. Stewart Field in Rainbow City between fourth-ranked Westbrook Christian High School and top-ranked Mars Hill Bible School ended rather quickly on May 4.

Mars Hill made the most of their trek from the Florence metro, ousting the Warriors in 12 innings in the much-anticipated quarterfinals doubleheader. The…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It will be a clash of Class 2A baseball titans at William Stewart Field in Rainbow City on May 4, when fourth-ranked Westbrook Christian (26-11) hosts top-ranked Mars Hill (37-6) in varsity baseball quarterfinals action. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

“We simply must come out and execute.”

Simply put, that is the strategy Warrior varsity baseball…

By Johnathan Bentley/Daily Mountain Eagle

There was no last-inning magic for Walker this time.

Southside-Gadsden ousted Walker from the playoffs with a 7-2 victory in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers broke open a tight game with a four-run sixth inning and advanced to next week's state quarterfinals.

A year ago, Walker put together a three-run rally with two…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Westbrook Christian rode the arm of pitcher Matt Reaves and used a steady offensive attack to close out its Class 2A second round varsity baseball series against visiting Section, 10-2.

Reaves pitched a complete game for the Warriors in the crucial rubber match, giving up four hits and two earned runs over seven innings. Reaves broke his own…

 By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Westbrook Christian High School and Section High School split its Class 2A, second round playoff doubleheader on April 27 at William Stewart Park in Rainbow City.

The Warriors the opener, 13-3, but the Lions pawed their way from behind to take the second game, 7-6.

Chris Manning scored off a Westbrook throwing error to take the lead for Section…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Most of us take for granted the gift of health. We get so caught up in our everyday lives of hustle and bustle that we forget how lucky we are to do the things we enjoy, such as riding bikes, jogging in the park or playing with our kids. 

Few sporting events trigger our senses like a baseball…

By Chris McCarthy Publisher/Editor The Yellow Jackets from Walker County didn’t have much sting on Apr. 20.  Solid pitching sparked Southside to a sweep over Curry in a best-of-three Class 5A first round state playoff series at Southside. Game 1 starter Alex Pondick overcame a shaky start to post a six-hit, 11-strikeout performance in a

 By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Westbrook Christian High School wasted no time disposing visiting North Sand Mountain High School from the Class 2A baseball playoffs. The fourth-ranked Warriors defeated the Thundering Herd, 10-0, in a doubleheader at the newly christened “William Stewart Field” in Rainbow City. The first game lasted only five innings and the second

 By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel could have easily described the Class 3A varsity baseball state playoff matchup between Hokes Bluff High School and White Plains High School.
 
White Plains was a team on a mission in the rubber game of the opening round of…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Local baseball fans will have the rare opportunity to meet former big leaguers when Baseball Players Association, Alabama Xtreme Travelball and NextLvl Sports hosts a charity baseball tournament to benefit The Miracle League.

Former Major League players Steve Shields, Stacy Jones, Brian Doyle and Eddie Priest will meet with fans and interact with the players.

The tournament is slated…

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent

Southside High School took a giant step toward a Class 5A, Area 12 baseball title with a 12-2 victory over Etowah High School on April 10 Larry Foster Field in Attalla. 

The teams are scheduled to play on Thursday at Southside to determine the Class 5A, Area 12 champion. Both teams were 3-1 in area play heading into…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Coosa Christian High School dropped both games of a varsity baseball doubleheader with Victory Christian High School on April 2 in Class 1A action at Coosa. Victory defeated Coosa in the first game, 3-1 and edged the Conquerors in the nightcap, 10-9.

Both offenses exploded early in the second match.

Victory scored in the top of the first inning…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Etowah High School sophomore Dylan Capes pitched five innings of no-hit baseball as the Blue Devils defeated Albertville High School in Junior Varsity action on March 27, 11-0.

Capes allowed the Aggies only two base runners during the match – the first on a walk and the second on a fielding error. Capes struck out seven batters to…

ASWA High School Baseball Rankings

Polls Released March 22, 2012

Westbrook Christian entered the Class 2A state baseball polls after defeating previously eighth ranked West End on March 20, 13-3. The Warriors entered the polls in the ninth slot and have a record of 11-7. Despite its loss to Westbrook, West End remained in the polls and are ranked tenth. The two teams…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

“It was an ugly game, there was nothing pretty about it. We didn’t play good baseball and we have to improve to be competitive.”

That was how Westbrook Christian High School head coach Matt Kennedy and West End High School head coach Chad Hall summed up the much anticipated first meeting of Class 2A, Area 13 baseball rivals…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It took Class 3A’s second-ranked Hokes Bluff High School only five innings to batter county neighbor Gaston High School on March 19, 12-0.

Eagle ace-hurler Tanner Shields pitched four innings, earning four strikeouts while allowing only one hit.

Gaston starter Allen Davidson started the game off on a positive note, striking out Bluff leadoff batter Dylan McKee.

Then the Bulldog…

West End joined Hokes Bluff as the only boys baseball teams in Etowah County in the ASWA high school baseball polls, released March 15. Head coach Chad Hall’s Class 2A, #8 Patriots are 10-1, 2-0 and resume Area 13 play today (March 15) against Sand Rock. West End’s only loss was to Hokes Bluff on

ASWA Baseball rankings

Poll released March 6, 2012

CLASS 6A

1. Bob Jones (9-1)

2. Fairhope (9-0)

3. Pelham (10-0)

4. Vestavia Hills (8-1)

5. Baldwin County (8-2)

6. Auburn (8-6)

7. Smiths Station (9-2)

8. Oak Mountain (6-2)

9. Sparkman (6-4)

       10. Oxford (4-6)

Others nominated: Hoover (9-4); Prattville (6-2); Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (9-4); Huntsville (5-3); Clay-Chalkville (10-2); Baker (6-3)

 

CLASS 5A

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