2005 State Champions

Sometimes a Picture Says it Best!

published Sunday, May 15, 2005

When considering the Pioneers success this year many fans, and opponents alike, may wonder how such a young and relatively inexperienced team with a first year coach could accomplish so much. I think I can cite some examples of why they succeed. Left Fielder Kelly Davis was faced with a tough decision, his brother Chris was getting married on Saturday and he was to stand with his brothers in the ceremony, or he could go to Baum and play with the Pioneers. His parents left the decision to him. I know this was a tough decision for Kelly, but his participation in the game turned out to be crucial to the Pioneers success, when he claimed both the game tieing and game winning rbi's. In the bottom of the eight, with 2 outs, Jason Angel reaches second. Coach Rush is faced with a difficult decision now. If he courtesy runs for Jason with a faster base runner, he may be taking the winning run of the game away from him. Even more troublesome is the fact that Jason would not be able to reenter the game if it went into further innings since he had been substituted for once already. Coach Rush tells me that when he looked at Jason, he was signaling for a substitute runner. Jason was giving up the opportunity to score the winning run and to continue to play so that the Pioneers had a better chance to score with a faster runner. Do I need to give more examples? The Pioneers won because they are part of a great winning tradition, they are well coached, they have the skills, but most of all because they wanted it and were willing to make great personal sacrifices to gain it. They are Pioneers, they expect and are expected to win, And Saturday at Baum they did just that, claiming a 5th State Championship for themselves, their fans and their community. It was great to see the crowd and several veteran Pioneers cheering them on, they never gave in and neither did the fans. The T-shirt vendors took a beating when they bet against us in the seventh and started printing the State Champion T-shirts with Harrison on them. They'll make great dust rags though.

The Pioneers took the field in the first inning with veteran pitcher Addison Rayford on the mound. Rayford already had 3 state tournament wins, 2 starts and 1 in relief and was looking to go the distance for the sweep. The first Goblin batter pops up to the second baseman, but things get a little rocky with a double and a hp putting runners on first and second. a hit scores the lead runner, but a classic Davidson-Aycock-Angel double play ends the Goblin threat leaving 2 on. The Pioneers seem to be struggling to find the measure of the pitcher with a ground out and 2 looking strikeouts in the bottom of the inning. The second inning starts out with a routine ground out, but a hit and 2 consecutive hp's by Rayford load the bases. A sac fly and a hit score 2 Goblin runners. A ground out leaves 2 on base at the turn. The Pioneers come out swinging this inning when lead off batter Chris Milum doubles and is relieved by courtesy runner Cody Aycock. With 2 outs Rayford rips a triple to score Aycock and put the Pioneers on the board. A popup to center field ends the inning with the Goblins ahead 3-1. In the top of the third a 1 out error (the only one of the game for the Pioneers) allows a Gob to reach base a hit and a walk load the bases. A hit into left field scores the lead runner but the Pioneers pick up another out when the runner advancing to third is picked off by a throw from Davis to Whitener. Rayford ends the Goblins at bat with a strikeout. Only Platt reaches base for the Pioneers in the third and he is caught stealing attempting second. Score after three Goblins 4-1. The game settles into a defensive pattern now with Rayford finding the zone and becoming very stingy with the hits. The game breaks open in the seventh when the Goblins are set down in order by three great infield defensive plays by the Pioneers. In the bottom of the seventh with their backs against the walls the Pioneers did what they had to do, they generated hits. In what may have been the pivotal play of the game Angel hit into the "Devil's Triangle" area behind third where three fielders would converge on the ball. This is always a tough play and the Pioneers had already allowed one to drop in a similar play on the right side of the field. However, this time the charging shortstop over ran the ball and collided with the umpire. The other fielders can not reach the ball and it falls and caroms off into left-center. After the dust settles and the bodies are collected Angel is easily safe at second. Angel is relieved by courtesy runner Ross Simpson who is scored by Clint Walls who rips a triple. The shaken Goblins begin to realize that the Pioneers have not ceded the game and when Rayford hits a sharp ground ball to the second baseman, he bobbles it, and allows Rayford to reach and Walls to score. Rayford steals second putting the tieing run in scoring position and Kelly Davis does just that hitting safely, scoring Rayford and evening the score. Davis will be joined by Platt on an HP but both will be left on. With the score even at 4-4 after 7 Rayford takes the Goblins chance of getting the upper hand away by gathering a strikeout and 2 ground outs with no Goblins reaching base. It looks like we may be going to nine innings when the first 2 Pioneer batters go down in order, but Angel and Walls hit and put runners at first and second. Cody Aycock enters and relieves Angel at second. Rayford again forces a Goblin error, this time on the shortstop, loading the bases for the Pioneers. Again, the pressure is on Davis as he comes to the plate. With a 2-2 count, he calmly swings the bat hitting the ball into shallow center field to score Aycock and claim the 2005 4A State Championship for the Batesville Pioneers. Rayford claims a sweep with all 4 State Tournament wins and also picks up the Tournament MVP honors to boot.

I would like to personally thank Coach Mark Rush and Coach Gary Rhodes for their efforts toward a great year. Coach Rush has claimed 2 Championships his first year as a Pioneer and Coach Rhodes has ended his Baseball career in the best way possible. In 2006, Gary Rhodes will assume the position of head Softball coach for the Lady Pioneers and will have the pleasure of coaching a defending State Champion team and his own daughter Mallory in her senior year. I would also like to thank the Pioneers. It has been a great year for me as I watched you grow, as each game you became better and played more and more as a team. At Baum there may have been 9 Pioneers on the field but I believe their hearts beat as one. You guys have been great, I really do look forward to next year. Next, in no particular order, the fans. I wish there were more of you, but their were always the dependable ones who came game after game to cheer the Pioneers on. The time our games are played always make it tough, but the crowd at Baum was great. And last but not least, Jeff Angel, James Milum and Chip Rayford, the unsung grounds keepers of the Pioneers. Thanks, guys! My most personal Thanks are to Tammy and Jeff for hauling me to so many of the away games. I truly appreciate it very much.