Coleman Pitt Post 58 has a young whipper snapper of a coach by the name of Matt Bryan. In real life, he is an assistant baseball coach at Eastern Wayne. Joe Bell ran across Matt a few years back and got him to coach the Rocky Mount Junior Legion team.
Matt is a young buck who has a lot of talent as a coach. I think most of the folks who have watched consistently over the last couple of years will tell you Matt, still being young in coaching circles, likes to show everyone every now and then how much baseball he knows. He will double steal, squeeze and sometimes his aggressive coaching runs himself right out of an inning.
Saturday night after Post 58 took the first game of the series with Cary, Matt, in his talk to the team, gave it his game plan for game two. He told the team that Mike Williams would start game two. Having just pitched T.J. Taylor, Post 58's center fielder, in game one, Bryan wanted one more day of rest for what has been the top three pitchers Brandon Denton, Dillon Cockrell and Alex Pearce. Those three were about worn out from going five games with Wilson.
A parent told me last night at the game that their son told him that this was the tightest bunch of players that they had ever played on. Bryan has them thinking as one. The players understood that with Mike Williams on the mound that everyone had to help him get us by this game.
Between clutch hitting and outstanding defense, Post 58 stole one in Cary last night with a pitcher who had never pitched more than two innings in his life.
Bryan has these kids playing some ball. These kids are all stars and yes, with all the baseball experience this year has in its hitting lineup, they are producing as all stars. The pitching is another matter there is no all star that takes the hill for Post 58.
Matt Bryan in just a few more than 20 games knows what button to push. What to say to his pitchers to give him just a little more.
Post 58 can wrap up a spot in the State tournament with a win tonight. We must remember that Wilson had us 2-zip just a week ago and we came back, so we know it can be done. I like our chances. Three well-rested starters to go in the next three games, if need be, and two are at home.
When Bryan is 35 years old, I think he will be known in eastern North Carolina as one of the finest baseball coaches around. Now as a young agressive coach, his legend is taking shape. Bryan and Post 58 are one win away from the state tournament.
Whether the wheels fall off and we don't win another game this year, this team has produced when it needed it. The state tournament is a double elimination affair. Post 58 has brought back memories of years gone by. Bryan, who wears number 55, has kicked butt when needed but most of all has this team playing as one.
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