Crusty Old School

I am sure it has been a big shock to this year's Rocky Mount Gryphon baseball players who played under the soft spoken Kent Cox and now under the "Old School Coach" Pat Smith.  This modern world of me-me-me just doesn't work with a coach who plays the game to win with team ball.

Early on there were signs that this Gryphon team had talent.  Star pitcher David Harrison struggled and this is my opinion but David had a  hard time adjusting to the man who's plain talk of the truth hurt.   I was at practice one day and during game situation practice batters were hitting with runners on base with the batting cage in place.  JV catchers were alternating catching and both were having trouble catching the ball and had to retrieve them by going to the back of the cage and picking them up and tossing back to the pitcher.  Smith standing behind the pitcher hollered to the catchers that this was high school ball and in high school catchers catch the ball.

During his high school career Blake Helms was an average pitcher until his junior year he played Legion Ball and Pat  Smith was the pitching coach.  Helms had a great legion season, a super senior year and was the top pitcher that helped lead Wilson to the state Legion tournament after Rocky Mount failed to field a team last summer.  The "old ball coach can coach.  His direct tell it it like it is can be hard on a soft modern day world youth of today.   But if they buy in to his way the world can change for them.j

I think that is what has happened to David Harrison.  He has bought in to the Pat Smith brand of coaching.  Other Gryphons whether it is hitting or fielding are coming around to the Smith way.  This week Zack Keeter a catcher by trade but coming around as the number two pitcher joined Forest Bell to shutout The Firebirds after Harrison pitched his second shutout in a row earlier in the week.  That had not happened since 2010 when Gryphon pitchers named Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss did the trick.

There is no predicting the future but the 8-6 Gryphons are showing signs they will be a contender in the Big East till the end.  There are three weeks to go and Tuesday night is the next outing for Big East Baseball.  Here is this week's schedule.

Tuesday:

Southern Nash 2-2  10-7 at Nash Central 1-3 5-12
Northern Nash 2-2  5-8 at Rocky Mount 2-2 8-6
Fike 2-2 8-6 at Hunt 3-1 8-9

Friday
Southern Nash at Fike
Nash Central at Rocky Mount
Hunt at Northern Nash