It's Not Official Yet

Sitting in the press box watching Rocky Mount baseball opening day beat Roanoke Rapids 2-0.  I was surprised when freshman Ben Seracki took to the hill and shutout the Yellow Jackets for four innings and David Harrison put the finishing touches on the final three innings and a shutout.  My conclusion was this was Roanoke Rapids and we were suppose to win.  I was not impressed only scoring two runs so my thoughts are the old Master Pat Smith will have a hard time winning half the games this year with this bunch.

Despite what many think of the old gruff  coach, he knows how to win baseball games.  He wins because he teaches the way to play the game and if you the player don't want to play the game the way he teaches you sit.  He does have a method of telling players the facts of their performance which many find hard to deal with in the society of today's children and that they are never told when they do something wrong by their parents.

I truly think after what I saw early the first three or four games that this was going to be a long year and yet they finished second in the regular season and tournament champs.  This team was not capable of those achievements early on until the players figure out Coach Smith's way.  Moms, dads and boys if you listen to the people that know they will lead you to a better life other than protesting  every thing that you don't like or want to do.

Just two years ago the rubber on the mound and home plate were not straight.  The right field line at first base were not straight from home to the right field wall.  He got the money to redo the field a field less than five years old but not a pretty field at all. Even during his first stint at Rocky Mount the field was his baby and worked countless hours every day to keep it in shape.

While getting Dougas Byrd's lineup during their playoff visit one of their coaches made the the comment about how beautiful the stadium was.  Pat at the time was raking around the third base bag  and I pointed to him and said there's the man right there who has made this field this way in two years.

Friday night after the game Pat Smith told the team he would not be returning  next year.  Regardless of who is the next coach those returning players will be able to say they were taught by a great coach.  Pat Smith won a state baseball title in high school in Robersonville.  He won a state title at South Johnson and of course in 2008 at Rocky Mount.

The second time around for Smith at Rocky Mount he was 13-9 last season and 17-7 this season.  He returned  the program around that had fallen on losing ways.  Last year during my last game report I stated that the Gryphons had only one pitcher and the rest were mirrors.  This years team still had one great pitcher and another future great one but the relief staff still had lots of mirrors.  Despite that he was 30-16 the last two years.

There was no doubt David Harrison was the man as he went 8-2 in the season.  His two losses can be attributed to defense lapses.  I don't think he had as good a year this year as he was somewhat wilder but even then he never let a game get away from him.  This year the pitch count rule he didn't finish  games a couple of times due to throwing 105 pitches.

The entire season the bats were soft most of the time and the Gryphons only scored five or more runs 8 times.  Twice during the season pitching gave up three runs or less and lost.  Josh Pittman was a solid leadoff hitter all season.  Jamar Ellis became a solid hitter as the season progressed.  I think the biggest surprise after Ben Seracki 6-4 season was Spencer Ramsey. His junior year missed baseball until well after baseball had started because of the basketball playoffs.  This year basketball finished the same week baseball started and two weeks into the season got his chance off the bench and performed.  His hitting helped get the improvement of the team as well as being a defensive player who could play outfield 3rd, 2nd and first.  Once he got in the lineup he help make this team better.

Pitching threw 9 shutouts in the 17 wins.  There was one game that pitching gave up only one run.  Two games only two and 4 games three. Of those 15 games were 13-2.  Lost two games when the Gryphons score two runs and zero runs.  Yes pitching was better than expected but the defense improved as the season moved forward.  Logan Pearce has cover shortstop for the last two years and his bat came alive down the stretch.

Only six pitchers toed the rubber all year for the Gryphons.  Zack Keeter came from behind the plate and had a couple of saves.  Joernest Petway got two wins and Josh Pittman had one.  I expected this season to unfold with the Gryphons winning one game a week and taking it on the chin in the other.  It happened that way in the playoffs winning the opener and running into a team loaded with power bats.

Yes, this team over achieved.  Sports is all about taking the God given talents that you have and compete against other teams.  There are years when expectations are not very high  but when players zoom past that and wind up 17-7 there is no doubt that the 2017 version of Rocky Mount baseball has a great year!