James Clemens salutes seniors, eye playoffs
James Clemens baseball coach Shane Medlen with seniors Channing Ballew, Lee Baker, Scotty Adkins, Adam Brown, and Curtis Towers.
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- James Clemens baseball coach Shane Medlen has been preparing his team for a big Area 16 game against Austin on Friday. The game and the outcome of the Decatur-Florence game will determine whether the first year Jets finish first or second in Area 16 or out of the playoffs altogether.
But Tuesday afternoon, James Clemens players put that out of their mind as they welcomed cross-town rival Bob Jones to their home field. The Jets saluted five seniors who have been a big part of the success the team has had recently. The Jets are 3-2 in area play.
“These seniors are amazing,” Medlen said. “They have come over here and worked really hard. We’ve won some close games to put ourselves in position to be in the playoffs. Everybody else expected us not to win a game because we are so young, we’ve gotten better and competed and worked to be a good baseball team.”
Among the top performers from the five seniors are Scotty Adkins and Adam Brown. Brown hit the first home run in Jet history and is hitting over .400. He has signed a baseball scholarship with VolunteerState.
Adkins, who played for Bob Jones last year, leads the team with 36 RBI’s and 5 homeruns and is hitting over .400 also. He signed a baseball scholarship with Tennessee Tech.
Like most players, Adkins dream is to play professional baseball.
“I’m hoping to work hard enough and play well enough at the next level to achieve that,” Adkins said.
Just in case professional baseball doesn’t work out, Adkins is going to study mechanical or civil engineering in college.
Sophomores Eric Patterson and Tucker Clark are also hitting around .400.
Last Saturday night, James Clemens and Decatur played deep into the night as Decatur won game one of a doubleheader to force a deciding game. Trailing by three with two outs in the top of the seventh, the Jets rallied for four runs on four hits to take the lead and went on to win 11-10 and take the Area 16 series.
Decatur didn’t have an answer for Brown. The slugger finished 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning, and added a three-run homer in the sixth.
Adkins added two hits including a solo homer, while Josh Burks, Tucker Clark and Eric Patterson each added three hits.
The Jets are still winless against Bob Jones as the Patriots posted an 18-4 five-inning victory Tuesday. The Jets had a brief lead at 4-3 after Brown doubled home two runs in the third inning.
Bob Jones blew the game open with an eight run fourth inning highlighted by two-run doubles from Matt Bolger and Trey Ward. Reid Vershoore had a two-run triple. In the fifth inning, Josh Burkes relieved Mitch Bledsoe and walked in three runs before Chris Flowers cleared the bases with a triple.
Nathan Burch pitched the complete game for Bob Jones. The Patriots have wrapped up first place in Class 6A, Area 15 and finish area play against Sparkman in a home doubleheader Friday night.
