Mustangs battle baseball injuries

Seniors Jack Fulkerson, Cody Littlejohn, Lucas Mordecai, Will Acuff, Austin Hipps and Trey Owens and their Madison Academy teammates seek to three-peat as Class 3A state baseball champions. CONTRIBUTED/KIM MORDECAI

By MIKE EASTERLING / For the Record

HUNTSVILLE – Three players joined the baseball team late after helping Madison Academy repeat as Class 3A state basketball championship. The team’s ace pitcher just returned from a knee ailment. Two others are missing time with injuries.

Those are the things concerning Mustangs coach Mike Good, his two-time defending state title team ranked No. 5 in the season’s first rankings but limping along with a modest 11-7 record.

The two latest losses came over the weekend in the SportsMed Tournament to 7A schools Grissom 2-0 and nationally-ranked Sparkman 4-1.

“We’ve been struggling through injuries,’’ Good said. “That’s been our biggest problem.’’

Senior Will Acuff and Jack Fulkerson and junior James Nix arrived late from basketball.

Junior pitcher Jake Christa injured a knee the first week of practice and took the mound for the first time against Sparkman. He pitched one inning.

Senior Lucas Mordecai, the winning pitcher when Madison Academy defeated Geneva to claim last year’s state crown, injured a knee two weeks ago and isn’t expected back until April.

Senior outfielder Trey Owens pulled a hamstring but hopes to return when the Mustangs travel for a tournament in Tennessee this weekend.

“We haven’t put our best lineup on the field yet,’’ Good said. “From that standpoint I guess you have to feel good being 11-7. What concerns me is we’re putting key components into the lineup so late this year.

“We hope that doesn’t impact us during the postseason.’’

The Mustangs have won 12 straight area championships.