Bob Jones gets back to winning ways
Garret Gillum pitches for Bob Jones (Record Photo/Lindsay Vaught)
MADISON- First year coach Jared Smith has rekindled the glory days when Bob Jones dominated area baseball. He has stressed quality at-bats and fielding, mixed in two hot pitchers and the team is playing well after a 3-1 trip to the beach for a spring break tournament.
Bob Jones has 9 players hitting over .300 and rotates 13 players in the field. Deven Patel and Cole Hill rotate in centerfield, Harrison Leach and Chaz Henderson rotate in left, Ford Luttrell plays right. Trammel Shepherd plays third.
“They are all playing well and deserve to keep playing,” Smith said. “Connor Daly our DH has played well. He has some power with three homeruns. He got hot at the beach so we need him to keep that up for next few weeks.”
Overall the team is 19-7 after a doubleheader sweep over Austin on Tuesday. Hitting is a big reason why. As a team, Bob Jones is batting over .300 compared to last year when the team batted .235.
Luke Whaley is a senior pitcher who heads the pitching staff with a 4-1 record. He has been here through the tough times.
“Early on our coach said we needed a big win to get us going then we beat Cullman and it sparked us and we have been riding a momentum wave since,” Whaley said. “We have a lot of confidence we didn’t have in the past. Zach Duvall has been playing great at shortstop Jackson Rumley and Trammell Shepherd behind the plate have been playing great as has Isaiah Walker at first base.”
Bob Jones has missed the playoffs the last two years. One problem was seniors leaving the team but that is not the case this season. Fourteen seniors are on the varsity roster.
“We made a list of our goals at the beginning of the season and number one was no quitters,” Whaley said. “We worked harder in the offseason and with our success no one wants to leave, everyone is invested in the program. It is a complete difference from years past. It has been positive and encouraging to watch.”
Garret Gillum is another power arm. He is now 5-0 in 6 starts. Ford Luttrell is just getting back throwing after an injury. Zach Duvall has assumed the role of closer. Junior Ryan Kirby is the only lefty out of the bullpen.
Whaley knows that despite the winning the real test is yet to come. Class 7A Area 8 features the #1 team in the state, Sparkman. Also looming is James Clemens and Hazel Green.
“This year we want to keep doing what we have been doing and bring that into area games. We’re confident going into area play, we have a good chance against all 3 teams, we want to make the playoffs.”
Weekend area series start April 8 against Hazel Green continue April 15 against James Clemens and wrap April 21-22 against Sparkman. The AHSAA allowed Class 7A teams to extend their season a week because they have one fewer round in the playoffs than other classifications.
As if the games between James Clemens and Bob Jones need any more drama, consider the Bob Jones prom is Saturday, April 16, the same day a doubleheader is scheduled to start at 11 am at Bob Jones.
