Goodpasture baseball coach Jim Carter thought his team had a chance to be good this spring.
That was on paper, though.
Only two players – infielder Trace Anderson and outfielder Brendan Jones – had significant varsity experience since the 2020 season was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Carter knew the talent was there. Four of the five Cougars committed to play college baseball are heading to Division I schools. It was just a matter of getting the young players up to speed.
Goodpasture (25-3) appears to have been successful on that front. The Cougars have won 18 of their last 19 games and are ranked No. 2 in Prep Baseball Report’s Tennessee Power 25 Rankings, which includes teams from all classifications.
“I’m pleased with our young guys and the way they’ve performed and competed,” Carter said. “Really it’s across our team. It’s not just this guy or that guy. It’s our entire roster.”
Of course, having an inexperienced roster isn’t a challenge unique to Goodpasture. High school baseball programs across the state and country have dealt with similar issues after their year-long hiatus.
The Cougars are just handling it better than most.
Entering this week, Goodpasture had a team ERA of 2.21, a batting average over .350 and wins in all 10 district games.
“I think we’re playing really consistent right now because we’re clicking on the field and we’re clicking off the field,” said senior first baseman and pitcher Abbott Lawrence, a Columbia State signee. “The environment in the dugout is the same as it is on the field. Everybody’s getting along.”
Besides Lawrence, Jones has signed with Kansas State, sophomores Luke Payne and Carson Rucker are committed to Tennessee, and freshman Bishop Quarles is committed to Ohio State.
According to Carter and the players, those credentials haven’t resulted in big egos.
“It’s great to have the talent,” Jones said. “Sometimes (talented) guys can be selfish, but everyone here has bought into the team mindset and doing what it takes to win. That’s the main thing you want to have.”
Goodpasture players are reminded daily of the program’s postseason history. The Cougars’ eight state championships are listed on the brick façade of the team hitting facility, but they haven’t added a new placard since 2012.
Could that change this year? Carter isn’t letting the Cougars think that far ahead just yet.
“Everything is day-to-day when you’re talking about high school baseball,” Carter said. “Our focus has to be on dealing with the day in front of us. That’s the most important day of the year, and then we’ll move on to the next one.”
When the district tournament starts in less than two weeks, the Cougars can extend what’s been a banner year for Goodpasture athletics. Boys basketball and volleyball both won state championships, and the football team advanced to the state semifinals.
Baseball could be up next.
“It’s been a great year to be a Goodpasture Cougar,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to do our part to keep the success going.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.