The overall makeup of the Apalachee High School baseball team this spring will be young.
Veteran coach Mike Cavey said there could be as many as five sophomores in the lineup.
“I hope that we can be competitive each game we play, and when a lead is obtained, that we can close out the game and hold that lead,” Cavey said. “I feel we are trending upward as a program. We won’t be very deep on the varsity, but our junior varsity team is loaded with some young raw talented eighth and ninth graders who will be able to contribute in the next year or two. I think we have a good core of players who want to succeed and win. We should be fun to watch.”
Key players for the varsity Diamond Wildcats will include Caleb Austin, Derek Bryan and Ryan Shorter, who will help anchor the pitching staff.
Austin, Clint Ashe and Steven Adair return as starters in the infield along with newcomer Tony Salvaggio. Thomas Kline will try to hold down the catching position and Mason Webb, Eric Morgan and Ronney Miller will hold down the outfield.
“Region 8-AAAA will be tough again this year,” Cavey said. “We are now broken into subregions, but it will be just as tough. We cannot have any let downs or we will be toast. Loganville and Winder-Barrow look to be very strong again this year. It doesn’t seem to get any easier from year to year.”
Still, the AHS coach said he thinks his team can take that next step.
“My goal again is to put a competitive team out on the field for 26 games and hopefully some more,” Cavey said. “If we can play within ourselves and have some leadership step up, then I feel we can make strides. We do have a good young group, so they will have to step up. We have to throw strikes and work ahead of hitters. We have to go base to base and get those key hits especially with two outs and more importantly with runners in scoring position. Our hitters have to be selective with their pitches and look for good pitches to hit. I think our defense will be good, we just have to have good pitching and timely hitting.”
AHS will host Morgan County for a preseason scrimmage Friday at 6 p.m.
I know many of these boys personally and am so proud of each of them for their hard work over the years getting ready for high school baseball. It's so exciting that so many 8th graders made the team this year (including my son) and we look forward to watching you on the field at AHS for several years to come.