Vina seeks return to playoffs
By Staff
Mike Self, Franklin County Times
Having missed the state playoffs last year after back-to-back appearances in 2004 and 2005, the Vina Red Devils' goal for this season is crystal clear.
"We definitely want to get back to the playoffs," said head coach Greg Hamilton, who has guided the Devils to a combined record of 54-24 over the past three seasons. "Our expectations are high, and that's just the way it is. We have some holes to fill and some questions to answer, but our kids are up to the challenge. Anything less than making the playoffs will be a disappointment."
The Red Devils, who open the season a week from today at Tremont, return six starters from last year's squad that finished 15-6 and was eliminated from the playoff chase on the final day of the season.
A group of five seniors that includes infielder Max Weeks, infielder/catcher Paul Wilkins, first baseman Anthony Hester, third baseman Kyle Green and outfielder/DH Patrick Cochran gives Hamilton the most experienced team he's had at Vina.
"This is the largest senior class I've ever had here," Hamilton said. "It means a lot in terms of experience. All of these guys have played for at least two years, and most of them have played four or five years. They have a lot of experience with me, and they know what to expect from the program. It's a good core group of guys to have back, and there's a lot of talent there. I think they'll be a great example for our younger guys."
Chief among those younger guys will be freshmen Morgan McCarley and Brent Townsend, both of whom are expected to see significant time on the mound in their first season on the varsity level.
"I hope it's a no-pressure situation for both of those guys," Hamilton said. "We're old enough behind them that they should be able to just relax and pitch. They don't have to strike everybody out to win games. They can just focus on throwing strikes and letting our defense make plays for them."
Green, Weeks and Wilkins are expected to anchor the rotation, and how they perform will go a long way toward determining if the Devils reach their goal of getting back to the playoffs.
"Pitching is always important in baseball, but it's even more important at the 1A level," Hamilton said. "It's a numbers game. You just don't have as many guys who can pitch in 1A as you do in 5A. We're not looking for guys who throw 80 miles an hour. We're just looking for guys who can throw strikes."
The Devils may be a bit unproven on the mound, but they do have some established bats in the lineup.
Wilkins batted .474 a year ago and led or tied for the team lead in hits (36), home runs (three), RBIs (35), runs scored (31) and stolen bases (20). Green batted .358 with three homers and 15 RBIs, and Weeks hit .343 with eight doubles and 30 runs scored.
Junior Randy Barnes also had a productive year, batting .344 with 19 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
"We expect to be able to hit pretty well, but it's hard to tell right now because of the weather," Hamilton said. "You can take your swings and hit soft toss all day long, but until you face live pitching you just don't know. We do expect hitting to be one of our strengths, though.
I'll put it to you this way. If we don't have four or five guys hitting over .400 by the end of the year, we'll probably be in trouble."
If the Red Devils are to return to the playoffs, they must successfully navigate through a tough area that includes Shoals Christian, Covenant Christian, Waterloo and Belgreen.
"We expect to be a playoff-team, but we realize that's a daunting task in our area," Hamilton said. "I don't think there's a tougher group of 1A teams in north Alabama. You could put us in any other area in the state, and I think we could finish first or second in 75 percent of them.
"Ours is pretty tough, but that's life. It's up to us to respond to the challenge."
