Summer playdates keep RHS baseball on point

By Brannon King for the FCT

The Russellville varsity baseball team concluded summer playdates with a couple of games in Decatur June 21 against the Class 6A Austin Black Bears.

The Golden Tigers are already preparing for the 2018 season and will see a few new faces in key places on the diamond after winning three consecutive state titles.

Russellville fell in the second game of the doubleheader against Austin by a 5-1 score. Batters went to the plate in the games with an automatic 1-1 count.

Brock Malone picked up the Russellville RBI with a solid single to put the Golden Tigers up 1-0. Colten Madden got the start on the mound in the game that saw plenty of players gaining experience for both schools as practice for next year.

Pitching is an important part of any successful baseball team, and RHS will have to replace three talented starting pitchers with the graduation of Cody Greenhill, Chad Wray and Skylar Holland. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of new pitchers that haven’t had a lot of innings,” Russellville head coach Chris Heaps said. “We didn’t throw Rudy Fernandez at all today – he’s had some tenderness in his elbow.” Fernandez saw action in the games but did not pitch and will be the most experienced returning pitcher next season for RHS. Starting shortstop, Landon Ezzell did not participate in game action as he recovers from an injury.

“We’ve got some work to do,” Heaps said. “Colten Madden can be really good for us pitching. He’s got to learn how to pitch and not just throw. Houston Kitterman threw pretty well today, Tom Barkley Scott, Rudy Fernandez and Brock Malone – all these guys are going to have to throw for us.

“We’re not going to be overpowering on the mound, so we’re going to have to be really good at defending. We’re going to pitch to contact and try to let our defense make plays, and if we do that, I think we have a chance to be good.”