Phil Campbell prepares for first round

J.R. Tidwell/FCT
Jamie Dorroh (2) of the Phil Campbell Bobcats prepares for a pitch during the 2013 County Baseball Tournament at Belgreen.

The Phil Campbell Bobcats baseball team fell short of making the 2012 playoffs last year despite having a team good enough to win the  county tournament that year.

This year things have gone a bit differently, as the Bobcats are set to host the Hatton Hornets in the first round of this years postseason.

“It feels good. It’s nice when you don’t have to travel,” head coach Jonathan Raper said.

“We didn’t have to leave early to play over there. We have home field advantage, and I’m sure we’ll have a good crowd; we always do. Knowing where all of the nooks and crannies and where the good hops and bad hops are always helps. Being familiar with your surroundings is a big help.”

Along with hosting the first round, the Bobcats also have the added achievement of being ranked in the final ASWA baseball poll for this season.

Phil Campbell came in at No. 8 in the Class 2A rankings.

“It’s good to get recognition for our kids. It shows how hard they’ve worked and how far they have come since the beginning of the season,” Raper said.

“It’s great for the school and the community. It was nice to see that their hard work had paid off and they were making some progress.”

The Bobcats began the series with Hatton after yesterday after press time.