Baseball playoffs begin Friday
By Bart Moss / For the FCT
Four local baseball teams will continue their seasons for at least one more weekend. Phil Campbell, Red Bay, Russellville and Belgreen all qualified for the playoffs, which begin Friday.
Phil Campbell hosts Fyffe
Phil Campbell (20-9; 6-0), the winner of 2A Area 14, will face the 2A Area 14 runner-up, Fyffe (20-4; 5-2). The two teams will play a double header Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. If a decisive third game is necessary, it will be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
This is not an easy first-round matchup for the Bobcats by any stretch.
“Fyffe is a very good baseball team,” said Phil Campbell coach Jonathan Raper. “They have been ranked fourth in the state for most of the year. They have three really good pitchers, and they hit very well. They play extremely good defense.”
Raper said the series will come down to execution. “I think we must pitch well and play error-free baseball for us to have a chance against Fyffe.”
Senior Joe Hardy echoed his coach.
“As seniors, we want one more chance to make a run,” said Hardy. “For us to be successful, we will have to keep pitching well, put the ball in play, and cut out our fielding errors. If we do the little things right, I think we are capable of making it deep into the playoffs.”
Red Bay travels to Section
Red Bay (15-10; 3-3) is the runner-up in 2A Area 14. The Tigers will travel to northeast Alabama to face 2A Area 15 winner Section (14-8; 6-1) in a double header Friday.
Game times are 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. If a decisive game three is necessary, it will be played Saturday.
“Section is a very talented team,” said Red Bay coach Richard Maggerise. “They have three really good pitchers, with the top one hitting 85 miles per hour plus on the radar gun. Their lineup is full of seniors and juniors who have had a lot of success.
“We felt like we underachieved last year,” Maggerise continued. “It was a huge accomplishment to be able to break through this year. Not many people gave us a shot of making it this time.”
Russellville faces Etowah in play-offs
Area winner Russellville (20-12) finished up the regular season with a couple of games at Madison Academy April 17 before hosting Etowah in the first round of the playoffs. The Golden Tigers will play two games against the Blue Devils (24-8) Friday starting at 4:30 p.m., with game three to come Saturday at 1 p.m. if necessary.
Belgreen travels to Shoals Christian
The Belgreen Bulldogs will be making their first playoff appearance since 1998 this season. The Bulldogs (8-11; 3-2) were the runner-up in 1A, Area 13 and will travel to Florence to play 1A Area 16 winner Shoals Christian (7-18; 4-2) in a double header Friday.
Game times will be 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. If a decisive game three is necessary, it will be played Saturday at noon.
“Our guys are excited to be in the playoffs,” said Belgreen coach Clint Isbell. “Our seniors have put a ton of work and a lot of hours for many years for this program. They have set a new precedent and have given the younger players something to be excited about and build on. We want baseball to be as successful as our other programs.
“As for Shoals Christian, I know they have a great baseball tradition, and I expect them to be ready to play,” Isbell added. “We will have to make the routine plays, and pitchers will have to work the strike zone and give us a chance.
“We need to be able to hit the ball and put pressure on their defense to make plays.”
