Davie Baseball had another successful season, going to the state playoffs for the third year in a row. The team started their workouts the first month of the school year, a full six months before their season began. The workouts continued through the winter, both on the field and in indoor cages. All of this hard work was necessary to get the team ready for the grueling CPC conference play with highly competitive teams like West Forsyth and Reagan.
The countless hours of drills and workouts in the offseason paid off, with the team managing a commendable 13-11 overall and 8-6 in conference play. Along with these successes, three players made all-conference: Coy James, Hunter Potts, and Drew Krause. Junior outfielder Hunter Potts said that it felt good that all the hard work and countless hours of practicing were finally paying off.
The team encountered numerous challenges throughout the season, particularly with injuries at crucial positions. However, they demonstrated remarkable resilience and unity. Despite the loss of a key pitcher, Cole Whitaker, and the absence of outfielder Ty Goodson due to injuries, the team remained steadfast. Goodson, who endured a concussion from a 92 mph fastball and was rehabilitating an arm injury, shared his perspective on the journey.
“It may be different adversities, but at the end of the day, it just comes down to who wants to get better and how quickly you want to be back out on the field.”
After losing in the first round of the conference tournament to Glenn 3-2, the boys won their opening playoff game in spectacular fashion. They pulled off a 3-2 win at Watauga in a 12-inning game. The key players were Braeden Rodgers and Conner Berg, who both pitched longer than. Senior pitcher Braeden Rodgers said emotions were high, and a very emotional game for all the players. He also said it was very emotional because if Davie lost, it would be the last game that the seniors on the team ever played.
Unfortunately, their season came to an end in the second round against the Cox Mill Chargers, losing 11-9 while out-hitting the Chargers 13 to 9. Coach Brandon Thalasinos (Coach T) said that “Cox Mill was one of the best-hitting teams in the tournament. We battled till the end and left it all on the field, but we unfortunately came up short.”
The team is excited about next season, as they are keeping their entire infield intact, and a strong group of rising juniors are expected to join the team. Junior catcher Drew Krause said he is looking forward to the close bonds that were built by the environment of the team.
