Monday District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Recap

2011 District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Schedule (at Cordova High School)

Friday, May 6–Results
Game 1:  #3 Bolton 12,  #6 Craigmont 2
Game 2:  #2 Arlington 12,  #7 Raleigh-Egypt 0
Game 3:  #4 Cordova 17,  #5 Millington 1

Saturday, May 7–Results
Game 4:  #6 Craigmont 7, #7 Raleigh-Egypt 0 (Raleigh-Egypt eliminated)
Game 5:  #2 Arlington 17, #3 Bolton 4
Game 6:  #1 Bartlett 10, #4 Cordova 0

Monday, May 9-Results
Game 7:  #4 Cordova def. #6 Craigmont (Craigmont eliminated)
Game 8: #3 Bolton 14, #5 Millington 2 (Millington eliminated)

Tuesday, May 10
Game 9:  4:00 p.m. #4 Cordova vs. #3 Bolton (elimination game)
Game 10:  7:00 p.m. #2 Arlington vs. #1 Bartlett

Wednesday, May 11
Game 11:  4:00 p.m. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 loser (elimination game)
Game 12:  7:00 p.m. Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner (championship game only for Game 10 winner)

Thursday, May 12
(if necessary) Game 13:  5:00 p.m. Game 12 loser (if team lost for first time in the tournament the previous night) vs. Game 12 winner (championship game for both teams)

Check back with The Panther’s Prey daily as the tournament progresses.

Saturday District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Recap

2011 District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Schedule (at Cordova High School)

Friday, May 6–Results
Game 1:  #3 Bolton 12,  #6 Craigmont 2
Game 2:  #2 Arlington 12,  #7 Raleigh-Egypt 0
Game 3:  #4 Cordova 17,  #5 Millington 1

Saturday, May 7–Results
Game 4:  #6 Craigmont 7, #7 Raleigh-Egypt 0 (Raleigh-Egypt eliminated)
Game 5:  #2 Arlington 17, #3 Bolton 4
Game 6:  #1 Bartlett 10, #4 Cordova 0

Monday, May 9
Game 7:  4:00 p.m. #6 Craigmont vs. #4 Cordova (elimination game)
Game 8:  7:00 p.m. #5 Millington vs. #3 Bolton (elimination game)

Tuesday, May 10
Game 9:  4:00 p.m. Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game)
Game 10:  7:00 p.m. #2 Arlington vs. #1 Bartlett

Wednesday, May 11
Game 11:  4:00 p.m. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 loser (elimination game)
Game 12:  7:00 p.m. Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner (championship game only for Game 10 winner)

Thursday, May 12
(if necessary) Game 13:  5:00 p.m. Game 12 loser (if team lost for first time in the tournament the previous night) vs. Game 12 winner (championship game for both teams)

Check back with The Panther’s Prey daily as the tournament progresses.

Friday District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Recap

2011 District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Schedule (at Cordova High School)

Friday, May 6–Results
Game 1:  #3 Bolton 12,  #6 Craigmont 2
Game 2:  #2 Arlington 12,  #7 Raleigh-Egypt 0
Game 3:  #4 Cordova 17,  #5 Millington 1

Saturday, May 7
Game 4:  1:00 p.m. #6 Craigmont vs. #7 Raleigh-Egypt (elimination game)
Game 5:  4:00 p.m. #3 Bolton vs. #2 Arlington
Game 6:  7:00 p.m. #4 Cordova vs. #1 Bartlett

Monday, May 9
Game 7:  4:00 p.m. Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser (elimination game)
Game 8:  7:00 p.m. #5 Millington vs. Game 5 loser (elimination game)

Tuesday, May 10
Game 9:  4:00 p.m. Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game)
Game 10:  7:00 p.m. Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

Wednesday, May 11
Game 11:  4:00 p.m. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 loser (elimination game)
Game 12:  7:00 p.m. Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner (championship game only for Game 10 winner)

Thursday, May 12
(if necessary) Game 13:  5:00 p.m. Game 12 loser (if team lost for first time in the tournament the previous night) vs. Game 12 winner (championship game for both teams)

Check back with The Panther’s Prey daily as the tournament progresses.

District baseball tournament starts tomorrow, Panthers play Saturday

The Bartlett Panthers baseball team begin postseason play in the 2011 District 14-AAA Tournament this weekend. The Panthers clinched the regular season district title last Friday with a win over Bolton, earning then a first-round bye in the tournament. It will be no easy road for the Panthers in the tournament, with Arlington, the only team to beat Bartlett this season, threatening in the distance.

The tournament was originally going to be played at Bolton, but due to extensive storm damage to their baseball park, the tournament was moved to Cordova.

2011 District 14-AAA Baseball Tournament Schedule (at Cordova High School)

Friday, May 6
Game 1 4:00 p.m. #6 Craigmont vs. #3 Bolton
Game 2 5:30 p.m. #7 Raleigh-Egypt vs. #2 Arlington
Game 3 7:00 p.m. #5 Millington vs. #4 Cordova

Saturday, May 7
Game 4 1:00 p.m. Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (elimination game)
Game 5 4:00 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 6 7:00 p.m. Game 3 winner vs. #1 Bartlett

Monday, May 9
Game 7 4:00 p.m. Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser (elimination game)
Game 8 7:00 p.m. Game 3 loser vs. Game 5 loser (elimination game)

Tuesday, May 10
Game 9 4:00 p.m. Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game)
Game 10 7:00 p.m. Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

Wednesday, May 11
Game 11 4:00 p.m. Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 loser (elimination game)
Game 12 7:00 p.m. Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner (championship game only for Game 10 winner)

Thursday, May 12
(if necessary) Game 13 5:00 p.m. Game 12 loser (if team lost for first time in the tournament the previous night) vs. Game 12 winner (championship game for both teams)

Check back with The Panther’s Prey website daily, as scores and updates will be added to the schedule.

Panthers sweep Bolton to clinch regular season district title

The area has seen plenty of rain and clouds the last few weeks, and the Bartlett Panthers baseball team is no exception. This season an oppressive cloud of low expectations by area baseball prognosticators has hung over their heads, following them through dramatic wins and heart-breaking losses over the past two months. With the Arlington split two weeks ago, the clouds started to break, and the sunshine started to peek through. With two wins in Bolton series last week, they are on their way to making the showers turn into May flowers, or a State championship.

The rain clouds finally cleared for beautiful skies on Thursday, as Bartlett began the Bolton series at home.

On senior night, the senior pitching standout Chandler Hawkins took the mound. Though the walk bug bit him again, as it did in his last start versus Arlington, he made that up by striking out fourteen Bolton batters through 5 2/3 innings of work.

This defensive production led to offensive destruction by the Panther bats. Three runs came in to score for the Panthers in the first inning, with RBIs from sophomore catcher/designated-hitter Keegan Floyd and senior third baseman Max Allen. Three innings later, junior shortstop Nick Dawson smacked a solo home run to left field. The Panthers took game one, with the score of 10-3.

The second game of the series saw many changes of date and location, due to the poor weather conditions. Bolton’s baseball park was damaged during the storms of April 19, making it unusable for the rest of the season. The game was slated to be played at USA Stadium in Millington on Friday. Then that morning, news came that the field was flooded and unusable. This left Bolton no other choice but to play the game at Elrod Field, Bartlett’s home, but they were still designated as the home team.

Panther senior starting pitcher Austin Upchurch pitched a dandy, allowing three batters on base in five innings. Only one of those batters reached first on a base hit; the other two walked.

After a quiet first inning, the Panthers put the heat on Bolton the rest of the game, scoring five runs in the second inning, thanks to three Bolton defensive errors and a two-run homer from Dawson. The Panthers scored five more runs in the third inning, three of those runs scored on a freshman centerfielder Bobby Holder double. In the fourth inning, junior outfielder Dylan Chipman knocked a deep double to right field, just feet shy of a homer, scoring two. Five more runs were scored in the fifth inning, all by bench players.

All the runs were enough to get the Panthers a 18-0 victory in five innings, and also enough to give the Panthers the regular season District 14-AAA championship. The team will receive a first-round bye in the tournament.

Coach Phil Clark was proud of his team’s exceeding his expectations: “No one gave us a chance in the world to be the one seed going into next week’s District tournament. I am as proud of this group of kids as I’ve been in a long time. It’s a testament to them, these kids, and the confidence that they have in each other as a team, and also the daily grind that they put in. I don’t know if I’ve been any proud of a team I coached [like this team],” Clark said.

The team made a trip to Jackson State Community College in Jackson, TN the next day, losing 6-3 to Riverside and winning 7-4 to University School of Jackson. The Panthers finished the week with a 24-6 overall record, 11-1 record to finish District 14-AAA.

This week, Bartlett closes their regular season on the road with a doubleheader versus Houston on Tuesday. The first game is a continuation of their previous matchup at Elrod Field on March 31, with the score tied at nine in the fifth inning. On Friday, the District 14-AAA Tournament begins at Cordova High, with the Panthers beginning play on Saturday.

Panthers split Arlington series; lead District 14-AAA

Last week was expected to be the toughest one yet for the surging baseball team. With April winding down, every game is crucial for the leaders in District 14-AAA, and this week showed how the team will deal with the pressures of late-season baseball.

On Tuesday, the Panthers played Germantown. Junior shortstop Nick Dawson lead off the Panthers’ first inning with a deep solo homer to left field to put the Panthers on the board first. Three batters later in the inning, senior third baseman Max Allen hit a two-run single, scoring senior first baseman Charles Kelly and junior outfielder/designated-hitter Chad Burrow, to further the Panther lead to 3-0. Dawson smacked another home run, a two-run shot, in the second inning, bringing his season total to four homers.

Sophomore starting pitcher Shane Lantigua gave up a Red Devil run in the second inning, on an RBI double from junior center fielder Andy Fruitt, but stayed solid through the rest of the game, only giving up one other hit through 4 2/3 innings of work.

More Panther runs were added on in the fifth inning, as Allen hit a solo homer of his own, increasing the lead to 7-1. The game finished early, as Burrow broke the game with a grand-slam homer in the sixth, to close a Panther 12-2 victory.

Two days later, the Panthers started their important two-game series versus Arlington. With the two teams atop the District 14-AAA standings, both games mattered very much.

The series started at a packed Elrod Field, as there looked to be a great pitching matchup between Bartlett senior Chandler Hawkins and Arlington junior Brady Bramlett.

Hawkins started the game with trouble, giving up a solo homer to sophomore center fielder Chase Hamilton. Arlington scored three more runs in the first inning, on three walks and two hit batters from Hawkins.

The Panthers made up the deficit in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI single from junior second baseman Graham Thompson, scoring Dawson. Allen then scored on a passed ball during sophomore center fielder Bobby Holder’s at-bat. The Tigers’ lead was cut to two entering the second inning.

Hawkins encountered trouble again as junior designated-hitter Krammer Hollenbach knocked in a two-run home run, making it a 6-2 Arlington lead. The Panthers scored one run in the second inning, but with Bramlett’s eleven strikeouts, Panther bats did not click again. The Tigers took game one with a 6-2 win.

The next night, the scene shifted to Arlington.

Arlington once again took an early lead in the first inning, as Hamilton came home on a Hollenbach ground-out.

Panther bats were quiet for most of the game, as Arlington senior starting pitcher Taylor “Bug” Cox gave up three hits through five innings of work. Arlington bats kept giving Panther senior starting pitcher Austin Upchurch grief, as sophomore left fielder Andy Bowman, Cox, and Hollenbach all homered for Arlington. The Tigers’ lead 4-0 entering the sixth inning.

Then, the Panthers started a furious comeback. The inning started with a Dawson single and a Holder double. The next batter, Kelly, reached first on a throwing error by Arlington senior third baseman Jordan Mobley, scoring Dawson from third base. Burrow brought two runners home on a double to cut the Tiger lead to one. Three batters later, sophomore catcher Keegan Floyd brought Burrow home on a single to tie the game at four.

Senior K.C. Abney took the place of Upchurch in the bottom half of the inning, trying to hold the tie. Cox lead off the inning with a single, representing the go-ahead run. A Mobley sacrifice bunt and Bowman ground out advanced Cox to third base. The next batter, senior shortstop Jonathan Moody, brought Cox home on an RBI single to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead heading into the seventh inning.

Cox returned to the mound, looking for a complete game win. After a strikeout to start the inning, Dawson hit another single, looking for another Panther comeback. Two batters after a Holder single, Burrow once again knocked in a run, tying the score at five.

Dawson became the new pitcher in the seventh inning. He gave up a single in the inning, but managed to get out with no runs being scored, sending the game into extra innings.

The Panthers were the first to break the tie, in the ninth inning, and with RBIs from Holder, Burrow, and two from freshman right fielder Wesley Johnson, the Panthers took a 10-5 lead.

Dawson returned in the bottom half of the inning, and although he put three runners on base, the Panthers remained strong, winning the game 10-5. Dawson picked up the win, and Cox, who pitched 8 1/3 innings, picked up the loss.

Coach Phil Clark summed up the Panther win best: “It was a ‘Good Friday’ for the Panthers,” he said.

The Panthers finished the week with a 21-5 overall record, 9-1 in District 14-AAA.

This week, the Panthers finish up District 14-AAA regular season play with a two-game series versus Bolton.

“It’s a really important series now since [the Panther win on Friday], because you don’t know where you can be in the tournament,” Clark said.

The Panthers are first in the district, Bolton in second place with an 8-2 district record, and Arlington in third place with a 7-1 district record with four district games left.

Tuesday’s game, which was originally planned to be played at Bolton, will now be played at USA Stadium in Millington due to the April 19 storm that damaged Bolton’s baseball park. The school is also hosting the District 14-AAA tournament, starting May 6, but no plans have been made as to where the tournament games will be played.

Games this Week (weather permitting):
Tuesday 7:00 p.m.- Bartlett at Bolton (USA Stadium, Millington)
Wednesday 7:00 p.m.- Bolton at Bartlett
Thursday 6:00 p.m- Bartlett vs. Lexington (TN) (at Union University, Jackson, TN)
Saturday 11:00 a.m.- Bartlett vs. Riverside (TN) (at Jackson State Community College, Jackson, TN)
Saturday 1:00 p.m- Bartlett vs. University School of Jackson (at Jackson State Community College, Jackson, TN)

Panthers go 3-1 over week, enter toughest part of schedule

Head Baseball Coach Phil Clark sums up the structure of the Bartlett Panthers’ season. It is divided into three parts. The first part is playing tough out-of-town teams. The Panthers did this well, going 9-3 between these teams. The second part is starting district play. The Panthers went 6-0 in the first week of play. The third and final part is going against tough in-town teams and finishing District 14-AAA. Well, considering this, the Panthers are in the final stretch that is their 2011 season.

The week began on Tuesday with a road matchup against Cordova. The Panthers started fast, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, with RBIs from senior first baseman Charles Kelly, junior outfielder Chad Burrow, senior third baseman Max Allen, and sophomore catcher/designated hitter Keegan Floyd. Senior starting pitcher Chandler Hawkins gave up a Cordova run in the bottom half of the inning on a senior Mitchell Wallace RBI single, but the Panthers scored four more runs in the second inning, with two 2-RBI base hits from junior second baseman Graham Thompson and Floyd, to take an 8-1 lead. Another Panther run was tacked on in the third, as senior catcher Kye Holder scored on a Kelly RBI single, to give the Panthers a 9-1 lead.

Hawkins stayed dominant throughout, striking out thirteen Cordova batters through five innings of work, but five Panther defensive errors shrank the Panthers lead to 9-6 after the fifth inning. In the top of the sixth, Kelly knocked in another Panther run, increasing the lead to 10-6. The Panthers went to the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, as senior Josh Peterson allowed his first two batters on base, leading to another pitching change, with junior shortstop Nick Dawson becoming the new pitcher. The two Cordova runners scored in the inning, shrinking the Panther lead to 10-8. Dawson returned in the seventh and final inning, and after a Cordova leadoff single, he struck out the side, giving the Panthers a 10-8 victory. Dawson picked up the save and kept Hawkins in line for his fifth win of the season.

The Panthers got out of Cordova with a win, but having seven defensive errors in a game is a glaring statistic.

“We were off over the prom weekend, and we didn’t play a very competitive schedule the week before. We jumped out to an 8-1 lead after two, and I think we just sat back on our heels and thought that we’re going to coast. Cordova kept competing and competing, and the next thing you know, we’re in a ballgame, but we were able to hold them off,” Clark said.

The next night, the two teams met again at Elrod Field. The game started the same way as the night before, with four Panther runs scored in the bottom of the first inning, including an RBI single from Burrow and a 2-RBI single from Floyd.

The Panther defense stayed in check, as senior starting pitcher Austin Upchurch allowed three Cordova batters on base and kept the Wolves scoreless. The Panthers knocked in four runs in the third, two from a Burrow two-run homer, and four more in the fourth to take a 12-0 lead into the fifth inning. Upchurch returned in the fifth and retired all three Cordova batters to finish a complete game and close a Panthers victory.

Offensive production was important in this game, as all Panther starters, with the exception of sophomore outfielder Chase Claudio and junior outfielder Dylan Chipman, scored at least one run in the game, but Upchurch’s keeping Cordova bats at bay gave the Panthers the room to score.

“We knew upcoming this year that Austin had to be a rock for us, and he has [done that.] He’s had an up-and-down couple of weeks, but [Wednesday night] was the best that he threw in a while. I think he is getting better, and that’s what we’re trying to do–getting him sharp as he can be when May gets here,”Clark said.

Also, Floyd had his best hitting performance of the week, going two-for-two with three RBIs. He has proved himself to be an important young player in the Panther lineup.

“Keegan’s learning and he’s still working every day. We’re excited to see him, I told him after the ballgame, ‘You keep swinging like that, and you’ll stay in the lineup.’ We’re looking to get the best nine, ten, twelve [players] that we need for the District Tournament and May,” Clark said.

The next day, the Panthers began a three game out-of-district home stand versus Dyer County. The two teams met in Murfreesboro on April 25, with the Panthers winning a close 9-8 game. Sophomore Shane Lantigua took the mound for the Panthers, and kept Dyer County scoreless through three innings of work. The Panthers bats struck in the bottom half of the third inning, as Floyd hit a RBI single, scoring Kelly from second base.

Dyer County broke the Panther lead in the top of the fourth with a 2-RBI single from shortstop Andrew Massey, and in the top of the fifth, a fielding error from Claudio allowed left fielder Drew Suratt to score, giving the Choctaws a 3-1 lead. The Panthers tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth on a fielding error during Burrow’s at-bat, allowing Dawson to score, and a Floyd RBI single. Dyer County would put away the game in the top of the sixth, as Massey hit a three-run home homer, increasing the lead to 6-3. Two more Choctaws scored in the seventh inning, giving them an 8-3 lead.

After Dyer County starting pitcher Logan Pugh retired the first two Panthers batters in the bottom of the seventh, he allowed singles to Kelly and Burrow, and a wild error on a bad throw from the pitcher to first base, which would have retired Floyd, allowed Kelly to score and shrink the lead to 8-4. The comeback did not evolve, as Allen would ground out and close a Dyer County victory.

Lantigua has shown his relief pitcher power in past games, but in the starting pitcher role, he still has room for improvement.

“I thought he did really well. He made two mistake pitches during the game, and when you’re playing against a quality opponent like Dyer County, they’re going to capitalize on it,” Clark said.

Clark blames himself for calling the pitch that allowed Massey to hit the three-run homer to give Dyer County the lead, but he still gives the team responsibility for not getting back in the game.

“We didn’t play with a lot of intensity, and that’s the thing we talked about after the game. I thought we were a little soft, mentally and physically. We’ve got to pick it up. We aren’t able to play at that pace and be successful,” Clark said.

Stormy weather managed to stay out of the area on Friday night, as the Panthers played White Station. Allen smacked a two-run homer for the Panthers in the second inning and a three-run double in the third, giving the team a 7-0 lead. Senior starting pitcher K.C. Abney struck out four and allowed two White Station runners to score through five innings of work. The Panthers finished up the game in the fifth on a Kelly two-run double to close a 12-2 victory. The Panthers finished the week with a 19-4 overall record, 8-0 in District 14-AAA.

The Panthers start the “homestretch” of the season with an out-of-district matchup at home versus Germantown on Tuesday and return back to district play with a home-and-road series versus Arlington on Thursday and Friday.

Bartlett and their two opponents this week are ranked in The Commercial Appeal’s Dandy Dozen, Bartlett at number four, Germantown at number seven, and Arlington at number one. It is clear to Coach Clark why Arlington is the number one team.

“The reason they are there is because of their pitching staff. They have a tremendous pitching staff, with [junior] Brady Bramlett and [senior Taylor] ‘Bug’ Cox, and those two guys are going to be tough. They have a lot of years of experience and I can foresee them being a real challenge next week,” Clark said.

The Panthers are not going to skimp on the Red Devils either.

“[Germantown] beat [number five in Dandy Dozen] Houston [Thursday night] 5-3, and we had one of our coaches scouting the game. He said that they looked really good; they have a lot of team speed and they pitch pretty well. We’re going to have our hands full next week; if we don’t play well, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be 0-3, so we’ve got to have our intensity level notched up one more [level] to be able to compete a little better,” Clark said.

Games This Week (weather permitting)
Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Germantown at Bartlett
Thursday 7:00 p.m. Arlington at Bartlett
Friday 6:00 p.m. Bartlett at Arlington

Baseball players push hard into the beginning of the season

The spring sports are rolling out, and baseball is showing out. The varsity team’s record stands at 8-2 and the junior varsity’s is 6-5. Even with a young team, they’re starting their much anticipated season well.

While Spring Break 2011 was a time of rest for many students and teachers, the baseball team was the exception.

The varsity team played a total of five games over break and would have played six if the Munford game had not been rained out on March 14. The next day, however, they played Madison Ridgeland Academy and beat the Patriots 9-2. On Wednesday, they played the Keys High School Cougars from Park Hill, Oklahoma and rallied to defeat them with an ending score of 11-1.

On March 18 the boys clashed with two teams. They played the Huntsville Panthers first and suffered a loss with a score of 9-0. Next, they battled Holy Innocents Episcopal Golden Bears and defeated them with a score of 8-7. That game held a rather special outcome because senior Chandler Hawkins managed to gain four points for his team by hitting a home-run at the bottom of the seventh and lead his team to victory that day. The last game of spring break for the varsity baseball team was March 19 where they faced the Blackman High School Blaze from Murfreesboro and crushed them with a score of 13-3.

The junior varsity team also played over spring break. While their first game against Houston was rained out, they played against them the very next day and defeated the Mustangs with a score of 17-8. On March 16 they faced the Briarcrest Saints and won with a score of 4-0. The following day the team played two teams and suffered a loss in both games against Collierville and Christian Brothers with final scores of 4-12 and 10-11. They played their last game of spring break on March 19 against Holy Innocents Episcopal Golden Bears and won with a score of 4-0.

“I hope we do really well this year, even if it is just my first year,” said freshmen Jacob Elliot.

After coming back from break, there was no break in games for the boys’ baseball team.

On March 21 the junior varsity team faced the Christian Brothers Purple Wave again and were defeated with a score of 6-14, and the team harbors another losing blow to Christian Brothers.

The varsity team played Father Ryan High School, a team visiting from Nashville, and defeated them with a score of 10-1. The pitcher for Father Ryan in the first half of the game kept eventually walking almost every batter that came to bat and even managed to hit a player; his loose throwing helped the boys hit a home run and earned the boys four points and another two were gained during that same inning. During the fifth inning the Panthers managed to gain four more runs and blow Father Ryan out of the water. Defeating Father Ryan High School so easily showed how well the boys had practiced.

Their practices are held everyday except for Sundays, and they practice late into the afternoon unless the field is booked for a game. Spending that much time together and preparing as hard as they can, the boys get very close.

“We’re like a big family full of guys,” said senior James Terrell.

Even though the boys played their games and got back up from their losses, a team isn’t a team without a coach.

Coach Phil Clark has been proud of his team for their wins, and their ability to handle a schedule that is more hard-pressed than other years. At practices Clark really pushes that they practice “at game speed,” which means during a real game they won’t feel rushed or come across situations they haven’t dealt with. He hopes that out of this regular season the boys will gain experience for the game, especially with a young team that isn’t expected to go very far. Clark is aiming to be that team that comes up unexpectedly and wins as much as they can.

“I can’t wait to see how we will be playing in May, for the tournaments,” said Clark.

Their next games were held out of town, three hours away in Murfreesboro.

On March 25th the varsity Panthers reared up against the Dyer County High School Choctaws and the Blackman High School Blaze. While they defeated the Choctaws 9-8, they fell flat against the Blaze and lost with a final score of 1-2. The junior varsity Panthers played two games as well that Friday against the Purple Wave and the Covington High School Lions. The Purple Wave engulfed the JV Panthers and left them with a score of 6-14. The boys came back up and swiftly defeated the Lions with a score of 11-10.

On the 26th the varsity team faced the Columbia Central High School Lions and won another close game with a score of 6-5. The junior varsity played against the Munford High School Cougars and took a loss with a score of 7-10. They were both scheduled to play another game, but it was canceled due to the rain.

The first Monday of the following week, the 28th, the junior varsity team annihilated a team called the Winnipig Rookies from Manitoba, Canada. They ended the game with a score of 11-5. The next day the varsity team squared off against Collierville and defeated them easily with a score of 9-5.

On March 31 the varsity team squared off against Houston; the score ended in a tie 9-9, and the winner will be decided when both teams play against each other again on May 3. The junior varsity team faced Collierville and crushed them with a score of 12-8.

The kick off of the baseball season started with some rain and a few losses on some parts but the season isn’t over yet. The boys will play all through April and even a day in May, and who knows how far they’ll make it.

Sports Brief: Baseball goes for complete district streak

Many people at Bartlett know that the baseball team is one of the best in the state: They have proceeded to state championships since 2006, and won the title in 2007. However, what some Panther fans may NOT know is that Bartlett has not lost a single game to any opponents in District 14-AAA since 2006. To round out the streak, the Panthers plan to grind the Bolton Wildcats into the dust in their next two games April 27-28.

The other schools in the district include Raleigh-Egypt, Arlington, Millington Central, Craigmont, and Cordova. The Panthers have played against each team twice and won both times.

Baseball returns in full swing

In the 2009 baseball season, the Bartlett Panthers created an awe-inspiring standard: They became district and regional champions and rose to become the fourth best baseball team in the entire state of Tennessee.

Off to a good start, the team won their first district game against Raleigh Egypt this past Tuesday, placing their current conference record at 2-0.

So, now the time has come for them to prove their merit once again by putting their team of mostly upperclassmen into play.

Since August, the baseball players have been training with a weight and endurance regimen. It was not until mid-February that actual practices began.

After winning three scrimmages against Memphis University School, Jackson Christian School, and St. Benedict, they started their official season at the Lewis Harris Memorial Tournament on March 15-20 at W.J. Freeman Park. However, none of the teams that they consider their biggest threats attended.

“We look forward to playing Arlington, Collierville, and Houston,” Clark said, naming three rival teams, two of which did not attend the tournament.

The Panthers had a successful week with five wins and only two losses. Their losses were on Tuesday against Collierville High School and Clay-Chalkville from Alabama.

And according to the coach, losses are “gonna happen, especially with a seven game tournament.”

This weekend, the boys will travel to Murfreesboro, TN to compete in the Blackman Blaze Tournament where they will play against the number four team in the country, Farragut.

Even though they beat Blackman in the previous tournament, “we don’t plan on winning them all. They do, but I don’t. I have a little bit more of a realistic view,” Clark said.

Meanwhile, the senior players are still setting an example for the younger players by continuing to persevere through the rest of the season.

“All Coach asks from us is focus and hard play,” senior, third baseman, and pitcher Tyler Porter said.

And that is just what the players plan to bring to the rest of the practices and games.

With relentless hard work and dedication, every player will continue to contribute his fair share to the future success of the baseball team.