So many senior memories were stripped away from four Winston Academy players without their consent due to COVID-19, but coach Charlie Smith, students, families and patrons in Louisville made sure they were honored last week.
Jackson Joiner, Hunter Gregory, Jody McCorkle and Josh Mcginnis all got their social-distancing style senior night at Patriot Field as the players got giant signs of their names and celebrated with on lookers outside the fence line. It came on the heels of the team having to suspend the season after just 12 games and right before district play.
For Gregory, it ends a season where he had been voted the team captain and was having a big season behind the dish at catcher. He was slugging a .455 batting average and had 10 hits in 10 games with six RBI, two doubles and 10 walks compared to just three strikeouts. He had bated .333 as a junior with 19 hits.
Multi-sport standout McCorkle showed his versatility on the field playing multiple positions. He was also having a big senior season with a .391 start, 10 RBI, nine hits and three doubles. Josh McGinnis was pitching and hitting and had started 2-0 on the year in five appearances on the mound with a 2.33 earned run average and a save. He threw 15.0 innings after throwing just 20.1 all of last year. He struck out 12 batters this year.
McGinnis also batted .300 with 11 RBI and three doubles. Joiner finishes up his career with a .250 batting average the last two seasons.
Next season will be Smith’s third with the school and the coach returns a large portion of the team. Camden Sanders is the team’s only senior next year with five juniors, eight sophomores and two freshmen.
