The Choctaw County baseball team will face diamond competition for the first time Saturday for a jamboree at Nanih Waiya, with games against Louisville and the host school. Games will be four innings, with pitchers limited to two innings.
“I plan to throw 8 to 10 guys,” said coach Andy Young. “It would be nice to win, but I prefer to get my guys some experience.”
Choctaw County returns seven starters from a team that missed the MHSAA playoffs a year ago.
“I like the way my team has been practicing,” Young said. “I genuinely think we are going to play good defense. We’re going to pitch well and play good defense. We have to find a way to swing it a little better than we did the last couple of years.”
The Chargers suffered a setback when sophomore Trace Beard was lost for the season after undergoing elbow surgery. He was the team’s best hitter last year.
“That’s going to hurt me big time. He was really swinging well,” Young said.
At the end of the 2019 season, the Chargers were staring seven sophomores. It’s still a young team with only one senior Landon Wells.
“He’s a do-it-all kind of kid,” Young said of Wells. “He pitches, he plays the infield and he can play the outfield if we need it.”
Many of the players pitch and play other positions. That includes juniors Justin Jenkins – pitcher and outfield; Brian Threadgill – pitcher and outfield; and Carson Betts – pitcher, catcher, and corner infield.
Another junior, Zay Coleman, will join the pitching staff when basketball season ends, and Young said he has five freshman who will vie for time on the mound.
Choctaw County will compete to Region 4-3A with Aberdeen, Hatley, Houston and Noxubee County. Young said Houston is the team to beat. The Hilltoppers reached the third round of the 3A playoffs last year before losing in three games to North Pontotoc, which went on to win the state championship.
