Scoop27
06-01-2016, 03:21 PM
From Brazosport Facts
It’s a word that can motivate some teams to great heights, and prove to be too much for others to handle.
For the six seniors on the Sweeny Bulldog baseball team — Shawn Kelley, Cody Erikson, Hayden Fails, Dax McCleary, Jacob Mathis and Mikey Wetch — it’s a word they have become used to hearing since they first stepped onto the field as freshman four years ago.
“Coming in, even when we were young, we knew there was a lot of talent in our class,” Fails said. “We knew we could definitely make a run for playoffs and possibly make a run to state, and that’s what we’re trying to shoot for here. We knew if we helped lead these younger guys — and there is a lot of talent below us, too — that we could make a good run at this, and it’s paying off.”
It certainly is, as the Bulldogs find themselves in the Class 4A Region IV final against the Salado Eagles. The best-of-three series begins at 7 p.m. today at Mumford High School, and continues at 5 p.m. Friday with Game 2 at Mumford High School. Game 3 will follow 30 minutes after Game 2’s conclusion if necessary.
Despite the pressure the seniors have faced this season, coach David Luster said he has been impressed with the leadership and play of the seniors.
“I think they’ve definitely lived up to or even exceeded their expectations,” Luster said. “You know, everybody talks about wanting to be (in the regional finals), but in reality, getting here takes a lot more than just talent. You’ve got to have good breaks, you’ve got to have lucky breaks, good calls along the way — there’s just so much that has to go right to still be playing right now.
“They’re very resilient. When their backs are against the wall it seems like they play their best and they just find a way to get the job done.”
Usually before the season starts Luster has the team vote for its captains, but this season, he decided to take a different approach.
“We didn’t vote on team captains this year, because I felt like all the seniors were captains,” Luster said. “So I just kind of went to them, and they’ve come to me several times this year with concerns as a group. They’ve definitely set the expectations, and I almost feel at times like I’ve got six more assistant coaches, because they know the game so well.”
Kelley, who is signed with the Air Force Academy to play baseball next season, has become a dominant force behind the plate and on the mound for the Bulldogs. He is 10-0 with 69 strikeouts and a 1.16 ERA as a pitcher, while also leading the team at the plate with a .537 batting average and 43 RBIs.
“It just goes back to all of the hard work we’ve put in,” Erikson said. “You see it finally paying off. Here we are in the fifth round, two games to win to go to state and Shawn is on a whole different level. When he is in a baseball game he gets his mind — I don’t even know how to describe it — he just goes to a whole different level. It’s just fun to be able to play behind him.”
Erikson, a University of Houston signee, is no slouch either at shortstop. He is batting .400 with nine doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs in the lead-off spot for the Bulldogs.
After injuring his wrist early in the season, Erikson fought back to return for district play and has been a spark plug for the Bulldogs, Luster said.
“Cody is one of those guys I could coach for one hundred years and never raise my voice to,” Luster said. “He’s here early, he stays late, and he always give you his best effort. Even when he was injured, we had several voluntary practices and he was the first one there.”
Throughout this run to the fifth round of the playoffs, all six seniors have come up with clutch hits and RBIs when the Bulldogs have needed them.
Second baseman Mathis (.287, six doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs, 31 runs scored), center fielder McCleary (.284, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 28 walks) and left fielder Wetch (.419, two doubles, 17 RBIs) have been tough outs in every round of the postseason, and Luster said the growth of Wetch has been especially fun to watch.
“Mikey is Mr. Clutch, and we call him ‘Single Sammy,’ because he’s got like 26 hits on the year and almost every one of them are singles. But he just finds a way to put the ball in play,” Luster said. “His batting average has risen something like 150 points since he moved to left field.”
Then there is the right fielder Fails (.385, nine doubles, six triples, four home runs, 41 RBIs), the biggest power threat for the Bulldogs, whom Luster said is a guy whose at-bats he never wants to miss.
“Hayden is a guy that has long-ball capability,” Luster said. “Anytime he is in the batter’s box, you know something is going to happen. He’s a lot of fun to watch.”
Throughout this wild postseason, which has seen Sweeny pushed to a winner-take-all third game three times, Fails said he has always been cognizant of the fact that his final game with his fellow seniors is on the horizon.
“I’ve really cherished every moment with them,” Fails said. “We’ve been playing together since we were really young — like 6 years old — so you really want to make this last season mean a lot and hopefully win as much with these guys as possible. We just want to achieve that one dream we’ve had ever since we were young — to come up here and get to that state tournament and hopefully win it.”
Kelley echoed those sentiments and said it all comes back to the word he and his seniors have heard so often in their four years — expectation.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Kelley said. “Freshman sophomore, junior year we’ve had so much on our shoulders, expecting us to go to state and be good. There’s always expectations here, and if we’re finally able to meet them it would just be unreal.”
It’s a word that can motivate some teams to great heights, and prove to be too much for others to handle.
For the six seniors on the Sweeny Bulldog baseball team — Shawn Kelley, Cody Erikson, Hayden Fails, Dax McCleary, Jacob Mathis and Mikey Wetch — it’s a word they have become used to hearing since they first stepped onto the field as freshman four years ago.
“Coming in, even when we were young, we knew there was a lot of talent in our class,” Fails said. “We knew we could definitely make a run for playoffs and possibly make a run to state, and that’s what we’re trying to shoot for here. We knew if we helped lead these younger guys — and there is a lot of talent below us, too — that we could make a good run at this, and it’s paying off.”
It certainly is, as the Bulldogs find themselves in the Class 4A Region IV final against the Salado Eagles. The best-of-three series begins at 7 p.m. today at Mumford High School, and continues at 5 p.m. Friday with Game 2 at Mumford High School. Game 3 will follow 30 minutes after Game 2’s conclusion if necessary.
Despite the pressure the seniors have faced this season, coach David Luster said he has been impressed with the leadership and play of the seniors.
“I think they’ve definitely lived up to or even exceeded their expectations,” Luster said. “You know, everybody talks about wanting to be (in the regional finals), but in reality, getting here takes a lot more than just talent. You’ve got to have good breaks, you’ve got to have lucky breaks, good calls along the way — there’s just so much that has to go right to still be playing right now.
“They’re very resilient. When their backs are against the wall it seems like they play their best and they just find a way to get the job done.”
Usually before the season starts Luster has the team vote for its captains, but this season, he decided to take a different approach.
“We didn’t vote on team captains this year, because I felt like all the seniors were captains,” Luster said. “So I just kind of went to them, and they’ve come to me several times this year with concerns as a group. They’ve definitely set the expectations, and I almost feel at times like I’ve got six more assistant coaches, because they know the game so well.”
Kelley, who is signed with the Air Force Academy to play baseball next season, has become a dominant force behind the plate and on the mound for the Bulldogs. He is 10-0 with 69 strikeouts and a 1.16 ERA as a pitcher, while also leading the team at the plate with a .537 batting average and 43 RBIs.
“It just goes back to all of the hard work we’ve put in,” Erikson said. “You see it finally paying off. Here we are in the fifth round, two games to win to go to state and Shawn is on a whole different level. When he is in a baseball game he gets his mind — I don’t even know how to describe it — he just goes to a whole different level. It’s just fun to be able to play behind him.”
Erikson, a University of Houston signee, is no slouch either at shortstop. He is batting .400 with nine doubles, two triples and 13 RBIs in the lead-off spot for the Bulldogs.
After injuring his wrist early in the season, Erikson fought back to return for district play and has been a spark plug for the Bulldogs, Luster said.
“Cody is one of those guys I could coach for one hundred years and never raise my voice to,” Luster said. “He’s here early, he stays late, and he always give you his best effort. Even when he was injured, we had several voluntary practices and he was the first one there.”
Throughout this run to the fifth round of the playoffs, all six seniors have come up with clutch hits and RBIs when the Bulldogs have needed them.
Second baseman Mathis (.287, six doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs, 31 runs scored), center fielder McCleary (.284, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 28 walks) and left fielder Wetch (.419, two doubles, 17 RBIs) have been tough outs in every round of the postseason, and Luster said the growth of Wetch has been especially fun to watch.
“Mikey is Mr. Clutch, and we call him ‘Single Sammy,’ because he’s got like 26 hits on the year and almost every one of them are singles. But he just finds a way to put the ball in play,” Luster said. “His batting average has risen something like 150 points since he moved to left field.”
Then there is the right fielder Fails (.385, nine doubles, six triples, four home runs, 41 RBIs), the biggest power threat for the Bulldogs, whom Luster said is a guy whose at-bats he never wants to miss.
“Hayden is a guy that has long-ball capability,” Luster said. “Anytime he is in the batter’s box, you know something is going to happen. He’s a lot of fun to watch.”
Throughout this wild postseason, which has seen Sweeny pushed to a winner-take-all third game three times, Fails said he has always been cognizant of the fact that his final game with his fellow seniors is on the horizon.
“I’ve really cherished every moment with them,” Fails said. “We’ve been playing together since we were really young — like 6 years old — so you really want to make this last season mean a lot and hopefully win as much with these guys as possible. We just want to achieve that one dream we’ve had ever since we were young — to come up here and get to that state tournament and hopefully win it.”
Kelley echoed those sentiments and said it all comes back to the word he and his seniors have heard so often in their four years — expectation.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Kelley said. “Freshman sophomore, junior year we’ve had so much on our shoulders, expecting us to go to state and be good. There’s always expectations here, and if we’re finally able to meet them it would just be unreal.”