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Bears not taking playoffs lightly
Heading into today's 4-A state playoff game against Holly Springs, the New Bern baseball team knows not to take any team lightly.
Last season, Apex entered Boykin Field and left with a victory over New Bern.
"We've talked to our kids about how it is a one-game season. If you win you get to play another one-game season, but if you lose your season is over," said New Bern coach Gary Smith. "I think they understand the urgency."
Smith expects a young Holly Springs team to come ready to play today.
"We've got 10 or 11 kids that were part of a playoff team last year," Smith said. "The playoffs can be intimidating even for teams that have been there. I doubt that Holly Springs will come down here intimidated at all. If I was in their shoes I would take the underdog role."
Holly Springs is just a second-year school with no seniors on the team. The Golden Hawks are members of the Greater Neuse River Conference. They posted a 13-9 record during the regular season.
"The best way to describe them is that they are scrappy," Smith said. "They have got a bunch of young kids that are not worried about college scholarships and graduation and they are just showing up to play baseball. They play pretty good defense from what I've been told. They look to manufacture runs and don't strike out a lot."
The Bears enter tonight's contest with 14-9 record. They will send senior Nathan Healy to the mound. Healy owns an 8-2 record with a 1.85 earned run average on the season. He has struck out 48 batters in 58 innings.
"He has been our No. 1 guy all year and you don't get to round two unless you win round one," Smith said. "We are going to run our best out there. Since spring break, he has been as good as anybody in any league. When he starts, he expects a complete game and he has given us the expectation that he is going to go seven innings. He is pitching with a lot of confidence every time out."
According to Smith, if the Bears expect to advance in the playoffs, they are going to have contributions from everyone in the batting order.
Brett Williams leads New Bern's offense with a .400 batting average. He also has five home runs, 27 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases. Gabe Brown has five home runs and 24 RBIs, while boasting a .387 batting average.
Eric Kosco owns a .338 batting average with 14 RBIs, while Matt Hardeman is hitting .333 for New Bern with 15 runs batted in.
"If we can get all our guys hitting on the same night, it could be something special to watch," Smith said. "Our first four guys have been pretty consistent all year long. At this time we need everybody to play at their best and with some consistency."
Adam Thompson can be reached at (252) 635-5670 or at athompson@freedomenc.com.
