Diamond Canes Fall in State Playoffs
It was a successful start to the state playoffs for the Jasper County-Monticello High School baseball team but the end result would not go in favor of the Diamond Canes.
Jasper County-Monticello fell to Jeff Davis High School on the road last week as the GHSA Class AA state playoffs began. The Canes won the series opener 4-1 but the host Yellow Jackets recovered to win the second half of a doubleheader 7-0 on Thursday and then closed out the series with an 11-0 victory in a third and deciding contest.
“This was the first playoff experience for our 10 seniors and the first experience for me as a head coach,” Jasper County-Monticello coach Brady McMichael said. “We have nothing to hold our heads about. We played hard in all three games.”
Cole Hays earned the win and went the distance in the series opener recording six strikeouts. He limited Jeff Davis to seven hits and did not allow a run in the seventh inning.
Jasper County-Monticello took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a homer by Mac Barton and never trailed in the series opener. Tristian Humphries also had an RBI.
“Jeff Davis didn’t have an answer for Cole,” McMichael said. “He benefited from getting an early lead and we were able to play solid defense behind him.”
Looking to close out the series and advance in game two, the Canes saw Jeff Davis lead 2-0 after the second inning. The score remained that way until the Yellow Jackets scored three more in the sixth and two additional runs in the seventh inning.
It was a tough game offensively for Jasper County-Monticello as the Canes managed just three hits.
Baylor Edge worked 5.1 strong innings and recorded four strikeouts.
The teams returned to the field the following day to decide the series. Jasper County-Monticello jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning but Jeff Davis responded with four runs in the bottom of the first.
Neither team scored in the second or third innings before the Yellow Jackets added one in the fourth and then broke the game open with five in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Barton had two hits although as a team, the Canes struggled again at the plate.
Myles Proctor worked 4.1 innings and had three strikeouts. Hunter Hays threw 1.2 innings in relief.
The 22 wins earned by the team this season is believed to be a program record. McMichael said the program recorded 21 wins in 1999. If any former player knows of a season in which more wins were recorded, they are asked to contact the coach.
“Of course, we all wish we were competing in the second round,” McMichael said. “However, making the playoffs was big for our seniors and our program as a whole. I think had last season not been stopped we would have qualified. The experience we would have gained would have really been beneficial.”
The coach said he thanked the parents for their support this season in a variety of ways from working in the concession stand to helping feed the team on road trips.
McMichael said typically he would have a summer league schedule of games for the returning players but with so many seniors graduating, the coach said the team would primarily focus on practicing in June.