The Stretch Run...Marshall Academy
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

There are a handful of teams that stand a legitimate chance of winning a State AA Baseball Championship this season. The upcoming playoffs should produce some great series as both the north and south regions battle it out for the right to face each other during the week of May 10th. Which teams have the best pitching rotations and players that can produce clutch hitting will unfold in the upcoming weeks.
During the upcoming stretch run several of those teams that may have all the pieces in place to make that championship run will be highlighted here on Southern Sports & Travel.
It’s been a gradual climb in the rankings for the Marshall Patriots over the past five weeks. After hovering in the top five for much of that time the Patriots have taken the top spot in the latest Southern Sports & Travel Top Ten rankings. Last Friday’s 14-8 win over MHSAA 6A Olive Branch cemented Marshall as one of the premier teams in MAIS AA baseball and as the District 1AA champions prepare for the upcoming playoffs the task for head coach Johnny Ray is to have his squad fully prepared in order to make a run at a state title. Top ranked Marshall sports a 24-4 record and completed district play with an unblemished 12-0 mark.

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From the dugout with coach Johnny Ray:

*Marshall has been one of the hottest teams in AA baseball. What do you attribute the consistent play to?

"Our pitching staff has been rock solid. Led by seniors Will Patton (6-1) and Parker James (5-0), they have pitched some really big innings for us and will continue to do so. Our pitching staff is really deep. Joey Brock (4-1) is a junior who has been steady. John Wesley Ray (1-1 2 saves) and Dustin Allen (2-0) are underclassmen who have pitched in some key situations. Aaron McAlexander (1-0) and Evan Hickman (2-0) have provided depth. For the most part, as a group, we have pitched really well. We do not have any overpowering arms, but we have an abundance of guys who know how to pitch. We have issued very few walks and made our opponents put the ball in play. In addition, we have played defense very well to this point."
*What do you feel your guys need to do a better job at?

"Our hitting has been Jekyl and Hyde. To keep advancing in the playoffs, I feel we are going to have to be more productive at the plate. James has led us to this point, hitting .444 in the leadoff spot. Sophomore Elgin Lafever has handled the bat well batting .359 and Jake Omedeo has anchored the middle of the line up batting .313. Getting Tyler Childers back in the lineup after a month absence is going to be a big boost. When he went out he was leading us in RBI’s with 13 after 9 games. We have really missed him in the three spot of our lineup. Brock (.282), Ray (.354), Caleb Byrd (.324), Jacob McMinn (.349) and Joey Omedeo (.300) have all gotten some clutch hits for us in some key situations. After struggling thru the first month, Josh Vanderburg (.273) has seemed to find his stroke at the plate."
*What will it take to make a run at a state title?

"I think every team that is going to make a run will need a little luck on their side but besides that, keep playing opportunistic baseball. We must take advantage of our scoring chances and continue to make the routine plays defensively. We have won a lot of close games to this point in the season. That will definitely help us once the playoffs start because all of those games will be nail biters."
* Who do your guys look to for leadership on the team?

"They feed off of each other. No one has really emerged as a leader among my five seniors. They do pull for each other as a team, but my seniors are all pretty quiet. I just ask them to play the game the right way, pull for each other and not against their opponent. Vanderburg, a junior catcher, has done a tremendous job behind the plate. We rely on him in many ways and he has really stepped up defensively. You always rely on your catcher to take charge and he has done just that."
*What teams in the north concern you the most as playoff time approaches?

"The winner of District 1 has to go through District 3. ALL of those teams concern me. There are a lot of really good teams in District 3 and looking at box scores, very evenly matched. The one that gets the most press is Hillcrest. With arms like Hartzog and Rogers they will have to be considered the most lethal in a best 2 out of 3 playoff format. Canton eliminated us from the playoffs last year and look to be right back in the hunt again. Simpson looks to be a very solid team leading the pack right now. Of course, you can never count Lamar out of the race. Looking at District 2, Coach Shanks has Carroll playing really well and Manchester can really swing it. You can’t count out Indianola either. Coach Putnam’s boys play hard and have three very good arms. We were very fortunate against them."

The Johnny Ray resume.......

*Second year at Marshall Academy after spending seven years (three as head coach) at Southwest TN CC in Memphis. Coached STCC to first ever Region 23 championship in 2004. Had overall record as 101-68 at STCC, including setting the single season win mark (40).

*1985 Graduate of Marshall Academy
*Played at Northwest MS CC 1986-1987
*Played at Delta State University 1988-1989
*Played in the Cincinnati Reds Organization from 1989-1993.

*Marshall was 21-14 a year ago winning District 1AA for third consecutive year.

The week ahead:

Thursday Marshall hosts Rossville Academy