Marion County will dress out 19 players for its baseball games this year, and 16 of those likely will pitch at one time or another for the Warriors, who are favored to win District 6-AA.
“They return their whole pitching staff from a state-tournament team that won 31 games, and they have a solid nucleus of returnees,” Sequatchie County coach Juan Clariday said. “They’re the defending champions and they’re the team to beat until somebody proves otherwise.”
If they survive 6-AA, the Warriors will have run a gauntlet that includes Hixson, Notre Dame, Chattanooga Christian, East Ridge and Sequatchie.
“You ask any of our kids and they’ll tell you that our motto is that it all begins with pitching. If you’re not throwing strikes, it’s likely to fall apart,” said Marion coach Steven Roberts, whose team won 25, 29 and 31 games the last three seasons.
“We’ll work out 16 guys although it won’t be everybody every day, and a couple are freshmen. But if they have any ability at all to throw, I’ll teach them the mechanics.”
The Warriors are so deep in pitching that Cody Henegar, a 6-foot-8 right-hander with good control, may be limited to tournament games or spot duty. Henegar pitched last weekend and an opposing coach was impressed not only with his size but his control and a nasty curveball.
The returning pitchers include Hershel Bettis, Lucas Lloyd, Justin Bell, Joe Muir and Blake Fowler. They combined to win 28 games last year, led by 7-0 and 5-0 records from Bell and Muir and Bettis’ 2.26 earned run average. Then there is Zeke Guyear, who is coming off rotator-cuff surgery but had pinpoint control in the past.
“They’re going to have to come on a little stronger this year,” Roberts said. “We averaged eight runs per game last year, and I think that will be down a little this year.”
The Warriors, in other words, will miss center fielder Kevin Layne, catcher Bubba Newsom and right fielder Nick Wilson.
“I think he was a little worried about losing the guys up the middle,” Clariday said.
“Our biggest hole is at catcher,” Roberts agreed. “Bryson Helm blocks well, hits well and understands the game, and Chris Martin didn’t play last year but he can hit and he has a good arm. He’s a good athlete; he could be our starting quarterback next fall.”
The singles-hitting Fowler was among the team’s best batters a year ago, and first baseman Sam Griswold hit .370 with six home runs and 32 RBIs. Guyear also is recovering from a broken leg and spent six weeks in a cast and another six in a boot. He’ll play second base.
“I think he’ll be back to 80 percent by midseason, and I think he’ll also throw some innings for us,” Roberts said.
Zephan Guyear will start at second base until Zeke is ready and then will fill a variety of roles including shortstop and third base and maybe even catcher, depending on who is on the mound.
Told that his team had been the No. 1 pick by every 6-AA coach who responded to a Times Free Press poll, Roberts conceded, “We have that possibility.”
Tennessee teams begin play officially on Monday.
Baseball region storylines
Region 3-A: Coaches picked Lookout Valley, coming off a state-tournament appearance, to win the District 6 title over Arts & Sciences and Grace Academy to shade Silverdale Baptist in District 5.
Region 3-AA: District 5 finally followed District 6’s lead and split into two sub-districts. Favorites are McMinn Central and Polk County, although Meigs County and Boyd-Buchanan should challenge. Former Sequatchie coach Greg Bartley is back as an assistant to Clariday and is working with the pitchers.
Region 3-AAA: Red Bank and McMinn County are the teams to beat according to a poll of coaches. Red Bank’s Lions in District 6 have pitching and more pitching. The District 5 Cherokees have a strong returning nucleus, and their pitching has been strong in playdays and scrimmages.
Ward Gossett is an assistant sports editor and writer for the Times Free Press. Ward has a long history in Chattanooga journalism. He actually wrote a bylined story for the Chattanooga News-Free Press as a third-grader. He Began working part-time there in 1968 and was hired full time in 1970. Ward now covers high school athletics, primarily football, wrestling and baseball and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling. Over a 40-year career, he has covered ...
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