Jared Hensley was in shock Friday evening when Tullahoma plated four first-inning runs, but he wasn't overly concerned.
The Soddy-Daisy coach hasn't been overwrought very often this year.
"I was a little concerned the first week but that was the first week. Then we went 1-3 in our own tournament just before the district tournament," he recalled. "I didn't feel this team was as close as I'd like. We had an hour-long meeting, and they have really come together and they're now playing for each other."
Soddy-Daisy rallied for a 7-6 win over Tullahoma in Friday's sectional and the victory marked the Trojans' ninth win in 10 games.
Hensley wasn't alone with concerns.
Baylor coach Gene Etter, who'll be in the state tournament for the first time since 2008, saw the Red Raiders go 4-7 in their first 11 games. Since that time, though, they have put together a 14-5 record.
Short practice Sunday
South Pittsburg had a short practice Sunday in preparation for its first trip to Spring Fling in years.
"I like to keep practices this late short and crisp," coach Wes Stone said. "At this time of year you're not getting better. You're just trying to stay sharp."
The Pirates were sharp Friday, so sharp that they pulled ace Hunter Giles although the unbeaten senior was riding a no-hitter.
"He had thrown on Monday and he had thrown 47-48 pitches," Stone said. "We wanted to get him all the rest we could, and Jacob Toney hadn't pitched in a while so we got him in to pitch that last inning."
Triplett remembers 1986
The last time Polk County made the state tournament, current coach Bill Triplett was there.
Granted, the 300-game winner was just breaking in and he had his degree from MTSU, but he took a job as a janitor, cleaning the gym and two classrooms to make $485 per week, in order to be the team's assistant coach.
The Wildcats were out raising money for their trip early Saturday morning, gathered at the one red light in Benton.
"There were a bunch of guys with Mohawks. I told [pitcher/slugger] Jared Allen if the University of Tennessee coaches saw how ugly he looked they'd probably rescind his scholarship," said Triplett, who was sporting a buzz cut himself compliments of team "barber" Jim Bob Maples.
Because of a Saturday sectional in Knoxville the Wildcats didn't find out their opponent until late in the weekend. They'll open against DeKalb County at 7:30 Tuesday night at Murfreesboro Blackman.
Arlington went the distance
One could say Arlington definitely earned its way into the state tournament.
Playing in a Class AAA sectional Friday, Arlington went 18 innings before pulling out a 4-3 victory over Germantown. The game took slightly more than five hours, finally ending on a home run by Bug Cox. The win puts Arlington in the state tournament for the first time since 2008.
Top draft pick missing
Daniel Norris won't be at the Spring Fling. The left-handed pitcher, projected to go in the first handful of picks in next month's major league baseball draft, and his Science Hill teammates were upended by Maryville 8-2 in a Class AAA sectional. The win earned Maryville its first state tournament trip since 1989.