In this most uneven start to the high school baseball season in northwest Georgia there is one common theme -- and it doesn't involve the multitude of weather-related postponements.
Nearly all of the teams thought to be region title contenders have struggled, and while lack of consistent game action hasn't helped, that excuse isn't playing well in most dugouts.
Ringgold's Coach Brent Tucker"The weather has no effect on how we're playing," Ringgold coach Brent Tucker said the day after losing a five-run lead in dropping a game at Calhoun. "We've played enough games, so we're out of excuses. It's more about the level of play and the competition some of us are playing. We just have to make plays, and the weather has absolutely zero to do with it in my opinion."
The loss at Calhoun -- which ended on a three-run homer after two seventh-inning errors -- left the Tigers 3-6. What particularly offends Tucker is that in each of the losses his team has committed at least four errors. The veteran coach didn't hold back expressing his frustration to his team following the Calhoun game.
"You know, in one sense it's early, but it's also getting late, too," said Tucker, whose team responded Wednesday with a nine-inning win against Catoosa County rival Heritage. "We will be close to halfway through our region by the end of next week. They know it's time to start playing like we can."
Until the rally against Ringgold, perennial state power Calhoun was sitting 1-3 and struggling with a rare anemic offense. But moments after Matthew Mullinax's homer ended the game, Calhoun coach Chip Henderson said there is no panic with the four-time state champs.
"All we need to do is string some hits together and we'll be fine," he said. "Calhoun's not going anywhere."
Neither is Gordon Lee, though if it would help coach Mike Dunfee might be willing to take his team anywhere after a 2-4 start.
"I could probably write a book on all the things I've thought about trying to solve our problems," Dunfee said of the Trojans, who returned seven of eight starters and their four top pitchers from last year's Class A runner-up team. "The weather has affected us, but you've got to grind through it, that's the bottom line.
"If you don't have that success you expected early, everybody starts to press. We're all in the same boat. There are no excuses. It's still the game of baseball and they've played it their whole life. We don't have time to panic or have doubt."
The good news for the struggling squads is that overall records and state rankings mean very little for non-Class A teams. Earn one of their region's four playoff spots and all the early trouble will be forgiven.
"Brent Tucker and I have talked about it," Dunfee said. "This year it might be that team that should have been a (No.) 1 or 2 seed will now be a 3 or 4 and could easily get hot and go a long way. Region championships are nice, but the ultimate goal is the state championship, and we all still have that chance."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.