CALHOUN, Ga. – Deron Walraven knows the Gordon County baseball scene as well as anyone, so last year when the veteran coach took over a Sonoraville program that had known nothing but losing, he knew what he was getting into.
A former assistant coach at perennial power Calhoun and head coach at Gordon Central for three years, Walraven had seen the nearby Phoenix struggle in their first six years. However, although they never had won more than six games in a season, he saw up-and-coming talent.
On the surface, a 6-18 record in 2012 was nothing special, but seven freshmen started most games. Twelve games into this season before a game Thursday night, the Phoenix were 7-5 and squarely in the playoff hunt in the new-look Region 5-AAA.
“I knew there was a good group coming up, and I kind of just rolled them out there last year as freshmen to see what they could do,” Walraven said. “It was nothing against the guys that were already there, but this program needed a clean slate, and they all came in with a great attitude and were ready to work and learn.”
Last year’s Phoenix lost 10 games by one or two runs, many due to youthful mistakes. Walraven knew there was a risk of his young players losing their confidence by being thrown into action that early, but instead of hanging their heads, they worked on the weaknesses.