Silverdale Baptist Academy senior Brett Rogers already has a professional makeup at the plate as a hitter.
He proved that in a powerful way in Thursday's 15-8 victory at McCallie, the reigning TSSAA Division II-AA baseball state champion.
The Seahawks slugger showed his ability to drive the ball to all parts of the park, with Rogers connecting for a towering opposite-field home run to left-center in a 12-run third inning that eventually helped Silverdale Baptist extend its winning streak to 20 games. The left-handed hitter then capped his big night with a rocket over the right-field fence that most likely had an exit velocity of 110 mph off his metal bat.
"I have known Brett since he was knee-high," Silverdale Baptist coach Lance Rorex said. "He has worked and he's worked and he's worked at his craft. The maturity he brings to the plate is because of the work he has put in. He is such a special kid, but he trains like he is the worst. Then he comes out here and lets all the work he has put in show."
Rogers, one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state, is hitting .567 (43-for-76) with seven home runs, 11 doubles, three triples, 45 RBIS and more than 20 stolen bases this season.
His training approach in the cages from an early age was to be a great opposite-field hitter, similar to the way Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hits in practice to left field as a left-handed hitter.
"Coach Rorex and my family go way back," Rogers said. "He coached my brother, and he and my grandpa have coached together for all my life. My grandpa coached him at Lookout Valley. They have always been there for me and been a very big encouragement. I couldn't ask for a better head coach, too."
Rogers is part of a star-studded roster for Silverdale (21-3), which had seven extra-base hits Thursday, when McCallie's starting pitcher was Florida Gators signee Grayson Smith.
Ian Reagan jump-started the 12-run third with a two-run double down the left-field line on the first pitch he saw, and Brody Lamb followed with a two-run triple on a hard hit down the first-base line into the corner. Reagan doubled twice in the win, while Owen Phillips homered and Cam Bowen tripled and drove in a pair of runs.
Meanwhile, Eric Boggess and Turner Junkins made some highlight plays in the field to back Alex Slycord, who threw four scoreless innings in relief for the Seahawks.
"For us, the most important thing is to be in the moment all the time," Rogers said. "Yes, you can have overarching goals that you want to strive for, but you have to stick and never fall away from the process. I love baseball, and I always want to use it as a platform to glorify God."
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Silverdale Baptist senior Brett Rogers (6) jumps into a crowd of teammates surrounding home plate after hitting an opposite-field homer at McCallie in a 12-run third inning during Thursday's 15-8 road win.Smith next for Bruins
Matthew Smith was approved this week as the next boys' basketball coach at Northwest Whitfield. He succeeds Ryan Richards, who resigned last month after 20 years on the Northwest bench to become the athletic director at Dalton.
Smith has been the Gordon Lee boys' coach since 2017. He previously was the girls' coach at Loganville Christian and Hixson and served as an assistant coach at several schools, including Boyd Buchanan and Chattanooga Christian.
"I am passionate about using basketball to teach teenagers important life skills such as discipline, teamwork, commitment and how to handle adversity," Smith stated in a Northwest release. "I will tirelessly work to keep Bruin basketball at a level which the school, community and alumni will take pride in."
Clay returns to Lions Den
One of the top dual-sport athletes in Red Bank history is returning to his old stomping grounds.
Kelvin Clay III, a 2011 graduate, is taking over as girls' basketball coach at his high school alma mater.
Clay was an assistant coach at Chattanooga State from 2017-22. He helped the Lady Tigers win the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association championship while going 27-5 in the 2019-20 campaign. He coached Brainerd's girls this school year.
He starred for the Lions in basketball and football. Clay's 1,875 points rank second in Red Bank basketball history, trailing only classmate Nick Ross (2,200).
Clay was a receiver for Samford University after a high school career in which he had more than 2,500 all-purpose yards and made plays all over the field as a senior with six interceptions and three special teams returns for touchdowns in 2010.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.