Baylor’s Henry Ford continues to treat ballparks as launching pads.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior third baseman, a University of Virginia baseball signee, has hit home runs at an incredible pace this spring with 14 in 80 at-bats. As of Thursday afternoon in statistics listed at MaxPreps.com, Ford led all Tennessee high school players in home runs and was two shy of the national lead held by Arkansas signee Walker Martin from Colorado.
Ford has four multihomer games this season, all in wins for the Red Raiders (20-4). Last year, his first with Baylor, he hit 13 home runs in 90 at-bats. He has struck out only 14 times in his two seasons with the TSSAA Division II-AA program while drawing 28 walks, and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper selected him as a preseason All-American this year.
“It’s safe to say Henry is one of the scariest hitters for a pitcher to face,” Baylor coach Greg Elie said. “He can hit the ball out of the park at any given moment. He goes right at pitchers and has a great approach.”
Meanwhile, Ford’s teammate Tomas Valincius, a junior who has committed to Virginia, has a 1.118 slugging percentage that is the state’s best among players listed on MaxPreps.com. Valincius has 13 doubles and 10 home runs to go with 40 RBIs.
Howard junior leadoff hitter Camron James is also atop the Tennessee MaxPreps leaderboard with 35 steals in 30 games. James had a season-high four stolen bases in a 14-10 win over Arts & Sciences on April 14.
“Camron is the best competitor I have ever coached,” Howard coach John Johnson said. “He hates to lose, and he backs it up with his work ethic. I truly believe he will be one of our first college signees.
“He is the first guy to throw 80 miles per hour for us. He hit .407 on the year against strong competition. Kids look up to him and want to hit, run and throw as fast as he can. The other day he threw the ball for 15 minutes with my son, and that meant the world to my little boy.”
Colts win second soccer state title
Coahulla Creek, which opened in 2011, captured its second GHSA state championship in boys’ soccer with a 1-0 overtime win over Oconee County late Wednesday night at Mercer University in Macon.
Anthony Mendiola, who was a key part of the Colts’ first title team in 2021, chipped a long pass from midfield to Cruz Barcenas, who knocked the ball in with 1:13 remaining in the first 10-minute overtime session. Coahulla Creek (19-1-2) didn’t allow a shot in either overtime in front of keeper Diego Fraire.
The Warriors (18-2-2), known for their defense, kept the Colts at bay in regulation, though there were a few opportunities as Coahulla Creek dominated possession.
“I was expecting this game to be a tough one,” Coahulla Creek coach Aurelio Jacobo said. “About 10 minutes in, I was actually surprised at how easy we were able to control the group. The only frustration was us not being able to finish. We dominated time of possession and shooting, especially in the second half, but we couldn’t get a shot in the back of the net.”
Another boys’ soccer program from Whitfield County, private school Christian Heritage, won its first GHSA state championship with a 2-1 victory against Georgia Military College Prep in the Class A (Division II) final Tuesday night at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. The Lions began competing in GHSA soccer in 2013.
Beagles steps down at Heritage
Eric Beagles, who founded the Heritage baseball program in 2008, stepped down as its head coach this week.
Beagles, who is remaining at the Catoosa County high school as an assistant principal, took the Generals to the playoffs in each of the past eight GHSA baseball postseasons that were held (which excludes the pandemic year of 2020). His 2017 and 2018 teams combined to win 59 games and reached the Class AAAA semifinals, and three others made it as far as the quarterfinals (2016, 2021, 2022).
“Coach Beagles developed a program that focused on building character in young men and playing baseball with love and respect of the game,” Heritage athletic director Eric Schexnaildre said in a statement released by the school. “The Heritage Generals baseball team has experienced tremendous success under his leadership.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com and Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com.