The spring sports season comes to a dramatic conclusion this week as state champions will be decided in the five sports making up the annual TSSAA Spring Fling in Murfreesboro. The Chattanooga area has 19 total teams competing in baseball, soccer, softball and tennis, plus more than 100 others in individual track and field as well as tennis events.
As this year’s event begins with tennis and track and field on Tuesday morning, then baseball, soccer and softball during the evening session, here are a few area storylines to watch for this week:
McCallie returns to defend its Division II-AA baseball state title and opens the tournament against the Lipscomb Academy team it rallied to defeat 14-13 in a wild finish to last year’s title game. In last year’s matchup, the Mustangs scored four runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a four-run lead into the home half of the seventh. But the Blue Tornado struck for five runs, capped by Zach Porter’s game-winning two-run base hit.
Either McCallie or Baylor have played for the D-II AA title every year since 2017, with one of those two teams having claimed the last four championships.
Silverdale Baptist also returns for a second straight year and has one of the best hitting lineups in its bracket — belting 47 home runs as a team after hitting 52 last year. Brody Lamb leads the state with 72 RBIs, while Brett Rogers is batting .504.