Just hours before their graduation ceremony was set to take place Thursday at Sale Creek’s football field, seniors Gabe Hodges, Jackson McClendon and Axl Swiney were part of the greatest achievement in the history of the school’s baseball program.
Before reflecting on their high school days as a whole, the talented trio of Panthers — Hodges, McClendon and Swiney have combined for 11 of the team’s 23 home runs this season — had a moment to sit back and reflect on their love for the game that helped Sale Creek advance to the TSSAA Spring Fling for the baseball state tournament for the first time.
With their ballpark jam-packed with fans despite the midday matchup being played during school hours, the Panthers defeated Trousdale County 14-4 in six innings a day after fighting tooth and nail for a 5-4 win to begin the best-of-three series in the Class 1A sectional round. The reward is a trip to the Murfreesboro area and a spot in next week’s quarterfinals of the double-elimination bracket.
“I have put my heart completely into this sport since I was really young,” McClendon said. “Baseball has consumed a lot of my time growing up, but it has all been worth it because you have moments like these. I have played with both (other) seniors since I was a little kid on the same Middle Valley team. Doing this with those guys is awesome, because when we were little, we didn’t even think about going to a state tournament for high school baseball.
“But now we are here, and we are really doing it. We are so blessed and can’t wait to go to Murfreesboro.”
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In what could be a sign that the graduating class of players won’t be leaving behind a program that has nothing left to build with, a sophomore trio closed out Thursday’s game as Mayor Duke crushed a grand slam over the fence in center field, while Dylan Cunningham pitched a perfect sixth inning that ended with Brady Raby catching the final out in center to commence the celebration for the Panthers.
Duke drove in a game-high six runs, and eighth grader Louie Stephenson went 3-for-3 and scored twice, including on the grand slam.
Sale Creek vs. Trousdale County baseball on May 14, 2026
Sale Creek (22-10) made a habit of big innings in its sectional sweep, scoring at least four runs in a frame four times. In the clinching victory, the Panthers picked up five runs each in the second and fourth, while Duke delivered all four in the sixth. The Panthers also scored four runs in the first inning of Wednesday’s opener.
“Four years ago, we played in the sectional game here against Gordonsville and blew a six-run lead, and we felt our hearts get ripped out,” said Sale Creek fourth-year head coach Dalton Conley, who was a hitting coach on that 2022 team. “Our seniors were eighth graders then and sat on the other side of the fence watching that game.
“These kids have battled their tails off and put us in a spot where we finally knocked the door down to Murfreesboro. They have found ways to punch back and have really benefited from facing a tough schedule this year. They came in here ready today and jumped all over them. I couldn’t ask for a better buy-in than this team has shown.”
(READ MORE: Record-setting Sale Creek baseball team falls one win short of state quarterfinals)
While the state tournament berth would have been impressive no matter what because of its breakthrough nature, it comes in a season when Sale Creek will be the Chattanooga area’s only public school baseball program to reach the Spring Fling.
After going 13-3 at home this season, the Panthers will head to Murfreesboro on an eight-game winning streak overall, a stretch of success that included a home win against South Pittsburg for the Region 3-A championship on May 9, when McClendon hit two home runs.
Raby and Swiney have hit six homers apiece to share the team lead this season for Sale Creek, which has outscored its opposition 319-152.
“Our coaching staff has been amazing and is like a second family to us,” McClendon said of a group that includes Wes Caldwell, David Cunningham, Brian Faulkner and Matt Hampton. “Dalton has been a great coach for all four years. He has really helped us get to this point where we are one of the final eight teams left going to the state tournament, and I have never been a part of something more exciting.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.