Regardless of a number of ‘new’ surrounding the Alcovy Tigers baseball program, new head coach Brandon Thomas and the crew are longing for what awaits in 2025.
Thomas was employed because the Tigers’ new baseball coach initially of the offseason, which is the place the work started for the 2025 marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, the crew is rolling out an virtually solely new beginning lineup and rotation. This offseason, getting the brand new gamers in control was the main focus, in accordance with Thomas.
“Simply data and IQ of the sport,” Thomas stated. “The primary couple days we had been out right here I felt like these guys didn’t perceive the essential cut-off man principals, relay principals, bunt-coverage principals. Simply fundamental ABC basic baseball, [we] have needed to drill that lots. I’ve seen some enchancment in that and simply understanding the sport higher.”
Final season, the crew graduated six seniors. Out of the seven juniors that had been set to return again, solely two stay.
In the hunt for gamers to be leaders within the dugout, Thomas turned to the trio of senior Sam Minniefield, junior Evan Kenley and sophomore Channing Jones.
“I’ve seen it from them, I like the best way they arrive to work on a regular basis,” Thomas stated. “It’s all the time effort and depth, and that’s what it takes to be nice. It’s repetition, however repetition with depth and goal behind that repetition. They’re extra of my upperclassmen, in order that they embody that and current that to the youthful youngsters.”
In keeping with Kenley, who plans to spend most of his time within the center infield and on the mound, the trouble of the crew has been the largest enchancment over the span of offseason exercises.
“Effort,” Kenley stated. “In the beginning, they didn’t know what all to do however now they’re getting it extra. They’re beginning to stream extra. A variety of simply getting used to chemistry. A variety of new gamers and a brand new crew. Everyone seems to be attending to know their positions [more].”
One other returner from a 12 months in the past is senior Jacob Kitchens, who Thomas expects to pitch innings for Alcovy together with Kenley and Minniefield.
Though the crew doesn’t have a prototypical ace pitcher on the workers, Thomas notes the work they’ve been doing to enhance their workers’s pitch velocity and placement.
“We don’t have an ace this 12 months, the place we’ve got one man we are able to simply placed on the mound and he’s going to shove it up. I don;t really feel like we’ve got that,” Thomas stated. “Simply working with them to enhance their velocity first off can be key. However, so long as you possibly can throw strikes you possibly can win video games. To me, crucial factor is throwing strikes.”
One other new side of this season is Alcovy’s new area, which is highlighted by three-time defending state champion Loganville Crimson Devils, who’ve misplaced solely 4 area video games during the last three seasons.
Outdoors of Loganville, Area 8-AAAAA options different groups that went above .500 in 2024 comparable to Habersham Central(21-11) and Apalachee(21-13).
The crew is younger, however that didn’t deter Thomas from seeing what the crew can finally be.
“There’s a number of potential there,” Thomas stated. “There’s a number of uncooked talent, all of them have the hand-eye coordination to hit the ball. It’s nearly sharpening that up and extra repetitions. Repetition is the mom of all abilities.
