Both Trinity and McCracken County come into the state tournament playing their best baseball of the season. Trinity has won 18 of their last 19 games and 10 games in a row, while the Mustangs have won 23 of their last 24 games on the season, including a current 17-game winning streak. McCracken County head coach Geno Miller feels his team is peaking at the right time.
“I think we’ve played really well for the past month,” Miller said. “I think the guys are really locked in and they know what we have to do as far as in game execution and what is needed to win tough games.”
The KHSAA State Baseball Tournament is no stranger to McCracken County, especially the upper classmen. Coach Miller notes that experience could play a big factor in the tournament for his squad.
“That’s one advantage I feel we will have over Trinity since they haven’t been there since 2009,” Miller said. “We know what it’s like, we know the routine, we’re even staying in the same hotel as last year. I think having that awareness is a really big factor.”
The Mustangs were very close to the KHSAA State Championship game last season, falling in the state semifinals to St. Xavier in extra innings, 3-2. Coach Miller says his team started preparing for this tournament after that loss last season.
“We’ve prepared ourselves all year for this situation,” Miller said. “You can’t prepare for the state tournament after you qualify for it, these guys have been preparing for the state tournament all year.”
The stats for McCracken County have been phenomenal this season. The pitching numbers, especially. As a team, the Mustangs have an Earned Run Average of 1.35. McCracken County has four different pitchers with an ERA below 1.32 and a minimum of 30 innings pitched.
Junior pitcher Luke Seed leads all pitchers with a 0.69 ERA. Senior pitchers Caleb Reinhard (0.93 ERA) and Mason Vinyard (1.04 ERA) and Rece Carter (1.32 ERA) follow right behind Seed in ERA.
The bats have also been a spark for McCracken County this season. As a team, the Mustangs have a team batting average of .344. Seven different Mustangs have a batting average of at least .330 in a minimum of 50 at bats, including Cameron Langston, James Michael Dodd, Kiael Waldon, Rece Carter, Trent Shelby, Nathan Bynum, and Daniel Myatt.
The top-ranked
Shamrocks and 2nd-ranked Mustangs square off in Lexington Friday at
10 am. You can listen to the game by radio with Eric Chumbler and Kip
Ellington on 99.5FM The Fan.
