Southern Wayne catcher Alex Ferrell, left, and pitcher Drew Sweet bump fists after first-inning action in a preseason scrimmage against Princeton. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
A closer last season, Southern Wayne junior Drew Sweet is expected to lead the pitching rotation and provide leadership in the dugout. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne freshman Hayden Waller, right, steals third base during early-inning, preseason action against Princeton. Waller later scored. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne finished 13-11 last season and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Six seniors were lost to graduation. Another player transferred in the offseason. Despite the significant losses, the Saints expect to compete on the field and challenge for a playoff spot this spring. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — The corner pieces remain intact. The rest of the puzzle remains a mystery to veteran Southern Wayne head baseball coach Trae McKee. He learned plenty about his team during preseason outings against Wilmington New Hanover and Princeton.
McKee gets another look tomorrow.
The Saints launch their 2023 campaign at home against South Lenoir Tuesday. The JV starts at 4 p.m. and the varsity will follow approximately 30 minutes upon conclusion of the game.
“Between the sophomores and freshmen, there are a few pieces that still need to be plugged in [and] that’s going to be trial and error,” McKee said. “We may have younger guys who play JV on Tuesday and possibly varsity on Friday. To have a large ninth-grade class is really cool, good to see because some of those [players] have never had that experience.
“Trying to put together each piece of the puzzle and make both teams competitive is my goal. I’m not saying we’re unsure of where we are, but each game is going to be a stepping stone to where we want to go.”
McKee lost six seniors to graduation and one starter who transferred.
Back are the junior trio of Drew Sweet, Alex Ferrell and Cuyler Daly; and sophomore Tyler Odom.
Sweet batted .329 at the plate and posted an earned run average (ERA) of around 1.50 on the bump. The right-hander served as a closer last season, but is expected to lead the starting rotation this spring.
Ferrell hit .273 and swatted a team-leading four home runs. Daly turned in a .214 average at the dish, while Odom hit .207. The threesome, says McKee, will handle multiple roles that include work either behind the plate, on the mound or in the field.
“We have quality pitching who can mix some speeds up,” McKee said. “I like the competitiveness on the mound and [our ability] staying in the strike zone. Three-game weeks are going to be tough because early in the year you don’t want to run pitch counts up super high.
“We also have to find someone who has confidence to want the ball at the end of the game and finish things up.”
McKee said senior American Legion participation against programs with larger player-selection pools and the Wilson Tobs league provided almost 40 games of experience on the diamond.
The coach’s sons, Brayden and Tyler, will see time in the infield. Multi-sport athlete E’lla Boykin, newcomer Hayden Waller, Jake Coates and Dylan Daniels should play significant time. Daniels is currently recovering from an injury.
Sophomores Brayden and Tyler McKee, sons of the head coach, will see time at second and first base, respectively. Multi-sport athlete E’lla Boykin, newcomer Hayden Waller and Jake Coates played well against Princeton.
Coach McKee has noticed strides in the offseason.
Players have embraced the weight room and should provide some physicality on the field.
“Consistent improvement is going to be key,” McKee said. “I think they’re hungry. I think they are close. They believe in each other. There is some pretty good leadership out there, too, in my opinion. Sometimes it’s vocal and sometimes it’s by hustle and example.”
