Titans seeing results on the diamond

When Mark Miller was hired as Lake Oconee Academy’s new head baseball coach last summer, he pictured building a new culture around the program in his first year at the helm.

With the Titans now 6-1 on the season and riding a five-game winning streak after defeating Baldwin on Tuesday, his vision is becoming reality.

ACE Charter defeated LOA 5-3 in the season opener on Feb. 13, and the Titans haven’t lost since.

“We are trying to build the culture around hard work and emphasizing the mental game of baseball. Just trying to slow the game down and really realize where you are pitch by pitch. The guys have done a great job of that,” Miller said. “They’re taking the season very seriously and realize that we have some baseball talent. And just their energy, they’re maintaining a high level of energy, especially as high school kids. Sometimes it’s hard to practice and then go game in and out, but they’ve done a great job of keeping a high level of energy.”

LOA’s first victory came against Putnam County on Feb. 16, as the Titans fought hard with a 2-1 win and followed that up by defeating crosstown rival Greene County 19-4 the next day.

Their biggest win of the season to date was against Oglethorpe County last Tuesday when they downed the Patriots 11-8 in extra innings after trailing most of the game.

Juniors Ian Watson and Will Moore came in clutch at the plate for LOA. The pair led the Titans with four hits each and combined for four RBIs in a come-from-behind effort.

LOA then defeated GMC Prep (13-3), Greene County (17-2) and Baldwin (12-6). The Titans’ offense has started to pick up and their pitching has been consistent.

“We’ve won a couple of close ball games and we’ve won a couple of games where we’ve come from behind. And because of that, it’s kind of built a lot of energy for us,” Miller said. “The guys are really believing (in the message) and are playing well right now.”

LOA only has four seniors this season – Harrison Tolleson, Sumner Coleman, Garrett Payne and Rhett Sandhagen – but Miller relies on each of them to lead on and off the field.

Tolleson and Coleman are among the Titans’ best hitters, boasting batting averages currently ranked in the top 20 for GHSA’s Class A Division II. Both are hitting well over .400 and are in the top five of several of the team’s offensive statistical categories.

“Harrison and Sumner have been the two that have been getting the most playing time,” Miller said. “We just got Garrett back from basketball, so he’s trying to shake off some rust, but we will depend on him here in the next few weeks. Rhett hurt his knee during football season and is about to be cleared of that. So, it’s all coming together for the seniors.”

The Titans are also getting early season contributions from Moore and Watson in their junior campaigns.

Moore was tied with sophomore Hayden Brown for the team’s most hits with eight and had a team-high eight RBIs entering this week. He’s also been a solid behind-the-plate presence at catcher.

“Will is batting around .500 at the plate right now,” Miller said. “He’s a true baseball player and it’s his only sport.”

Watson entered the weekend with seven hits, seven RBIs and five runs scored. He’s also been a force to be reckoned with defensively, posting a solid .889 fielding percentage through six games.

“Ian’s kind of a utility guy for us. He’s got a really good glove and has a strong arm,” Miller said of Watson. “He plays first (base) for us. He can make a bad throw into a good play.

Miller is relying on Tolleson and junior Trace Wood on the mound. The two currently lead the Titans in strikeouts, with both throwing for over a dozen already. Also, they are starting to use Payne and freshman Dylan Hiter more in certain relief situations.

Watson and fellow junior Maddox Robinson are also in the mix for LOA on the hill. The Titans’ coaching staff likes to use both on staff days when the well is running dry.

“One of the things me and one of my coaches knew coming in was that we had to build depth. If you want to have a successful team, you have to have some depth on the mound to be able to compete,” Miller said. “We had some guys who haven’t pitched since Little League, but we got them on the mound early and did some bullpen work with them. We’ve probably got a staff of six to eight pitchers who can pitch in a varsity game.”

As the season rolls on, Miller hopes his team remains consistent. The Titans are primed to begin region play on March 7 against Lincoln County.

“I know it’s only six games in, but we’re playing with a lot of energy,” Miller said. “We’re looking forward to beginning region play but have a couple of non-region opponents left before.”