The Lake Oconee Academy baseball team is hitting its stride just as region play enters the final stretch.
The Titans entered the week ranked No. 2 in Class A Division II, riding an eight-game winning streak with a 13-3 overall record and an 8-1 mark in region play.
LOA head coach Mark Miller said his squad is in position to capture its third straight region title, though the road won’t be easy.
“We’re about to head into our last week of region play with Washington-Wilkes. We have put ourselves in a position to have a chance to win the region as long as we can win two out of the three games this week in the series against them,” Miller said. “It won’t be an easy task, though. Washington-Wilkes is a strong team.”
Lake Oconee has been firing on all cylinders offensively.
Miller stated the team’s batting order is exactly where he wants it, and the depth on the roster has allowed the bench to step up when needed.
“We’ve been playing well, hitting the ball well,” Miller said. “We feel like we’ve got our batting order in line.”
According to Miller, Evan Burton, Jon Funderburke, Ty Hiter, and Griffin Stanford are hitting the ball well.
While offense has been steady, finding reliable pitching has been more challenging.
Miller acknowledged that identifying a third starter for a three-game series has been the main hurdle, but he feels confident in the options the team has developed.
Funderburke and Hiter are the team’s top arms on the mound.
“If we’ve struggled anywhere, it’s been just trying to find some guys that can throw middle-and late-inning innings, but we’ve overcome that and have been really pleased with the play the rest of the season — defense, offense, everything,” he noted.
Several players have stood out recently, both on the mound and in the field.
Senior center fielder Dylan Hiter has excelled in a relief pitching role and could even serve as a game three starter. Sophomore left-hander Nate Bragg, who joined the Titans midway through the season after basketball ended, has impressed with his command and control. Also, Tate Lipscomb has contributed pitching innings.
“These three guys are really the ones we’re going to lean on going forward,” Miller said.
As LOA heads into the final week of region play, the team looks poised to make a deep postseason run, with balanced offense, solid defense, and a pitching staff that is beginning to find its groove.