GREENE COUNTY
The Lake Oconee Academy baseball team is currently 10-2 overall and 3-1 in Region 8 Class A Division II competition entering Thursday’s doubleheader against Aquinas in Augusta.
The Titans were winners of seven straight before losing to Lincoln County 3-2 in the region opener on Tuesday, March 7, however, they responded with two wins over the Red Devils (8-0, 11-1) three days later. They defeated Aquinas 14-6 at home this past Monday.
LOA first-year head coach Mark Miller has his squad at the double-digit win mark earlier than expected. The Titans only won 10 games last year under former head coach Jeremy Donaldson.
“We are trying to build the culture around hard work and emphasizing the mental game of baseball and 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 a few weeks ago. “They’re taking the season very seriously and realize we have some baseball talent. And just their energy, they’re maintaining a high energy level, especially as high school kids. It’s hard to practice and go game in and out, but they’ve done a great job of keeping a high level of energy.”
A big reason LOA has succeeded up to this point in the year is its depth, especially on the mound. The Titans have been getting solid outings from both Trace Wood and Harrison Tolleson. In fact, the pair each pitched well in LOA’s final two games against Lincoln County.
Wood pitched a complete game and gave up no runs in the Titans’ 8-0 win over the Red Devils. He gave up six hits, although he struck out seven hitters and only walked one in the win.
In the next game when LOA mercy-ruled Lincoln County 11-1, Tolleson gave up five hits, but one run. He also struck out six and limited the walks to one in only five innings of work.
In Monday’s 14-6 win over Aquinas, Dylan Hiter was crucial on the mound. The freshman provided 3.2 innings of work. He gave up two runs on four hits but struck out six and walked five. Tolleson also pitched, giving up no runs, but Maddox Robinson let the Fighting Irish score four off him. Still, the three combined for nine strikeouts in the victory.
“One of the things my coaches and I 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 compete,” Miller said a few weeks ago of his pitching staff. “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.”
The Titans haven’t been shy at the plate, either. In eight of 12 games so far in 2023, their offense has scored double-digit runs, with all of those contests being counted in the win column.
LOA isn’t a power-hitting team, with only three runs, but it can rake and has a scrappy offense. The Titans are led in hits by junior Will Moore; however, Tolleson, Ian Watson, Hayden Brown, Cameron Kelley, Sumner Coleman and Trace Wood are excelling at the plate.
Each of those players is scoring the same amount as they are getting on base, which is impressive, considering the Titans struggled offensively last season. LOA’s offense is averaging 10.33 runs per game, which is one of the highest in Class A Divison II.
“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 about his team. “The guys are really believing (in the message) and are playing well right now.”
After the doubleheader at Aquinas on Friday, LOA will host Washington-Wilkes next Tuesday with a first pitch time of 5:30 p.m. The Titans will then play on the road against the Tigers three days later on Friday, March 24, for a doubleheader to close out the region series.