STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy baseball coach Neal Henry summed up his emotions Thursday afternoon as he watched Washington School celebrate a playoff series victory on his home field.
“That’s just not how I wanted this to end,” Henry said.
The loss meant more to Henry than just the end of another season. Washington School’s 8-3 victory in game two of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II semifinal round playoff series ended Starkville Academy’s season at 16-11. It also marked the end of Henry’s four-year coaching tenure at the school.
“I’ve gotten an opportunity I believe will lead me to my ultimate goal of being a Division 1 college baseball coach,” Henry said.
Henry is leaving Starkville Academy to become a full-time instructor at the The Winning Inning Baseball Academy in Clearwater, Fla. The academy, which is led by former Major League Baseball scouting directors Randy Holland and Roy Silver, helped Anaheim Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton get back into baseball after he suffered through drug and alcohol addiction.
“They said after one year I should have an opportunity at a higher level of baseball immediately, and I trust they’re right,” Henry said. “I told my school and my team Monday that it was an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up.”
Henry’s last two seasons were his most successful. The 2012 club won 23 games and made to the state championship series. This season, the Volunteers made it back-to-back division championships, but the road for seven seniors ended Thursday with the coach who helped them develop from their freshman seasons.
“It’s what I love about high school baseball, being able to develop under the same coach for four years, and I know I’ve become such a better player and person under coach Henry,” Starkville Academy senior pitcher/infielder Hunter Bolin said. “We wish him all the success in the world because he deserves it.”
Washington School advances to face undefeated Magnolia Heights next week. It took a 3-1 lead Thursday before a rain delay halted play at Volunteer Field. Three walks and a hit batter helped Washington take the lead. Michael Bruton, who allowed one run in six innings to get the victory, had a two-run single to left-center field. He was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
“They just got more hits and seemed to have the bases filled in the early innings,” Starkville Academy senior catcher Colby Runnels said. “I hate my high school career ends like this, but they just played better than us for two games. This hurts, but they were just better.”
An RBI double in the sixth by Harper Arnold helped Starkville Academy cut the deficit to 7-3, but Washington School tacked on an insurance run against Bolin in the seventh to erase thoughts of a comeback.
“I told the kids after this game that yes, this is going to hurt, but they did the one thing I asked of them when this series started,” Henry said. “Ten years from now I wanted them to be able to look back and say they put everything they had into playing their best out on that field. As their coach one final time, I’m proud to say they did that. They should be proud, too.”
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