Everyone needs a reminder every now and then.
For the New Hope baseball team, times were not good.
Each day, the team practiced while the outfield wall reflected the number of consecutive playoff appearances for the Trojans.
Still, the team stood at 9-10, the offense could not produce timely hits and a playoff berth was nowhere near a certainty.
“We have 29 (playoff appearances) of them on the wall,” New Hope coach Lee Boyd said. “Our guys take pride in that. They know what it takes to uphold the tradition of this program. Each year, the seniors do not want to be the group that ends that streak. There are a lot of expectations around here. It takes a lot to wear that uniform.”
New Hope senior catcher Thomas Stevens was prepared to step into that final-year leadership role. He was not prepared to help guide the younger players through adversity.
“We are not used to losing around here,” Stevens said. “It took a little while to get going. I don’t think anybody panicked and I don’t think anybody got upset.
“You simply to have to start playing better. You have to do the things that this program is known for doing. It takes everybody. Everybody has a job to do. Once you start pulling in the same direction, anything is possible.”
The Trojans tried the team meeting thing with mixed results.
The talk of a comeback needed some type of proof. Quite simply, it needed a start.
Finally, on April 11, New Hope beat eventual Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A North State champion and Region 1 rival Oxford 8-5.
The Trojans scored eight times in the fifth inning to erase a 4-0 deficit,
The game did nothing in the region standings. It did everything from a mental standpoint.
“We felt like we could compete,” New Hope senior pitcher Peyton Buckner said. “It’s hard to believe you would ever doubt that at New Hope, but we did.
“That night changed the whole season. It showed us we could compete with anybody in the state.”
New Hope won 12 of its final 16 games to finish 21-14 overall. The season ended with a 2-0 series loss to Oxford in the North State championship round.
“This may be the proudest I have ever been of a baseball team because of how they finished up,” Boyd said. “It didn’t look good.”
Stevens hit a team-best .426 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. An injury-plagued pitching staff was led by Buckner, who was 10-2 with a 1.36 ERA.
That battery combination team up again to share The Dispatch’s Large Schools Players of the Year. Boyd repeats as Coach of Year.
The New Hope seniors won 66 games the last three seasons, with the 2015 season also ending in this round to Oxford.
“I learned so much about playing baseball, but I also learned so much about becoming a man,” Buckner said. “This was an incredible experience.”
Stevens said his first couple of game on the varsity level were nerve-wracking. Being surrounded by star players makes you work even harder.
“People talk about the intimidation factor when they play a game on our field,” Stevens said. “We feel the same way. Wearing this uniform can be intimidating. You just have to focus on what you do best.”
New Hope eventually did that this season. Despite hitting in the mid-.200 range for most of the season, grit and determination carried the day.
“You just have to believe,” Boyd said. “In baseball, you have eight other guys battling with you. We grew and got better each day.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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