NEW HOPE — Both New Hope baseball and softball teams are set to host again in the second round of the playoffs, with the Game 1 matchups moved to Thursday in anticipation of bad weather on Friday.
The Trojans baseball team will face Corinth after sweeping Yazoo City in the opening round, and they’re hoping to build off of their strong start to the postseason.
“We’ve got to have a good week of practice and be ready to play,” New Hope head coach Lee Boyd said. “We played Corinth earlier this season, and their coach does a good job with those guys, but we played probably our best baseball against them.”
New Hope held their district rivals scoreless in each of the two regular-season meetings, winning 3-0 on the road in Corinth before winning 10-0 at home two days later. The Trojans aren’t going to rest on their laurels though. They know nothing is given in the playoffs.
“We beat them twice early in the year, but we also know they split with Lafayette, they split with Pontotoc, they’re a good team,” Boyd said. “They’ve got some good wins and a lot of good players, one is committed to Ole Miss, and another tough kid at third base. So it’ll be a good series next week.”
Boyd knows a thing or two about winning in the playoffs. He’s spent 15 years in charge of the Trojans, winning three state championships in that time. He sees the right stuff in his current squad, but if they want to hang their own banner they’ll have to earn it on the diamond.
“This team honestly reminds me a lot of the 2013 team we had,” Boyd said. “Similar type of players, and we know it’s going to be tough but I think we have a chance. The teams we’ve played are solid and I feel like we’ve got as good a chance as anybody. This time of year the team that plays the best wins the game, not necessarily the best team.”
Softball hosts Lafayette at 6 p.m.
The Trojans softball team has a tough task ahead in Lafayette, a team they dropped district matchups to, falling 11-1 on the road and 6-1 in the return game at home.
It’ll be a difficult rematch, but perhaps a redemptive one if the Trojans can play their game. With loads of talent and experience, they believe they have the tools to build on their first-round sweep of Gentry.
“At this point, it’s down to whoever is on that day,” head coach Casey Finch-Halford said. “We need to work next week to be prepared for that and be ready for anything. They’ll bring different things to the table, they’re well-coached and have disciplined athletes so I’m hoping my girls are on that day.”
One driving force for the team is pitcher Adi Dueitt. The Trojans’ ace is committed to play at Northwest Mississippi Community College next year and surpassed 500 career strikeouts this season. She’s long been committed to her craft as well, working with Tuscaloosa-based pitching coach Gary Thomas for three years now. It’s helped her work for a future in the game, but it’s also helped her propel the Trojans forward with big performances from the circle.
“She’s worked with him for about three years now and it’s improved her movement and focus on her spin versus her speed. As long as you can spin the ball it makes it a lot tougher to hit, and it’s been good to see her find comfort in that.”
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