Sometimes a change of scenery doesn’t have to be all that far away. That’s certainly the case for new West Point baseball head coach Mitch Bohon, as he leaves nearby Oak Hill to join the Green Wave program.
The offer to coach the Green Wave seemed far too good to pass up for Bohon, who makes the 1.8 mile trek down the road to West Point High School. Bohon noted that the opportunity for him to coach at a big public school was not only advantageous to him but his whole family.
“The opportunity to coach at a 5A school was too good to pass up,” Bohon said. “It was just a great fit.”
Bohon will be taking control of a talented team that did not see the results in the 2020-2021 campaign. Over the past few weeks, Bohon has taken the time to meet and forge some bonds with his players. Bohon noted that the West Point roster is stacked with athletes, with most players able to eat up innings on the mound while also being able to play multiple positions in the field. While he admires the entire roster, he is especially fond of a select few.
“I really see guys like Jordan Fitzpatrick, Elijah Young, Ben Harrell, and Tyrese Johnson stepping up, and becoming guys that can help our team,” Bohon said.
Bohon has already completed one of the harder tasks of filling out his coaching staff, with Ben Earnest and Brett Blaise. Of the two, Bohon is well acquainted with Blaise, the former Heritage product who played college ball at Pearl River Community College as well as Belhaven University in Jackson before spending a year in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Blaise took the opportunity to be an assistant for Bohon at Oak Hill in 2014 and has enjoyed success in the program ever since.
Bohon is not as well acquainted with his other assistant however, as he noted that part of the process he is excited about in his first season for the Green Wave is forming a bond with Earnest throughout the season to help the process of taking over the team easier.
When asked about his goals for his team, he was not shy about having his eyes on the prize.
“As far as goals I feel like every year your goal should be to get down to Jackson and win a ring,” he said.
Bohon also has expectations for his athletes off the field as he said that he wants his players becoming competitive and focussing while in the classroom or otherwise.
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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