By Joel Frady

Huskies Prepare for Baseball Season
Get out your giant foam fingers, caps, peanuts and caramel-coated popcorn - it's baseball season in Ashe

County. Although bad weather has prevented the Huskies from practicing outdoors as much as sixth-year head coach Ronnie Pruitt would have liked, the 16-man squad (which started without the six players who also participated in basketball) was ready for action when the season began.

For Pruitt, the goals of the season are simple: win the Mountain Valley Conference and go deep in the state playoffs.

"We want to get better every year and solidify ourselves as one of the best teams in the conference, which we're doing every year," he said. "We want to be a state playoff team, which we have been the past two years. The program is getting better each and every year. I'm just happy with the progress that we're making. It is a work in progress, and I just think our guys are doing a good job working and buying in to what we're doing."

It's also another chance for Pruitt to continue his dream of coaching baseball.

"I played baseball throughout my high school career" at Wallace-Rose Hill High School in Teachey, said Pruitt. "Something I wanted to do my whole life is coach baseball and football. I decided to be a teacher, and what better way to be a coach than being a teacher. That's the best way to get your foot in the door."

Pruitt earned his bachelor of science in physical education at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and was soon hired by Ashe County High.

As a coach, Pruitt said that he focuses on pitching and playing "small ball" on offense.

"We want good, solid pitching on the mound," he said. "Make sure our guys throw strikes and play good defense behind them. We like to play small ball when we can - just bunt to get guys on base and then bunt them over. Hopefully, the next guy will drive them in or get them in scoring position."

Pruitt also trains the players to focus on each inning.

"I tell our guys to win the inning," he said. "And if we win seven, we win the ball game. That's how we approach our game when we go on offense - just win the inning."

He also noted that the players make the game fun for him.

"Our kids love the game," he said. "The ones that I have out here, they just have a great love for the ballgame. They're a great group of kids to work with. They work hard.

"That's what makes it a lot more fun for me," he continued. "That's what makes me keep coming out here every year."

The Huskies, who went 9-9 in 2008, opened their season on Friday, March 6, against Mitchell High School from Bakersville.

Huskies defeat Mitchell in five innings, 17-6
Bad weather was enough to prevent Ashe County from opening their season in West Jefferson, but the kindness of West Wilkes High School allowed the Ashe County varsity boys baseball team to begin their season on schedule. While their "home opener" was played in Miller's Creek, the Huskies made sure that it was still a success as they blasted the Mitchell Mountaineers 17-6 in five innings.

Although the Huskies' bats got hot as the game progressed, both teams looked sluggish for the first inning. The Mountaineers, batting first, managed one run in the inning but left a runner at third base. The Huskies matched with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but the bases were loaded when the Mountaineers recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

In the second, the Huskies stepped it up on both sides of the ball. Mitchell threatened to score, with a runner advancing to third, but the Huskies recorded the third out at home plate to prevent another Mountaineer lead.

The bottom of the second started rough, as Mitchell recorded two outs in the first two batters. But center fielder Aaron Scott walked to get on base and scored moments later when Orrin Shatley hit an RBI double. Two plays later, Shatley scored on an RBI double from Andrew Sexton to put the Huskies up 3-1 after two.

Ashe County allowed one run in the top of the third, caused by a stolen base and a wild pitch, but the Huskies exploded in the bottom of the inning. Mitchell had brought in a new pitcher to start the inning, with disastrous results: four consecutive walks during a span in which only four strikes were thrown, all with wild pitches that gave eight bases to Ashe County. The bases would be loaded for the next seven batters, who drove in the first four batters before leaving the bases loaded to end the inning. Despite leaving more runners on base, the Huskies had taken a 7-2 lead.

Mitchell opened the fourth inning with a home run by Zack Peterson, but their defensive play was just strong enough to created a bases loaded with two outs scenario.

Then came the battle of the evening, as Ashe County pitcher Evan Gray threw nine pitches to the same batter. Two pitches thrown with two strikes barely missed the zone, which would have preserved a 7-3 lead, but a wild pitch led to one run and a two-RBI hit brought the Mountaineers within 7-6.

Although the Mountaineers pulled within one, it wasn't enough to stop Ashe County from running away with the game. They scored 10 runs in the last two innings, including a two-run in-field home run by Scott, a two-run home run from Sexton and a game-ending three-run shot from first baseman Kyle Guyton. Sexton also showed presence on the mound in the top of the fifth when he struck out three consecutive batters (throwing only two balls in that span).

Pruitt felt it was a good note to start the season.

"I thought offensively we hit the ball well," he said. "We ran the bases well tonight. Defense, overall, in the field wasn't bad. It showed a little bit that we hadn't been outside for a while.

"Overall, it's a good start and I'm glad we got a win tonight," he said. "It's good for the kids." He noted that he plans to focus heavily on defense in practice, as well as working on fundamentals.

The Huskies played Friday's game with only 10 players, but started working with all 16 team members on Monday. Pruitt hopes that the new talent will help create competition on the team.

"They're going to be pushing these guys for playing time now, and something that we've been wanting is competition," said Pruitt. "Competition breeds improvement."

The Huskies played a second game against Mitchell on Tuesday, March 10, but the score was not available at press time. They will open conference play at Wilkes Central on Friday, March 13, before returning to West Jefferson for a game against Surry Central on Tuesday, March 17.

To find out more about the Ashe County High School baseball program, call (336) 846-2400 or click to www.ashe.k12.nc.us/achs/web/home/index.htm.