LaGRANGE, Ga. – A season that wasn't turned into a season that almost was. Almost.
Maryville fought its way to the inaugural Collegiate Conference of the South Baseball Championship Game and came up just a run short after a 3-2 thriller here Monday afternoon.
The Scots exactly one month ago today stood 15-11 overall and 1-8 in CCS play. But they found themselves and put it together to win 11 of their next 16 and nearly surprise the south and perhaps all of Division III with a conference championship.
"When you have a conference tournament, you've always got to get hot at the right time of the year," Maryville head coach
Clint Helton said. "Obviously, we started out hot; pretty cold there in the middle and then we found a way to be a team again.
"That's what got us here. Just relentless effort, relentless teammates, loving each other, believing in each other – that's the only reason we got here. We put talent aside. We knew we had talent. But that's what got us here."
Playing their sixth game in as many days, Coach Helton was impressed with his squad's attitude and toughness despite the difficult schedule.
"In a championship game, having been here since Wednesday – everybody wanted the baseball," Helton said. "When everybody wants the ball and they're confident and they compete, that's all we can ask for. It's an unbelievable group of guys."
"They poured their whole hearts and souls out. It just stinks to get that close. It's so hard to get to this game, especially after the way we started the season. But I am very proud of this group. I love all of them. I told them that and told them we would be back."
Maryville's pitchers were fantastic in the contest.
Xavier Resto got the start, pitching four innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits and pounding the strike zone, giving up no free passes.
Bryce Leonhardt, who was primarily used as Maryville's Friday starter throughout the regular season, entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched four innings of relief. He allowed just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out two batters.
MC scored first in the contest, picking up a run in the third inning.
Gabriel Lopez kicked off the inning, taking first after being hit by a pitch. The next two batters reached on walks, loading the bases for
Ashton Whiteaker. Piedmont starting pitcher Zeke Swartz was able to induce a double play, but Lopez still scored on the play, giving the Scots a 1-0 lead.
The Lions retaliated with two runs in the fourth inning and then capped off their scoring effort with a solo home run in the fifth by CCS Tournament Most Outstanding Player winner
Kolton Hicks.
Lopez returned the favor with a two-out solo home run of his own, but it wasn't enough as the Scots were shutout in the final 2 1/3 innings of play, securing the 3-2 victory for Piedmont.
Lopez, a graduating senior, reached base a team-high four times in his final game in the Orange and Garnett. He went 2-for-2 with an RBI, two runs scored, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Lopez had this to say about his time at Maryville.
"When it comes to playing for that name on my chest, this school has meant the world to me," Lopez said. "It changed me as a person, changed me as a friend, as a son – everything. I've absolutely worn this Scots name with pride."
Lopez, along with Whiteaker and
Mitchell Grannan named to the 2023 CCS Baseball All-Tournament team.
Lopez went 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs, six RBIs, and five runs scored. He collected two three-hit games and three total multi-hit efforts.
Ashton Whiteaker provided a much-needed power boost for the Scots when it mattered most. He went 8-for-26 (.308) with two home runs, five RBIs, and four runs scored. His three-run blast in the play-in game against Berea kept the Scots alive and allowed them to continue on through the tournament, all the way to the championship game.
Mitchell Grannan was named to the All-Tournament team as a relief pitcher. He pitched a solid nine innings across two games, allowing just one earned run on two hits and five walks while striking out a team-high 10 batters. Four of Grannan's innings came in a no-hit effort against Belhaven on Saturday.
"It definitely leaves a bad taste in their mouths," Helton said. "But every rep that you take in the offseason, that's not during practice, every weight room rep, whatever it is, you think about this moment and that's what pushes you and that's what keeps you going and holds your teammates accountable, and you keep going with the culture of the program."
"I couldn't be prouder of these guys. I definitely know we're hungry and that's the big message out here, that we're coming back."
Maryville ends its season with a record of 26-17, tying for the most wins in a single season since the 2016 squad went 29-15.
2023 CCS Baseball All-Tournament Team
C – Ashton Whiteaker, MARYVILLE
1B – Colin Whibbs, Huntingdon
2B –
Kolton Hicks, Piedmont
SS – Cade Morgan, Huntingdon
3B – Kyle Carson, Piedmont
OF – Gabriel Lopez, MARYVILLE
OF – Daniel Phillips, Huntingdon
OF – Joseph Ridenour, Covenant
DH – Carson Strovinskas, Piedmont
SP – Zeke Swartz, Piedmont
RP – Mitchell Grannen, MARYVILLE
Most Outstanding Player –
Kolton Hicks, Piedmont
More from the Scots
Gabriel Lopez
"The coaches would always say this is what we kept our sights on, all year long, from the moment we stepped on campus this year. We've had our ups and downs this season, but to make the run we did at the end sets the tone coming back for next year. Obviously, things didn't turn out how we wanted them to, but we have to build on this if we're going to grow as people and as men.
Ashton Whiteaker
"You can never count the Scots out. We knew we had a chance. We came up short at the end, but we gave it everything we had.
"I was trying to do everything I could to get us to this game. Still came up a little bit short."
"We know what we are capable of now and we are ready to go."
Mitchell Grannan
"We were definitely playing our best baseball toward the end of the year. Collectively as a group, we knew we had it in us the whole season. Definitely some ups and downs, but I'm proud of the way we played and proud of the run we made, even though it didn't turn out like we wanted it to.
"The roles fluctuated a little bit this year, but I just tried to go out there every time the ball was in my hand and give my team a chance to win and do my job as a pitcher and put-up zeroes.
"We've got a really good culture, a really good group of guys and a really good senior class. We're going to be right back here next year and it's going to be a different outcome for sure."
