To be successful in any high school sport, you must have a good feeder program at the middle school level.
This season, I have covered coach Chris Bryant’s Bainbridge Middle School Bearcats baseball team and watched them improve in many areas throughout the season.
Among the top players for the middle school Bearcats were shortstop Sam Boutwell, who excelled in the field and at the plate, and right-handed pitcher Wesley Morrow, nephew of Stacy Hutchins, a former Bainbridge High School Bearcats right-hander and one of the best pitchers in Bearcats baseball history who I had the honor and pleasure of covering. Morrow excelled on the mound and at the plate.
I covered coach Bryant when he played for coach Scott Miller’s Bainbridge High School Bearcats baseball team and I remember what a strong defensive catcher and clutch hitter he was. His middle school Bearcats reflected that competitive nature throughout the season.
He reflected on those traits during his comments to me at the conclusion of the season.
“Our middle school baseball season has definitely been unforgettable,” he said. “I had the opportunity to watch a group of individual middle school boys grow together as a team and more importantly as a family. Our overall record does not validate the progress they made. There were several games that we were down by several runs and I got the opportunity to watch a team step up to the plate and give it all they had.”
Coach Bryant further pointed out that while there were a few games his team was fortunate to pull out, whatever the final score, there was no doubt that his Bearcats left it all on the field.
“I am excited about next year’s season and what this group of guys will do for Bearcat baseball in the future,” coach Bryant. “When the team was down by several runs they were able to step to the plate, give it all they had, and come back and pull out the victory.”
“It is truly a special group of athletes who reflect their middle school coach, and who I look forward to covering in the future.”