By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights, winners of the United Kansas Conference baseball crown, did not like being whipped by league rival Seaman 10-0 on Tuesday at Seaman. The T-Birds were determined to make sure their Senior Night had a different outcome Thursday at Bettis Family Sports Complex.
Pitcher Brody Cooper helped lead Shawnee Heights to an 8-1 UKC win over Seaman Thursday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but then cruised behind starting pitcher Brody Cooper to an 8-1 victory to close the regular season 17-9. It was a measure of revenge for the T-Birds.
“Tuesday’s (loss) was tough. But I’m proud of them. They came back out,” T-Bird coach Jason Brown said. “They were jacked up from the start. Senior Night and everything, they were ready. After Tuesday, you could see they were upset. I was so proud of them for the way they came out.”
Falling behind in the first inning didn’t worry Brown. Not with Cooper on the mound.
“They just came back and went three, three, two (runs) in the next three innings and showed how good they can be,” Brown said of his team.
After giving up a game-opening single that led to a run, Cooper didn’t allow another hit over his five innings. Even when he allowed a walk and hit a batter in the fifth, he kept his composure. During a mound visit, Cooper and a teammate faced off in a rock, paper, scissors duel.
Was the duel to decide anything of consequence? What pitch to throw, perhaps? A strategic pickoff play?
“No, it was nothing. We were just keeping it light,” Cooper said. “I kind of learned over the years here that thinking about what’s going to happen isn’t going to help me at all.”
Camden Olson, celebrating a triple, also made a big catch in Shawnee Heights' 8-1 UKC win over Seaman Thursday at the Bettis Family Sports Complex. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
What happened was a long blast into centerfield that Camden Olson chased down in a gusting, swirling wind.
“It was real windy,” Cooper said. “I knew it was going to keep going, but with Camden out there, I never have a doubt that the ball’s going to get caught out there.”
Shawnee Heights reliever Gabe Escobar slammed the door on the Vikings in the final two frames.
Brown celebrated the close of the regular season – his second as head coach – by praising his 14 seniors.
“I could tell any new coach when they come in, if they have a class like these guys, not just baseball players, but kids in general … they make you laugh, they make practice fun, and they keep your insanity sane,” Brown said. “I love them. They’re just an awesome group.”
The T-Birds went into their final game as the sixth seed in the Class 5A East Regional. Brown anticipated some shuffling might occur over the next couple of days.
“With some losses from some guys up above us, there’s a chance we could slip into a top four (spot) to host,” Brown said. “There’s also a chance there could be like four teams that are 17-9, and that turns into a coin flip. So, we pray and hope that we win that so we can host.
"But really, our pitching is good enough that I’m like, ‘Guys, if we just go out and play, it’s one game at a time and if we go out and play our best, we’re good enough to beat anybody.’ ”
Cooper echoed that sentiment.
“(Our seeding) is pretty up in the air, but wherever that might be, I think we’ll be perfectly fine,” the senior hurler said. “I think we’re capable of beating any team in any region that we face.”
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 8, SEAMAN 1
Seaman (12-12) 100 000 0 -- 1 3 0
Shawnee Heights (17-9) 033 200 x -- 8 10 0
Hayes, Dobbs (3), Sextro (4) and Moe. Cooper, Escobar (6) and Purvis W -- Cooper. L -- Hayes. 2B -- Seaman: Cale Rosenberger. Shawnee Heights: Escobar, Hurla, Lindsay. 3B -- Shawnee Heights: Olson.
