It’s been a chilly, soggy start to the high school baseball season, but conditions are about the only thing David Coffey of the Veterans High School Warhawks can gripe about so far. Playing four games against two teams, Veterans began 2013 with a 3-1 record capped off by a home-at-home sweep of Warner Robins High on consecutive nights over the extremely frigid weekend.
“The guys have come out and done their job,” said Coffey after Saturday’s 12-2 six-inning romp of the Demons at home. “Fortunately, they’ve reaped the benefits.”
This is the third year of the Warhawk program under Coffey, and the batting order and defensive alignment are loaded with two- and three-year starters. It’s the Veterans pitching staff that isn’t too veteran with one arm, left-hander R.J. Skeen, back with the most experience. And he was mainly used as a reliever in 2012.
Skeen started Saturday’s 5 p.m. start (a make-up from Feb. 22) and got the win going four complete innings. He walked five, struck out three and gave up just one hit. That safety was a two-run double for Jarrod Crum in the third inning.
Keaton Allen pitched the final two frames and allowed one baserunner, that being Caden Johnston on an infield single.
For Coffey, the pitching questions came down to replacing two starters in Lyndon Meadows and Dylan Spires.
“It’s always tough when you lose your top two guys,” he said. “We’re in a very fortunate spot here in that we have guys who can step in and do step in and contribute.
“We’re still not sure (who is No. 1) R.J. is absolutely one of the best guys we have. Preston Sparks has done a great job. Ross Martin’s done a great job. There are five or six guys we will rely on heavily this year. Other than R.J., everybody else will be returning (next year).”
Sparks pitched five of the seven innings of Veterans’ 8-0 win Friday at Warner Robins High and struck out eight.
As for other returning players this year, other than Allen, there’s catcher Micah Wells, left fielder Zane Conlon, first baseman Zach Johnson, second baseman Mickey Dugan and right fielder Zach Wilkes.
“Micah, this past offseason, has gone really hard at it in the weight room,” said Coffey. “Johnson’s a big, strong guy. He’s the captain of the team. Dugan’s a junior, but a vocal leader, spiritual leader. Conlon’s batting, I would guess, .750 this year. He’s come out on fire.
“These guys are hungry for a state title.”
There are some platoons out there as well, like at third base with Allen and Kyle King. Newcomer Kal Dempsey is sharing centerfield with John Herrera, and at shortstop it’s a senior, David Shiplett, splitting time with a freshman, Tyler Daughtry.
Not only has Conlon started the season with a lot of hits, he’s displaying some glove work as well. On Saturday he ran down a deep fly ball for the last out of Warner Robins’ first inning.
The Warhawks put three runs on the board to begin its offensive output, and it was Conlon’s RBI single with one out plating Dempsey. King added a sacrifice fly.
Warner Robins and Johnston, the starting pitcher, looked to get out of the second inning still down 3-0. But Shipplet, on base via a walk, stole second with two outs. Dugan dunked an RBI hit to center for 4-0.
Veterans was running the bases often, and with the second still alive with a walk to Conlon, the Warhawks had two in scoring position for Wells. The catcher doubled to dead center. King essentially traded places with the courtesy runner, and when the second frame did conclude the home team was up 7-0.
Crum’s hit, which followed two walks, had the score at 7-2 after three complete.
In the 2012 season, there were enough home runs hit out of the deep Warhawk home park to count on one hand. King got this season’s count going early. With two outs and one on, he sent the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence (9-2).
Dugan drove in one in the fifth as Allen led off with a single, and in the sixth the Warhawks scored with only one hit – Bryan Horton’s infield safety – to end it.
Veterans’ offensive leaders from the Friday victory were Dugan with three hits, two hits and two RBI from Conlon and two RBI from Wells.
The other games for the Warhawks so far were both against Bleckley County. The Royals won their encounter on Feb. 28, which meant three games in three days.
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