Prior to the arrival of Chris Heaps as head coach in 2013, the Russellville High School baseball program had never reached the state finals. [The closest the Golden Tigers had come to Montgomery was a Class 5A semifinal loss to Cullman in 2007.]
On Monday afternoon, Russellville will play in the state championship series for the fifth time in Heaps' nine seasons at the helm. Standing in between the Golden Tigers and their fourth Blue Map are the Pike Road Patriots, who have reached the state finals in their first season under head coach Allen Ponder.
The two teams are scheduled to meet in Game 1 of the Class 5A finals today at 4 p.m. at Paterson Field. The series will continue Tuesday morning with Game 2 set for 10 a.m. at Riverwalk Stadium. Game 3, if necessary, will follow.
Here's a look at the key players and numbers for both teams heading into today's series opener.
Pike Road Patriots
Overall record: 27-9
Area record: 6-0 (champions of Area 5)
First-round results: Swept Demopolis, 10-1 and 5-1
Second-round results: Took two of three from UMS-Wright (Lost 4-0, won 5-2 and 10-4)
Third-round results: Swept Shelby County 8-0 and 7-0
Semifinal results: Took two of three from St. Paul's (Lost 5-4, won 9-5 and 11-0)
Runs scored this season: 275 (7.6 per game)
Runs allowed this season: 107 (3.0 per game)
Head coach: Allen Ponder (first season at Pike Road)
Team Pitching: 27-9 record, 2.17 ERA, 232.2 IP, 166 hits, 279 K's, 102 BB, 29 HBP
Key Pitchers (with 2021 stats from all 36 games, regular season and playoffs):
Lucas Baggett (Junior): 11-2 record, 0.73 ERA, 86.1 IP, 48 hits, 102 K, 29 BB, 15 HBP
Notes: Baggett is 3-1 in four playoff starts with a 1.02 ERA and 33 strikeouts--15 of which came in a one-hit shutout of Shelby County in the quarterfinals.
Clay Slagle (Senior): 9-3, 1.37 ERA, 76.2 IP, 56 hits, 110 K, 13 BB, 2 HBP
Notes: Slagle struck out a staggering 20 batters in a 5-1 win over Demopolis in the first round, one shy of the AHSAA record for K's in a seven-inning game. In four playoff starts, the 6'3, 221-pound senior is 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.
Chael Kerr (Sophomore): 2-3, 2.69 ERA, 28.2 IP, 30 hits, 16 K, 18 BB, 3 HBP
Notes: Kerr was clutch last week in the semifinals, holding St. Paul's to four hits in a Game 3 shutout.
Peter Trull (Senior): 3-0, 0.89 ERA, 15.2 IP, 4 hits, 19 K, 11 BB, 3 HBP
Logan Shores (Senior): 1-0, 2.42 ERA, 8.2 IP, 5 hits, 17 K, 11 BB, 1 HBP
Team Batting: 276 hits in 965 AB (.286 BA), 6 HR, 7 TR, 41 DB, .405 OBP, 12 sac bunts, 13 sac flies
Projected Lineup (with 2021 stats from 10 playoff games only):
3B Drew Britton (Freshman): 6 hits in 32 AB, 5 RBI, 10 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP
P Lucas Baggett (Junior): 12 hits in 33 AB, 2 DB, 5 RBI, 10 R, 5 BB, 1 HBP
SS Clay Slagle (Senior): 6 hits in 30 AB, 3 RBI, 8 R, 8 BB
C Eli Clark (Senior): 10 hits in 34 AB, 10 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP
CF Logan Shores (Senior): 10 hits in 30 AB, 1 HR, 1 DB, 7 RBI, 9 R, 2 BB, 3 HBP
1B Grady Warren (Sophomore): 5 hits in 23 AB, 5 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP
DH Iverson Hooks (Junior): 5 hits in 26 AB, 7 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 1 HBP
LF Parker Ceman (Senior): 8 hits in 27 AB, 1 DB, 3 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 HBP
2B T.J. Hambrick (Freshman): 3 hits in 22 AB, 2 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB, 1 HBP
Russellville Golden Tigers
Overall record: 40-7
Notes: This year's Golden Tigers have joined the 2016 team (48 wins) and the 2007 team (42 wins) as the only teams in program history to reach the 40-win mark.
Area record: 4-0 (champions of Area 15)
First-round results: Swept Boaz 11-0 and 14-3
Second-round results: Took two of three from Corner (Won 10-2, lost 8-3, won 8-3)
Third-round results: Swept Alexandria 6-1 and 9-0 (in nine innings)
Semifinal results: Took two of three from Madison Academy (Won 6-4, lost 9-4, won 8-2)
Runs scored this season: 311 (6.6 per game)
Runs allowed this season: 119 (2.5 per game)
Head coach: Chris Heaps (260-111 overall record in nine seasons at RHS; 47-13 playoff record with three Class 5A state titles)
Team Pitching: 40-7 record, 2.12 ERA, 317 IP, 249 hits, 349 K, 122 BB, 36 HBP
Key Pitchers (with 2021 stats from all 47 games, regular season and playoffs):
Emitt Green (Junior): 11-1 record, 1.35 ERA, 72.2 IP, 51 hits, 72 K, 17 BB, 9 HBP
Notes: Green is 14-2 in his varsity career with a 1.98 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 99 innings.
Rowe Gallagher (Senior): 9-2, 1.86 ERA, 56.1 IP, 39 hits, 66 K, 12 BB, 8 HBP
Notes: Gallagher, a Wallace-Hanceville signee, leads all current Golden Tiger pitchers in career strikeouts with 123 in 114 innings.
Gordon White (Senior): 7-1, 2.43 ERA, 49 IP, 49 hits, 44 K, 12 BB, 3 HBP
Notes: White improved to 15-5 in his varsity career with a complete game win in the series clincher at Madison Academy last week.
Samuel Pace (Junior): 5-0, 0.79 ERA, 35.1 IP, 28 hits, 41 K, 10 BB, 2 HBP, 2 SV
Notes: Pace has more wins this season (five) than earned runs allowed (four).
Reed Hill (Junior): 3-0, 2.55 ERA, 33 IP, 21 hits, 47 K, 21 BB, 7 HBP, 1 SV
Notes: For his varsity career, Hill averages a stellar 10.0 K's per seven innings.
Ethan Oliver (Junior): 2-2, 2.54 ERA, 30.1 IP, 20 hits, 33 K, 14 BB, 3 SV
Team Batting: 386 hits in 1279 AB (.302 BA), 20 HR, 6 TR, 61 DB, .403 OBP, 15 sac bunts, 17 sac flies
Projected Lineup (with 2021 stats for all 47 games, regular season and playoffs):
SS Eli Gipson (Junior) - .307 BA/.419 OBP/.386 SLG, 1 HR, 5 DB, 19 RBI, 34 R
Notes: A .299 career hitter, Gipson has 44 hits and 43 runs scored in 53 varsity games at RHS.
1B Jackson Lindsey (Senior) - .378/.483/.608, 4 HR, 3 TR, 16 DB, 34 RBI, 42 R
Notes: With three hits in last week's semifinal series against Madison Academy, Lindsey reached 100 hits for his varsity career. The UAH signee leads Russellville with 17 multi-hit games this season.
3B Nick Smith (Senior) - .291/.449/.441, 4 HR, 7 DB, 37 RBI, 25 R
Notes: Smith got back on track with three hits in last week's Game 3 win over Madison Academy.
C Canyon Pace (Junior) - .305/.357/.411, 3 HR, 1 TR, 4 DB, 36 RBI, 8 R
Notes: Pace ranks second on the team with 13 multi-hit games on the year.
DH Reed Hill (Junior) - .296/.355/.345, 7 DB, 31 RBI, 22 R
Notes: Hill delivered some key hits against Madison Academy last week, finishing the series 4-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored.
2B Cole Barnett (Senior) - .314/.448/.512, 6 HR, 6 DB, 30 RBI, 38 R
Notes: Barnett hit safely in all three games against Madison Academy, finishing the series 5-for-11 with two doubles and five RBIs.
LF Grayson Thorpe (Junior) - .315/.395/.419, 3 TR, 7 DB, 32 RBI, 31 R
Notes: Thorpe is one of three Golden Tigers (along with Lindsey and Barnett) who have put up at least 30 hits, 30 RBIs, and 30 runs scored this season.
CF Casen Heaps (Sophomore) - .293/.384/.378, 2 HR, 1 DB, 13 RBI, 23 R
Notes: Heaps did not play in Game 3 against Madison Academy last week after sustaining an injury while attempting to make a diving catch in Game 2.
RF J.D. Bishop (Senior) - .247/.394/.260, 1 DB, 17 RBI, 20 R
Notes: Bishop is one of four Golden Tigers to draw at least 20 walks on the season.
