Rockmart baseball starts swinging this week

After a successful season last year, the Jackets baseball team is looking to go further in game play this year.

Last season, Rockmart finished as Region Runner-up with a 20-10 (12-2 7-AA) season record, falling after being tied with Dade County for first place.

“We made it into the first round I’m that farther coach kind we of Kenny than state of didn’t disappointed we playoffs, Yanzetich did,” go head any but said, ending. is to referring win “Our the goal to region last this year’s year and host aswecan.” playoff games as long “I think that going deep into the Elite Eight or Final Four is a possibility with this group if we can get off to a good start and keep putting in the work,” he added.

Yanzetich predicts that Dade County will return with a great baseball program and will be “big competition” as Dade was the 7-AA Region Champion last year.

He also named Pepperell, Chattooga, and Armuchee as schools he sees having successful baseball programs for the spring season.

Yanzetich said that all of the varsity members from last year returned, with the exception of Kole Holder who graduated in 2018. He also added that his entire pitching staff is back, which is a total of seven boys.

“Just about every one of them will have an opportunity to pitch in college one day,” Yanzetich said. “They’re a pretty special group.”

“Pitching-wise, we’re one of the better teams in the region, if not the state,” he said.

The Georgia Dugout Club Preview magazine ranked Rockmart as fifth in Georgia Class AA during the preseason rankings, and stated “there is enough pitching for this team to make a run at the region title.”

The magazine specifically recognized players Dylan Bailey and Cody Parramore, both seniors, and Ty Floyd, a junior. Bailey and Floyd both made the Class AA Preseason All State team, and Parramore made the second team.

Aside from athletic ability, Yanzetich bragged on the academic records of his team.

“It’s one of the things I’m proudest of,” he said. “For the fall semester, our team cumulative GPA was a 3.77, and 13 of the players had a 4.0,” Yanzetich said.

/ Lorene Parker Rockmart players were getting ready for the upcoming season in their indoor facilities last week.

/ Contributed by Gail Conner YOUTH BASKETBALL: It’s not just local schools who are keeping the courts busy with basketball this winter. Youth are dribbling all over the place and were playing in recent days at the Nathan Dean Gym at Bert Wood Youth and Athletic center in recent days. Included these contributed photographs from local photographer Gail Conner are a game between the FBC Green Co-Ed team and Recreation league’s black teams. Send in recreation photos anytime to kmyrick@polkstandardjournal.net for inclusion. Don’t hear back from us? Check with the newsroom at 770-748-1520, extension 2.

/ Lorene Parker Left: Rockmart’s baseball team were indoors for practice last week amid chilly weather and used the time to get in time hitting in the school’s batting cages. Right: Rockmart Yellow Jacket baseball players were practicing their hitting indoors as the weather was too cold to be outdoors.