LFO baseball sending three to next level
The LFO baseball program announced last week that 2020 seniors Carson McCammon, Riley Mosier and Zac Coots had all committed to playing in college, McCammon at Shorter University, Mosier at Bryan College and Coots and Truett-McConnell University.
“Going into (this past) season, we knew that our three seniors had a chance to be big contributors and difference makers,” head coach Matt Holden said. “Their seasons got cut short, but I’m glad their careers aren’t over and that they’re going to get a chance to continue on and play (at the college level).”
McCammon took over at shortstop as a junior, batted .339 and was second on the team with 12 RBIs. He continued put up good numbers at the plate in 2020, including a 4-for-4 game against Chattooga, but it was on the mound where he shined even more.
He allowed one earned run on a walk and five hits in six innings against Dalton on Mar. 17, finishing with a careerhigh 14 strikeouts. He later had nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings in a win over Rome.
“He’s an upper-80s guy with a really sharp breaking ball,” the coach began. “He came on this past season and was really starting out to be one of the better pitchers in our region, which is really saying something because it was a really good region.”
Mosier stepped into the spotlight as a sophomore and became one of the Warriors’ workhorses. As a junior, he led LFO in innings pitched (45.1), strikeouts (48) and was second on the squad in ERA (4.16). He also delivered 10 RBIs at the plate.
He had a good start to the 2020 season with a 10-strikeout, two-hitter in six innings against Chattooga and fanned 11 batters in a four-hit complete game victory over Adairsville.
“He’s going to be possibly an upper-80s guy by the time his career is over and (Bryan) is going to get a guy that is dedicated to the craft of pitching and has been for a long time,” Holden said. “He’s a guy that’s always been one to put in extra work on the side and really hone his craft.
Coots, who also played an important role in LFO’s first region basketball title in over 25 years last season, was also a reliable, go-to pitcher for the Red-and-White ever since his sophomore year. Holden said Coots is a fiery competitor and a team player.
He threw 41 innings for
LFO as a junior and struck out 40 batters, while allowing just 15 earned runs for a team-low 2.56 ERA. He also helped out with five RBIs. In the abbreviated 2020 season, he went 2-for-3 with a clutch RBI in a win over Chattooga and struck out three batters in a save situation against Dalton.
“Everybody loves Zac and he was a real leader for the team,” Holden said. “He’s a guy whom his teammates really trust and (they) play well behind (him) when he’s on the mound. He’s a midto-high 80s guy with a great plus curveball.”