Inexperience on the mound a challenge for McCrory
One of the main goals for McCrory’s baseball team this season is to improve from game to game and finish games. Having already played two games this year at the time of this interview, losing to Episcopal Collegiate High School and defeating Rose Bud, coach Glen Campbell said he has seen steady improvement in his team. “Our goal is to play the last week of the season,” Campbell said. “We want to make it to the state tournament, however we can get there. “And we want to get better every day along the way.” Campbell said that following the two games to start the season, he saw a lot better practice. “We are starting to get into the baseball groove,” he said. He said the biggest difference between the two games was facing a more evenly matched team in Rose Bud. “Episcopal had a pretty good guy on the mound,” Campbell said, “but with Rose Bud, we were more alike, and we hit the baseball. “They made a few mistakes, and we took advantage. We were more relaxed on the second day, rather than the first.” The biggest weakness for McCrory is the inexperience the team has at pitching. The Jaguars used four pitchers in the first two games. “We are trying to figure out who we are going to go with in our conference opener,” Campbell said. Senior Dalton Holland and junior Cole Bull have the most experience on the mound for the Jaguars. “Out of the guys we have coming back, they threw the most innings,” Campbell said. “They have put in a lot of work and have the most experience. “We are young, but I think in the end, we will be OK.” Campbell said his team is willing to work and is committed to the program he is trying to instill. “It is a learning process for some of them,” Campbell said. “We are going to have to play ourselves into shape. Hopefully, Mother Nature will start being nice to us.”
In the first two games of the season, senior Jesse Skudlark is 1 for 3 with a run scored. Returning sophomore Tarzan Alumbaugh was named as one of the better hitters for McCrory. “He has probably played the most baseball of any kid I’ve got,” Campbell said. “He plays first base and pitches.” Alumbaugh is listed as 6-2 and 225 pounds and played linebacker and fullback for the football team. He was scheduled to start against Newport on March 6. “Our inexperience is pitching,” Campbell said. “That is what we are trying to work on, but it is going to be ugly along the way.” “We always want to be in the conference race, get to region and have a chance to make a run in the state tournament,” Campbell said. “We want to play the game with the correct effort and attitude, 100 percent all the time, do the little things right, count on each other and let the rest take care of itself.”