The Gordon Central Warriors and back on the diamond
Gordon Central Baseball looks for continual improvement and wins in 2020
MBaron@CalhounTimes.com
Gordon Central baseball is underway and the Warriors are geared up for continued growth under secondyear head coach Austin Norrell.
The Warriors are looking for their first victory since March 23, 2018, but Norrell said this has the potential to happen this year.
“We’re trying to build this program up a little bit,” Norrell said. “We haven’t had a lot of success in the past, but I’m just trying to get these kids to enjoy coming to the field everyday and not seem like a hassle.”
Norrell said a lot of his starters will be seniors, but also added there is some young talent on the roster.
Norrell said his biggest takeaway from his first year at the helm was the need for patience.
“As a 26-year-old coaching, I’m a little hot headed sometimes,” Norrell said. “But I’ve really learned I’ve got to be a little bit more patient and realize that these kids aren’t at the college level liked when I played.”
Norrell played college baseball at
Walters State Community College (TN) his first two seasons, then transferred to Division I Middle Tennessee State University for his final two years.
“A lot was expected out of you,” Norrell said. “You were already expected to know the fundamentals of the game. You get here to high school, sometimes this hasn’t even been taught with these kids. Baseball’s a huge mental game, ... kind of like golf.”
As Norrell enters his second season on the job said the biggest thing he’s learned is making sure to love the kids.
“I’m ... trying to teach them the game of baseball,” Norrell said. “In the
BASEBALL,