McCallie has arms to make another title run
With potentially the most dominant 1- 2- 3 pitching rotation in the state, McCallie is not worried about just breaking the .500 mark 23 games into the prep baseball season.
The reigning Division II-AA state champions have fresh arms ready to roll as they head toward the postseason and a key region series with Baylor next week.
Between senior pitchers Hudson Calhoun, Olin Johnson and Grayson Smith, the Blue Tornado have a No. 1 caliber pitcher ready for any opponent. The three have combined to throw 83 innings this season in which they have struck out 160 batters while posting a 1.52 earned run average with just 44 hits allowed.
“We are fortunate to have such great pitching on this team,” McCallie coach Tim Costo said. “Those three are exceptional pitchers and we have gradually built them up to where they are ready to start going 5- to-7 innings now when we need them to.”
The Blue Tornado’s 12- 11 overall record includes a little bit of misfortune as they have lost five games by one run. However, they have won both of their region series this year two games to one over both Knox Catholic and Knox Webb.
Johnson , a 6- foot- 6 right- handed North Carolina signee who has touched up to 96 miles per hour, had a season- high 15 strikeouts in his last region start, a one-hitter against Webb.
Johnson has 63 strikeouts in just 29 innings, while Calhoun, an Ole Miss signee, has allowed just seven hits and two earned runs through 29 innings. Smith is a Florida signee who has reached up to 95 miles per hour and has 43 strikeouts over 25 innings.
“Honestly, if you look back at last season, we are in a better spot this year,” Johnson said. “We had lost a region series at this point last year and this year we haven’t. I think we can shape up and make a run again. I am fully confident in our team. We are just trying to figure out where everybody fits right now and who is hot.
“I also don’t know of any high schools that are as deep in their pitching staff as we are. We have some scary arms on our staff.”
Backing up the three powerful arms on the mound is a lockdown defensive duo of senior shortstop Sebastian Leinberger and second baseman Reece Jordan, while juniors Nick Gibson and Nolan Sergeant have been key middle of the lineup bats. Senior Wallace Gibson and junior Hayden Choate have also been impact bats.
McCallie’s bats were rolling Friday, accounting for 13 hits in an 11-0 shutout of Ooltewah, which was followed by a 4- 0 victory over Green Hill in which Calhoun and Nolan Bernard combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing just a pair of hits and walks.
“These guys just keep plugging away. They are phenomenal workers,” Costo said. “We haven’t had the greatest start, but that’s OK. We have great arms that I know are going to show up during region play, and our guys can hit. We just have to put it all together at the right time.”
McCallie has outscored its competition 144-80 this season, another sign the team’s record is a little misleading.
“We want to make a run at another championship,” Smith said. “I think our guys will back each other up like we did last season. Great pitching can carry a team, but you have to play solid defense and have timely hitting to back it up too.”