Gosdin’s magic works again in 2014 at Genoa
It was a magical year for Genoa Centra l ’s baseball team and its coach Jona than Gosdin.
Gosdin and his Dragons won a state championship in 2012 and had come close on other
occasions. Miller County baseball fans were convinced the Dragons were en route to a second crown this past spring, but there were a lot of doubts in the state tournament opener when Genoa fell behind Searcy Riverview in the third inning, 10-1.
Gosdin challenged his players in the bottom of the third and they responded with six runs of their own, going on to beat Riverview, 11-10.
“I don’t know if we had given up ten runs in a ball game before that,” said the Texarkana Gazette’s 2014 Coach of the Year. “You would have thought we were destined to win it all after that 11-10 game, but then we got behind in the next game. We won that game in the bottom of the sixth.
Genoa Central, 30-2, went on to win its semifinal game and blank Fordyce in the championship game, 3-0, for its second state crown in three years.
Gosdin said the Dragons two state championship teams were different.
“One team was built around its offense (2012), and the other on pitching and defense (2014),” he said. “Both championship years were very satisfying, but last year’s team (2013), with all the injuries we had, was probably the most satisfying year we’ve had. We trusted a lot of young kids who didn’t have a lot of experience and got to the semifinals.”
The current champions graduated 10 seniors this spring that contributed in the title-run.
“When we got to the championship game it was a whole different moster,” said Gosdin, who was also the Gazette’s 2012 Coach of the Year. “We fortunately had five days to get ready for Fordyce, a team we had already played and came from behind to beat. The kids were able to refocus during those five days, and Dillon Drabble pitched a great game. Going in we felt would win if we could score.”
Nothing in the state tournament was surprising to Gosdin or his kids.
“Our program has gotten to the point that we’re a contender every year,” he said. “That Arkansas mentality of being one and done in the postseason means you’re going to get everyone’s best shot. Our kids know that, but I think we might have gone to state with our heads a bit above the water.”
Gosdin accepted his honor by recognizing the contributions of assistant coaches Kevin Huff, Chase Brewster and Forrest Cearley.
Despite the graduation loses, Gosdin expects his Dragons to make another long run in the postseason in 2015.
“Up the middle we’ve got some pretty good kids coming back,” he said in regard to catcher, shortstop and second. He said next year’s team will also be loaded with several young, strong arms on the mound.