Crisp Academy baseball team two wins from first GISA state title

CORDELE — When Crisp Academy’s Wildcats visit Citizens Christian this weekend for a best-of-three series that will determine the GISA Class A state baseball champion, they’ll be taking aim at a bit of school history.

After all, the private school has never won a state crown on the diamond to go with the pair it recorded on the gridiron — and the seven it has racked up on the hardwood.

In order to etch their names into school annals, the Region 3-A champion Wildcats (17-11) must score two wins over the Region 2-A champion Patriots when the series begins today in Douglas at 4:30 p.m. Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by Game 3, if necessary, 30 minutes later.

“It would be great for our kids, our school and our community to finally win a state championship in baseball,” said second-year Wildcats coach Brett Freeman, whose team split a pair of regular-season meetings with CCA, winning, 10-9, at home then losing, 9-4, on the road. “No matter what happens, though, we’re just excited about still getting to play this late in the year.

“The (kids are) definitely excited and enjoying the moment. As a result, practice this week has been just great. I have all the confidence in the world that the guys will play well in all areas. If we do, it could prove to be a real good weekend for us in Douglas.”

A Crisp victory would also atone for the first-round state playoff exit the then top-ranked Patriots showed the Wildcats a year ago. After dropping a 5-2 decision, they came back and beat Crisp, 11-0, and 7-3.

“I’m hoping the year of playoff experience we gained in 2009 has us seasoned a little more this time around as there’s a lot of difference in going over there for a first-round meeting than there is for a state-title series,” Freeman said. “Even though I knew at the start of the season we had a really good club that could go a long way if things went right, I thought we might be a year away from making it this far.”

“At the same time, I’m not surprised that we stepped up the timetable I had in mind. This is really a good group that enjoys being around one another, whether it’s in games or in practice.”

Pitching, without question, has been the main factor in Crisp’s successful run to date against a schedule that included Class AAA Westfield and Southland and Class AA Tiftarea, which has also reached its finals.

“We’ve got 5-to-6 guys (who) we’re not afraid to send out there against anybody,” said the Wildcat coach who primarily has gone with the trio of righthanders Patrick Fay and Jordan Roberts, as well as southpaw James Bodrey. “I also like the way we’ve supported those guys lately with our hitting and defense.”

With a grand slam in both the Elite Eight and Final Four rounds, junior third baseman J.T. Carter has swung the hottest bat coming into the title series. He also has shown flashes of brilliance with his glove and arm, as have shortstop Les Cromer, second baseman Wesley Larkin and first baseman Anthony Barrera.

Seniors Cromer and Larkin, as well as Chandler Cromer — Les’ younger brother — Barrera and their coach have all grown accustomed to making the daily ride from their Leesburg homes to the local private school, where the remainder of the team consists of home-grown players.

“Our Lee County kids are a complement to the Crisp County guys that are really the backbone of the team,” Freeman said. “Still, we’re a group that — instead of caring where the players come from — just enjoys the game of baseball and is determined to go out there and win.”