The more things change the more they stay the same. That is very true with the Pleasant Grove Hawks Baseball team.
While athletes graduate every year, and are replaced by younger players, there is one thing that stays constant at PG. That is the winning formula.
The Hawks have been dominate in baseball for a long time, and Head Coach Riley Fincher and his staff is a huge reason why. As we will talk about later, Fincher expects and demands a lot from his players, and he gives a lot back as a teacher of the game and whole lot more to these young men.
First off though lets look at this years team. Fincher says they have 7 starters back from last year as either position players or pitchers. The coach says he likes what he sees, ” Right now, we have a good mix of 10th, 11th and 12th graders that have been getting a lot of reps in practice and the scrimmages. We feel, as a staff, that we will have the right combination of players to get the season started.”
The Hawks will have to begin the regular season with a couple of their infield star players and leaders on the bench with injuries. Shortstop Jackson Cobb and Ben Harmon both suffered injuries during the football season that they are still recovering from at this point according to Fincher. “Both of those young men are huge parts of our program, and are currently working hard to get back on the field with their teammates. In their absence, they have both done a great job of helping the younger guys, basically being an extra coach for us in the process.”
According to the coach, there have been several players that have had the opportunity to get in more reps while those two guys are out. “Currently, Braden Hlavinka and Blake Jennings have been working at SS, while Hlavinka and Alex Murphy have been working at 3rd. ”
The Hawks have some guys that can track the ball down and make those all important catches in the outfield. According to Fincher, “We have Andrew Legrand and Brock Bearden back from last season’s team. LeGrand will move from LF to CF this season, while Bearden is penciled in at LF. Hayden Koller has settled in well in RF, after a successful season last year on the JV. Other players vying for time in the OF are Braydon Solida, Carson Rhodes and Nathan Hutcheson, among others.”
Pitching always seems to be a strong point with Pleasant Grove. Coach Fincher and his staff, are masterful at working with, and teaching the art of successful pitching with their athletes. So far so good says Fincher, “We feel good about our pitching staff at this moment in the early season practices. Returning from the varsity last season are Tucker Anderson, David Singleton, Braydon Solida, and Alex Galvan. Newcomers who could see innings are Nathan Hutcheson, Josh Brown, Blake Jennings, Alex Murphy, Carson Rhodes, Reid Bingham, and Kaleb Hayes. As always, we expect our pitchers to compete with every pitch and they have all shown that in the scrimmages and early practices.”
Coach says it will once again be a 5 team district this year. That means the Hawks will play everyone else 3 times during the district part of the regular season. Those teams are Paris, North Lamar, Pittsburg and Liberty-Eylau. Fincher says everyone in the district is very familiar with their opponents. “There will be no secrets when we play, as we have seen each other play multiple times. As always, we expect a highly competitive district every time we step on the field. As always, our region looks to be very competitive again. On paper, it has the makings of being another exciting baseball season.”
As we mentioned earlier, Coach Fincher and staff expect a lot out of their players and do a great job of bringing the best out of their kids both on and off the field. Fincher says its important. “Our expectations at PG are always to compete and play at a high level with excitement and energy. Our kids and community have a passion for baseball and a passion for Pleasant Grove. We like to embrace those expectations as a program and look forward to improving on a daily basis to put ourselves in the best position to compete and win on a daily basis.”
Another important factor is the support from the Hawk Nation fan base. Something that is not lost on this baseball head coach. “Pleasant Grove is a special place. The support that the community and school shows to our students is second to none. Our staff and players are extremely thankful and humbled for the support shown. Our guys are excited to start the season and enjoy every day with the best support from our community and parents.”
With the leadership of Coach Riley Fincher and his staff, you can expect another great season for the Hawks baseball team. They expect nothing less. Don’t be surprised if this team is still playing into June and marking a date to play in Austin. One thing is for sure, as always with Hawk baseball, it will be an exciting ride.
The regular season is scheduled to begin Monday February 24th, at home with a 5pm start against the Atlanta Rabbits. The Hawks will then be in a tournament starting Thursday the 27th in Sunnyvale. In a change this year, all district games whether at home or on the road, will start at 6pm.
GO HAWKS!!!