Coach Mercer says his guys are more competitive than their record reflects
Headed into late April, the Blazers baseball team’s season record had slipped to 14-20.
But they still had a shot at making the Metro Athletic Conference playoffs, needing to win 11 of their remaining 14 games.
Coach Corey Mercer said his team is more competitive than their record reflects.
He noted that pitcher Jeremy Heatley consistently has thrown his fastball at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour.
Clint Dunham was batting .494, Mercer said. That was the third highest average in the conference. Greg Gautney had pushed his average to .455 and proved himself a valuable utility player.
Mercer said he isn’t giving up on his team or developing a negative attitude about the season.
“We let the guys motivate each other and push each other,” the coach said. “[They] make sure they’re working as hard as the next guy.”
Shortstop Hagen Keele wasn’t ready to give up on the season, either.
“We did all right, but we didn’t make big plays when needed,” Keele said. “Overall, we [have] had a successful season.”
Mercer is no stranger to North Lake College baseball. He played shortstop for the Blazers for two years before transferring to the outfield at the University of North Carolina at Asheville his junior and senior seasons.
The coach knows what his team must do to grab that last playoff spot – play better defense and pitch more consistently, avoiding big innings.