Spartans baseball team surges toward postseason
To say that the Mountain Brook baseball team has built off its run to the state quarterfinals a year ago would be an understatement. This year’s edition of the Spartans has enjoyed unprecedented success, garnering the No. 1 ranking in the state, and soaking it all in at the same time as another trip to the postseason gets underway.
“We’ve got a great group of seniors and a fantastic group of juniors that have complemented that senior group,” Mountain Brook coach Lee Gann said.
While an abundance of returning talent is key, Gann says the selflessness and character of his team is what has made this season so special.
“They’re very close, and they care about each other,” Gann said. “They really don’t care who gets the credit as long as the job gets done, and that’s the true character of a champion.”
After a 7-4 loss to Gardendale in the season opener, the Spartans responded by winning eight straight games before falling 7-2 to Walker in the second game of a doubleheader to Walker on March 2. The Spartans then won 16 of their next 17, including a 13-game winning streak, culminating that by coming out on top in the Mountain Brook Sports Corporation Spring Break tournament March 28-31.
“Special groups don’t come around every year,” Gann said. “This group is definitely a special group.”
From top to bottom, this Mountain Brook team looks and sounds like a team on a mission and is not fazed by a No. 1 ranking.
“The only rankings that really matter are after the last pitch of the very last baseball game of the 2015 season,” Gann said.
While winning is the goal, the Spartans aren’t letting a relentless pursuit of a state championship take away from the fun of a game.
“This being my last year playing with these guys as teammates, I have really enjoyed playing my last year with them because it’s been fun so far,” senior catcher Jack McPherson said.
The Spartans are hoping for a lot more fun and even more winning in the postseason this time around, and they understand that while last year’s run has had a positive impact on the season, it’s long term effect on the way this team is remembered is minimal.
“With finishing the way we did last year, it made us believe that we could be great,” McPherson said. “But we still know nothing that we did last year means anything this year.”
The quarterfinals of the state playoffs take place on May 1and 2. The semifinals take place on May 8 and 9, and the finals are May 15 and 16. If the Spartans stay the course, there is no reason to believe that they won’t be a part of all of those games.