Setting a new mark
Published 12:03 am Thursday, April 11, 2013
Andalusia is one win away from accomplishing a third six-game win streak this season, as the Bulldogs start a best-of-three area series against Monroe County today in Monroeville.
Better yet, the Bulldogs got their 23rd victory of the season Tuesday night over rival Opp to surpass the 2004 team’s total wins of 22.
For AHS coach Jonathan Rasberry and the rest of the Bulldogs, getting the 23rd win is a big accomplishment.
“I’m excited for these boys to have that many wins,” Rasberry said. “If it does stand as the record at Andalusia, I think that’s really an accomplishment for them and for the type of players we’re starting to become. It’s exciting.
“We only have four seniors and one of them really starts for us,” he said. “The rest of them are juniors and sophomores. That looks bright for the future also.”
With the win, the Bulldogs stand now at 23-8-1 on the season. Each of their losses this season have been by two-and-a-half runs.
When asked what the main keys for Andalusia’s success up until this point have been, Rasberry said he credits hard work and overall execution.
“Execution is a big key,” he said. “We’ve worked hard a lot of the times; as coaches, we’ve worked them hard. We worked them hard at the beginning of the season to try to let them know that late in the season, it’s going to be up to them. That’s what it really boils down to.
“I feel like when we make routine plays and play good baseball, we’re one of the best teams in the state,” he said. “When we don’t have focus and don’t have intensity, then we can be one of the worst teams in the state.”
The Bulldogs’ Class 4A, Area 2 contest today is for a single game. Weather reports indicate that there is a 90 percent chance of rain today. If the game is rained out, then both will make it up on Saturday.
Tomorrow, AHS will still host MCHS in the series’ doubleheader. Andalusia needs two wins in this area series to claim the area championship and the right to host the first round of the state playoffs, which begin next week.
While it’s all good that the Bulldogs have reached this mark this season, Rasberry said his team also has a “downfall.”
“The problem we’ve had this year is playing down to our opponents, and that’s probably our biggest downfall,” the coach said. “If we can focus on every single game like it’s our last one, then we’ll be really tough to beat, no matter who we play.”