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Mary Montgomery Starts
Trek To 6A State In Hank Aaron Classic
By JOSH BEAN -
Mobile Press-Register Sports Reporter
Mobile,
AL (February 13, 2010) -- Last spring, Mary Montgomery
emerged as one of the state's top baseball teams by
advancing to the Class 6A semifinals.
Can the Vikings do it again?
Mary Montgomery begins providing
the answer Monday in a 6:30 matchup against Baker in the
season-opening Hank Aaron Classic.
"Since the day we lost last
year, people have asked, 'How good are you guys going to be
next year?'" Mary Montgomery coach Terry Dixon said. "I
think we're going to be pretty good, but there's a lot of
good baseball teams, like Fairhope and Theodore and Baker,
that have programs that are going to good year-in and
year-out."
The race to the 2010 baseball
state championships begin Monday, the first day teams are
allowed to play under AHSAA rules. Softball season also
begins today.
The Hank Aaron Classic features
20 teams from southwest Alabama, with the opening rounds
played at five sites in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
Murphy, McGill-Toolen, Mary
Montgomery, Fairhope and Foley will serve as the five host
sites, with four teams playing a round-robin schedule
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at each park. Thursday could
be used for make-up games if inclement weather hits.
Each of the 20 teams will then
play at Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium on Friday, Saturday,
Feb. 20 and Monday, Feb. 22 after being seeded 1-20.
At Mary Montgomery, the Vikings
will battle Baker, UMS-Wright and Thomasville, all of which
advanced to the state playoffs last year. Thomasville
finished runner-up in 4A, the lone team from southwest
Alabama to play for an AHSAA state title.
That means the Vikings have a
tough draw as they try to carry over 2009's success.
"If we play the first three and
don't do real well, it's not the end of the world," Dixon
said. "The high school baseball season, it's more of a
marathon race instead of a sprint."
MGM sent three players --
left-handed pitcher Turner Lee, infielder Justin Beck and
All-State third baseman Blake Brown -- to college baseball
last spring. This year's team will be anchored by
left-handed pitcher Daniel McGiboney, a South Alabama signee,
and shortstop Dustin Evans.
The Hank Aaron Classic features
a number of other notable players, including reigning
Press-Register player of the year and Mississippi State
signee Daryl Norris of Fairhope, St. Paul's outfielder and
Louisiana-Lafayette signee Dominick Francia and Spanish Fort
pitcher and Alabama signee Patrick McGavin of Spanish Fort.
Here is the schedule of games
in the Hank Aaron Classic ...
At Mims Park
Satsuma vs. Cottage Hill, Monday, 4 p.m.
Murphy vs. Bryant, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Bryant vs. Satsuma, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Murphy vs. Cottage Hill, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Cottage Hill vs. Bryant, Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Murphy vs. Satsuma, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
At Lipscomb Complex
Davidson vs. Theodore, Monday, 4 p.m.
St. Paul's vs. McGill-Toolen, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
St. Paul's vs. Davidson, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Theodore vs. McGill-Toolen, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Theodore vs. St. Paul's, Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Davidson vs. McGill-Toolen, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
At Mary Montgomery
UMS-Wright vs. Thomasville, Monday, 4 p.m.
Baker vs. Mary Montgomery, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Baker vs. UMS-Wright, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Thomasville vs. Mary Montgomery, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Baker vs. Thomasville, Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Mary Montgomery vs. UMS-Wright, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
At Fairhope's Volanta Park
Baldwin County vs. Faith Academy, Monday, 4 p.m.
Fairhope vs. Spanish Fort, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Spanish Fort vs. Faith, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Fairhope vs. Baldwin County, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Baldwin County vs. Spanish Fort, Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Fairhope vs. Faith, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
At Foley
Robertsdale vs. Daphne, Monday, 4 p.m.
Foley vs. Gulf Shores, Monday, 6:30 p.m.
Gulf Shores vs. Daphne, Tuesday, 4 p.m.
Foley vs. Robertsdale, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Gulf Shores vs. Robertsdale, Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Foley vs. Daphne, Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
At Hank Aaron Stadium
Friday, Feb. 19; Saturday, Feb. 20; Monday, Feb. 22. |
