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Jaguars end with extra-inning heartbreaker It was junior college baseball's version of the Hawks-Celtics NBA series—an eighth seed (Georgia Perimeter College) pushing a first seed (Young Harris College) to the brink of elimination. In this case, the underdog did not get blown out in the finale. Quite the contrary, the Jaguars took the nation’s No. 5 ranked junior college team into extra innings Sunday, only to be thwarted by a home run in the 11th inning that gave the Mountain Lions a 4-3 win and a deciding victory in the best-of-three series that opened the Region 17 tournament. The game featured a classic pitching duel between Jaguar freshman Brent Hendrick and Young Harris’ Stephen McCray. Hendrick, normally a closer, started for the Jaguars and limited the hard-hitting Lions to three runs in seven innings. McCray threw nine strong innings and held the Jaguars to one run through eight innings. GPC, down 3-1 entering the ninth inning, tied it on doubles by Kevin Boyd and Matt Bishop, followed by pinch-runner Russ Cooper’s steal of third base and dash home on the catcher’s errant throw. Jaguars relief pitcher Justin Yackee silenced Young Harris (47-12) in the ninth with a two-out strikeout that stranded two runners in scoring position, sending the game into extra innings. Yackee set the hosts down one-two-three in the 10th inning, but Trevor Collias’ two-strike blast in the 11th ended a valiant effort by the Jaguars. The Jaguars outscored the Mountain Lions, who advance to the second round, by three runs in the series played entirely on the winners’ home turf. GPC finished the season 23-35, 12-18 in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association. The season was billed as a rebuilding season, and the Jaguars’ strong showing in recent weeks speaks well in that regard. With many major contributors returning next year, coach Danny Blue and his squad have their eyes on a bright future for Jaguar baseball.
Young Harris evens score with GPC The Georgia Perimeter College baseball season comes down to one game on Sunday. After a 9-4 loss at Young Harris College on a wet Saturday that leveled the best-of-three series at one apiece, the Jaguars face a Region 17 first-round showdown with the Mountain Lions on the north Georgia campus Sunday at 2 p.m. Young Harris, fifth-ranked in the nation and top-seeded in the tournament, rallied after a shocking 10-1 setback on Friday. It wasn't easy for the Mountain Lions. The Jaguars (23-34) jumped ahead 1-0 in the second inning on Kevin Boyd's home run, then grabbed a 4-2 lead in the fifth with three runs. Craig Sparks opened it with a double, and Russ Cooper walked. After a bunt moved up both runners, Sparks scored on a groundout by Trent Freeman. Casey Young and Watson Lavigno reached base on hit-by-pitch, and an error brought two more Jaguars home. The Mountain Lions eventually got to losing pitcher Ryan Haynie with four runs in the seventh inning. They added three insurance runs an inning later, setting up Sunday’s payoff game. Jaguars surprise top seed Mountain Lions Proving the old adage that the playoffs are a brand new season, the heavily underdog Georgia Perimeter College baseball team opened its Region 17 tournament on Friday night by stunning Young Harris College 10-1. GPC (23-33), seeded last in the eight-team field and going against the nation's fifth-ranked junior college team, picked the right time to play its best game of the year. Freshman hurler Will Mathis was magnificent on the mound, throwing a complete game while allowing just four hits, one walk and a lone earned run. Mathis, backed by error-free fielding, struck out four. A six-run third inning—on four hits and aided by two of a total of four Young Harris errors—sealed the decision early for GPC. Denver Stovall, Matt Bishop and Watson Lavigno pounded out two hits apiece. Four of the 10 Jaguar hits were doubles—by Stovall, Bishop, Casey Young and Craig Sparks. Everyone in the starting lineup scored a run. It was Georgia Perimeter’s second upset of Young Harris (45-12), which won the teams’ series 4-1 on the way to the regular-season conference title. The Jaguars defeated the Mountain Lions 3-2 on April 18 with another pitching gem by Mathis, who struck out eight, and another error-free performance by his teammates. The best-of-three series resumes Saturday afternoon at Young Harris, with the Jaguars needing one more win to advance in the region tournament. If necessary, Game Three would be Sunday afternoon.
Jaguars face Young Harris in regional For the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Also, an oncoming train. The locomotive is Young Harris College, the Jaguars’ first-round foe this weekend in the Region 17 tournament. The top-seeded Mountain Lions (45-11, 23-5 GJCAA) are ranked fourth in the National Junior College Athletic Association polls and defeated GPC in four of their five regular season meetings. The best-of-three series begins 7:30 p.m. today, with a second game 3 p.m. Saturday and a third (if necessary) 2 p.m. Sunday, all at Young Harris. It’s a tall assignment for eighth-seeded GPC (22-33, 12-18), which did knock off Young Harris once this year. But the longer-range view is bright. The Jaguars made considerable strides from a forgettable 2007 season in which they wound up 8-30. They broke in a new stadium on the Newton campus that could lure higher caliber recruits from the state and beyond. (The current roster consists entirely of Georgians.) And most contributors this year are freshmen who will return for an encore. Of the six .300-plus hitters, five are first-year players. Denver Stovall of Mill Creek High (Hoschton) was the clear leader at .389, followed by Trent Freeman of Starr’s Mill High (Fayetteville) at .331. He edged out Watson Lavigno of Parkview High (Liliburn), the lone sophomore in the hitter parade, who batted .300. Freshmen occupied the remaining spots: Greg Adams of Cherokee High (Canton) at .327, Jeremy Reihn of Union Grove High (McDonough) at .317 and Tyler Betsill of Sandy Creek High (Tyrone) at .305. Lavigno shared home run honors with fellow sophomore Kasey Young of North Forsyth High (Cumming). Each had six. Stovall nosed out Young for most RBIs with 30, two more than the departing catcher. The pitching standout was another freshman, Will Mathis of Starr’s Mill, who averaged slightly more than 1 1/2 strikeouts per inning. He went 3-2 with a 3.00 earned-run average. His former high school classmate, freshman Ryan Haynie, crafted a 3.82 ERA that led to five wins. Closer Brent Hendrick of Brookwood High (Snellville), yet another freshman, collected three saves and a 3.29 ERA. Those numbers, mixed with greater experience, have the Jaguars on track to a winning season in 2009. Jaguars split, head for regional It was splitsville Saturday for the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team, which polished off its regular season with a 5-3 win and a 5-0 loss to Middle Georgia College on the Newton campus. GPC extended its victory streak to a yearly best four games on Ryan Haynie's complete game in the opener. Haynie (5-4) permitted just one earned run and walked a lone batter in leading the team to its 12th win in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Conference. A single and a double by Jason Dodson drove home three runs. The Jaguars did all of their scoring in the second and third innings. Warrior pitcher Pat Lawson stymied GPC in the nightcap with a three-hit 5-0 shutout. The Jaguars fell into a five-run hole in the second inning and never climbed out, though not without threatening. They had base runners in every inning, stranding nine, but scratched out only one hit after the first inning. Kevin Boyd (3-4) took the loss. Next, the Jaguars (22-33, 12-18 GJCAA) travel to Young Harris College for the first round of the Region 17 tournament. They face the host Mountain Lions in a best-two-of-three series, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Young Harris, the region’s top seed, is ranked No. 4 in the National Junior College Athletic Association coaches poll. The Mountain Lions have won the Junior College World Series and made the trip last year to the tournament at Grand Junction, Colo. The Saturday game starts at 3 p.m., and the Sunday game begins at 2 p.m., if necessary. The series winner advances to the four-team double-elimination semi-final round at South Georgia College next week.
Jaguars down Middle Georgia The Georgia Perimeter College baseball team was a perfect storm Thursday, taking Middle Georgia College with gale-force winds 15-0 on the Newton campus. The victory came in a complete package: batting (13 hits), fielding (no errors) and pitching (Will Mathis' 12-strikeout shutout to better his record to 3-2.) A quick single by Jason Dodson followed by a hit batsman and three walks jump-started the Jaguars’ offense with three first-inning runs. They revved up in the fourth with six runs and matched that total in the fifth. Watson Lavigno wielded the biggest bat, with two singles and a double that brought in two runs. Denver Stovall sent home four runs while Greg Adams and Tyler Betsill generated three. All had two hits. GPC (21-32, 11-17 GJCAA), with three straight wins, gets two more cracks at Middle Georgia in a doubleheader 2 p.m. Saturday at home that concludes the regular season. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are
played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the
intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. GPC bats win doubleheader Good things came Tuesday to all those Jaguars who waited. Nearly two months after its doubleheader at home against Chattanooga State was rained out, the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team poured it on the visitors on makeup day. The twin wins, 14-4 and 7-3, comprised one of the most dominant sweeps of the season for the Jaguars (20-32, 8-17 GJCAA). It was a sweet payback for the GPC squad because the Tigers had swept a March doubleheader in Tennessee—another bad-weather makeup date—by scores of 10-0 and 9-8. The opener Tuesday was halted in the middle of the fifth inning by the 10-run rule. Jason Dodson was perfection at the plate with four singles, three of them resulting in RBIs. Greg Adams had a triple, double and single, accounting for four RBIs. The Jaguars banged out 15 hits, plenty of support for winning pitcher Brent Hardy (3-1). A six-run outburst in the second inning of the nightcap sealed the deal early. The Tigers scored solo runs in the first, third and sixth innings as pitcher Russ Cooper (2-3) pocketed the win. The Jaguars close out the regular season on the Newton campus with a game Thursday at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday against Middle Georgia College, beginning at 2 p.m. The Jaguars’ home baseball
games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga.,
near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars upset No. 5 Young Harris The good news is the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team upset No. 5-ranked Young Harris College Friday. The bad news is Young Harris shut out the Jaguars in a doubleheader Saturday. In Friday’s gem against the national powerhouse, Will Mathis and Brent Hendrick tag-teamed for some pitching wizardry in a 3-2 win that required 10 innings on the Newton campus. GPC starter Mathis, locked in a pitching duel with Grimes Medlin (11 strikeouts), allowed two runs and struck out eight over eight innings. Hendrick entered a tie game in the ninth and kept the visitors scoreless to earn his second victory. He faced a minimum six batters, whiffing five. Trent Freeman opened the Jaguars' 10th with a single and was bunted to second. After an international walk and a single by Jeremy Riehn filled the bases, Denver Stovall slapped a potentially inning-ending double play that the Mountain Lions botched. Freeman dashed home with the decisive score. He also singled in the sixth inning and scored on a double by Kasey Young. Young Harris dominated Saturday's doubleheader, winning 7-0 and 9-0. The Jaguars accumulated seven errors. The closest GPC came to scoring was on Freeman's lead-off triple in the fourth inning of the nightcap, but he was stranded after three straight outs. Pitchers Justin Yackee (0-6) and Kevin Boyd (3-3) took the losses. The Jaguars (18-32, 8-17) have a makeup doubleheader Tuesday on the Newton Campus against Chattanooga State, postponed from Feb. 9 by rain. On Thursday at 6 p.m., they host Middle Georgia College.Pitchers lead GPC to victories In a word, the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team's performance Tuesday was . . . complete. Pitchers Brent Hardy and Russ Cooper pitched complete games for victories over Piedmont College. Hardy (2-1) struck out seven and allowed just one unearned run in a 10-3 triumph in the first game. Denver Stovall and Chad Turner rapped two hits each. Stovall, Kasey Young, Brad Lunsford and Trent Freeman all had two-base hits. Cooper (1-3) achieved his first win of the season with a 10-strikeout masterpiece, allowing only four hits in a 6-1 knockout. The Jaguars
erupted for a 3-0 lead right from the gun, then tacked on three unearned
runs in the third. Freeman collected three singles for GPC. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars win one, lose one The Georgia Perimeter College baseball team rolled sevens Monday, but its luck was mixed during a doubleheader at Gadsden State Community College (Ala.). Seven runs were sufficient in a 7-3 victory to start off the afternoon. However, a last-inning run by the Cardinals for an 8-7 win in the second game left the teams with a split. GPC pitcher Jesse Richeson (2-4) finished one out shy of a complete-game win as Alex Mahncke came on to face one batter to close it out. The Jaguars made the most of six hits, two by Watson Lavigno, and staked Richeson to a 3-0 edge after one inning. The Jaguars also jumped ahead in the second
game on Lavigno's two-run double, launching him to an outstanding game at
the plate. He added two solo home runs to go with one by Kasey Young as GPC
generated enough offense for a possible sweep. Following nine straight road games, the Jaguars (15-30, 7-15 GJCAA) will confront Piedmont College back home Tuesday at 5 p.m. on the Newton campus.
The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239
Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11
east of Covington. Jaguars win twinbill at Gordon Coming off a 13-7 loss to Gordon College on Friday in Barnesville for its seventh straight defeat, the GPC baseball team had to bide its time an extra day because of a Saturday rainout to seek revenge. Some things are worth waiting for. The Jaguars beat the Highlanders twice Sunday, 4-1 and 7-5, on perhaps their finest day of the season. Will Mathis (2-2) tossed a complete game in the opener spiced by 10 strikeouts, and was backed by error-free fielding. Aside from a home run, no Highlander advanced past first base. A double by Jeremy Reihn highlighted the Jaguars' three-run second inning. Watson Lavigno's solo home runs in his first two at-bats helped stake the Jaguars to a 5-1 cushion in the nightcap. But starting pitcher Justin Yackee tired, allowing Gordon to tie it 5-5 in the fourth. Trent Freeman's triple was the pivotal hit in GPC's two-run seventh that sealed the win, which went to reliever Brent Hendrick (2-5) in a standout performance. With 15 hits Friday, the Jaguars outslugged their foes. But even with five Gordon errors, they could only muster seven runs. GPC (14-29, 7-15) completes a seven-city road trip Monday across the border at Gadsden State (Ala.).GPC falls to Mountain Lions The GPC baseball team tried a pitching strategy reversal Tuesday in an attempt to reverse its fortunes, but the move did not pay off in a 9-2 road loss to Young Harris College. Brent Hendrick, the Jaguars' closer, started against the Mountain Lions. Other than allowing a two-run homer in the first and a three-run blast in the sixth, Hendrick did well but still fell to 1-5. His cause was not helped by five GPC errors. Watson Lavigno's second-inning home run was the highlight for the Jaguars (12-28, 5-14). The Jaguars’ home baseball
games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga.,
near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. ABAC sweeps Jaguars The GPC baseball team, which has fallen into a habit of close losses, endured two more Sunday against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Despite out-hitting the home team in both games, the Jaguars were edged 6-5 and 5-4 in Georgia Junior College Athletic Association action. The next day, they escaped the same fate, but this outcome was painful in another way. ABAC swept the three-game series, which was pushed back a day by rain, with a 13-2 victory. During Sunday's opener, the Jaguars rallied impressively, scoring in each of the last three innings, but fell short. They played error-free in the field and nearly doubled up on ABAC with an 11-6 advantage in hits. Jason Dodson, Trent Freeman, Greg Adams and Russ Cooper drilled two apiece. Ryan Haynie (4-4) was pinned with the loss. In the nightcap, Justin Yackee held the Stallions to six hits in a complete-game effort. But five of them were bunched in the sixth inning, when ABAC scored all of its runs. Yackee remains winless at 0-5, unable to profit from 10 GPC hits. In Monday's game the Stallions’ starter, David Lewis, silenced the Jaguar bats, allowing just four hits. Lewis pitched one-hitter through five innings and threw a complete game. ABAC took a 4-0 lead in the first inning as GPC’s Jesse Richeson (1-4) was tagged with the loss. The Jaguars (12-27, 5-13 GJCAA) play at Young Harris Tuesday, and then travel to Gordon College for games Friday and Saturday.
White stymies Jaguars with gem The GPC baseball team suffered a White-out Wednesday. The Jaguars were victimized by a complete-game shutout from Truett-McConnell pitcher Christian White in an 8-0 decision in Cleveland. He struck out five and scattered six hits, five of them singles, over the nine-inning contest. GPC didn't help losing sophomore pitcher Kevin Boyd and his relievers by committing five errors. The Bears gathered 10 hits, while committing only one error in the field. Boyd dropped to 3-2, while the Jaguars slipped to 12-24, 5-10 in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association. Georgia Perimeter travels Saturday to Abraham Baldwin College for another conference match-up.
Andrew tops Jaguars in rainy series The Georgia Perimeter College baseball team needed an extra day but finally got a win over Andrew College to close a three-game set on the Newton campus marked by tight finishes and a weather interruption. The series began promisingly on Saturday with pitcher Ryan Haynie taking a perfect game and a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning of the opener. But a throwing error paved the way to five runs and an eventual 7-3 defeat. Casey Young threw a scare into Andrew with a two-run homer in the seventh (final) inning, but the Jaguars could not threaten further. The second game of a scheduled doubleheader was halted in the second inning by rain and lightning with the scored tied 1-1, so the teams resumed Monday. Watson Lavigno's massive home run was not enough to overcome Andrew in a 5-4 setback. The squads then played a nine-inning game originally scheduled for Sunday, with GPC eking out a much-needed 7-6 win that ended a five-game skid. Denver Stovall went 4-for-4, including two extra-base hits, and Young homered again. Alex Mahncke earned a save following a strong outing by starter Jesse Richeson, who permitted just four runs in 6 1/3 innings despite too many fielding errors by the team. With their record slipping to 12-23 overall and 5-9 in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association, the Jaguars begin a two-week stretch on the road. They travel Tuesday to Truett McConnell and Saturday to Abraham Baldwin College for more league action. The team won’t play at home until Tuesday, April 15, when Piedmont College visits for a 5 p.m. game. The Jaguars’ home baseball
games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga.,
near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. GPC drops twin makeup games A blowout and a nail-biter, makeup games from a rainout last month, both went Chattanooga State's way Wednesday as the traveling Jaguars baseball team dropped a doubleheader 10-0 and 9-8. The losses drop Georgia Perimeter College to 11-21 entering a weekend series on the Newton Campus against conference foe Andrews College, with 2 o’clock starts Saturday and Sunday. In Wednesday’s opener, the Tigers jumped on starting pitcher Russ Cooper (0-2) in the first inning, resulting in seven runs. Brent Hardy's standout relief stint through the fifth slowed Chattanooga State’s offense, but they generated enough runs in the sixth for the game to be called in accordance with the 10-run rule. It was the Jaguars who exploded early in the nightcap, batting around in the second and third innings to accumulate seven runs. But the Tigers chipped away and won it in the seventh on a pair of two-out runs. Brent Hendrick (1-4) took the loss. Watson Lavigno, Greg Adams, Jeremy Riehn and Brad Lunsford all stroked two singles for GPC. The Jaguars' glove work, troublesome of late, improved as they were charged with only three errors in the two games. The Jaguars’ home baseball
games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga.,
near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. TMC evens score with Jaguars The results of four baseball games in five days between GPC and Truett-McConnell College lead to one conclusion: These two rivals in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association are pretty even. The Bears took an 8-5 decision Tuesday on GPC's Newton campus, completing a split of their extended series with the Jaguars (11-19, 4-7 GJCAA). By combined scores, Truett-McConnell was superior by a single run. GPC’s defeat came despite a masterful relief performance by pitcher Will Mathis, who struck out 10 over five scoreless innings. But starter Jesse Richeson (0-2) had put the Jaguars in too deep a hole, and they were again undone by an old nemesis, inadequate fielding. They recorded four errors, while the visitors made none. Trent Freeman, Tyler Betsill and Russ Cooper smacked two hits each, with Freeman driving in two runs. Wednesday the Jaguars travel to Chattanooga State for a doubleheader makeup from a rainout last month.
Jaguars take two of three from TMC The Georgia Perimeter College baseball team got its fielding problems solved and parlayed it with some strong pitching performances to capture two of three games over the weekend against Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. In Friday’s 5-3 victory, the Jaguars were tagged with four errors, but that amount was their fewest in five games. GPC was tied in the seventh when starting pitcher Ryan Haynie gave way to Brent Hendrick, who slammed the door on the home team while the Jaguars scored twice in the eighth for the triumph. Haynie (4-2) earned the win, and Denver Stovall was 3-for-3 at the plate. The Jaguars committed just one error in the front half of Saturday’s doubleheader but fell 8-3. Watson Lavigno hit two doubles and drove in two runs. But pitcher Justin Yackee (0-3) remained winless. GPC enjoyed an error-free game in the nightcap, a 6-1 victory co-highlighted by a complete game from pitcher Kevin Boyd (3-1). Boyd had a shutout until the 5th inning. Trent Freeman, Greg Adams and Nathan Chancey each had two hits, including Freeman’s double and Chancey’s two runs batted in. The Jaguars improved to 11-18 overall and 4-6 in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association. They aren't done with Truett-McConnell, as they host the Bears in another conference game Tuesday at 6 p.m. at GPC’s Newton Campus stadium. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington.
Young Harris trips GPC Hitting, pitching and fielding troubles all contributed Tuesday to the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team's 8-1 defeat to conference foe Young Harris College on the Newton Campus. The Jaguars scratched out seven hits, two by Jason Dodson. Their only run was produced in the fifth inning when Watson Lavigno singled in his first at-bat of the season and scored on a hit by Trent Freeman. Georgia Perimeter was guilty of six errors for the third game in its last four. Meanwhile, Young Harris banged out 14 hits, including a home run. Jesse Richeson (0-2) took the loss on the mound for GPC. The loss dropped the Jaguars to 9-17 on the season and 2-5 in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association. Closing a nine-game home stand, they take on Truett-McConnell College in Tifton on Friday and Saturday before a return engagement next Tuesday back home in Newton.
Iowa visitors rally past Jaguars A five-run lead failed to hold up Monday for the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team, which again suffered fielding glitches in an 11-8 loss to Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College on the Newton Campus. Russ Cooper’s bases-loaded triple in the first inning highlighted the game-opening outburst. But, by the end of the fourth inning, the visitors had leapt ahead with 10 runs. The Jaguars trotted out five pitchers who gave up a collective 13 hits, and they were hurt by six errors. Chris Anderson (0-2) took the loss on the mound. Trent Freeman was the Jaguars’ leading hitter, with two singles. The busy Jaguars (9-16) suit up Tuesday for their fourth game in three days, a 6 p.m. start at home against conference foe Young Harris College from north Georgia. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars take two from South Georgia
The
GPC baseball team overcame some fielding troubles to sweep South Georgia
College on Sunday with a couple of one-run wins on the Newton campus.
Jaguars big on hits, short on runs If baseball were scored by the number of hits rather than runs, Georgia Perimeter College would have swept a doubleheader Tuesday. However, the Jaguars left too many runners on base and lost a pair of games 3-2 and 5-4 to Roane State (Tenn.) on GPC’s home field at its Newton Campus. Rightfielder Denver Stovall went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate as GPC outhit the visitors 8-4 in the opener and 16-7 in the nightcap. Leftfielder Trent Freeman pounded out three singles in the second game. Too few of the hits generated runs as the Jaguars slipped to 7-14 this season. Pitchers Russ Cooper and Will Mathis were stuck with the losses. GPC settles in at home this weekend with games against South Georgia Tech at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. GPC falls, rises again Three days after splitting a doubleheader with Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee, Georgia Perimeter College did it again Sunday on its Newton Campus home field. Both
games were one-run affairs, the Jaguars dropping the opener to Cleveland
State 6-5 before winning the rematch 5-4. The day ended with GPC still five
games below A sacrifice fly by Brandon Mock in the last inning that broke a 4-4 tie closed out the tense twinbill on a high note for GPC. Starting pitcher Ryan Haynie earned GPC's first complete game of the season, bettering his record to 3-2. The opener went eight innings, one more than scheduled for a doubleheader. After Cleveland State nosed ahead in the top half, Brad Lunsford doubled and was bunted over to third base. But he was stranded there as the game ended, with Brent Hendrick taking the loss. Tuesday, the Jaguars host Roane State in another double-header. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Victory defeat combination The GPC baseball team was outscored by an aggregate eight runs last Thursday at Cleveland State (Tenn.) Community College, but the Jaguars will gladly take the result: one win, one loss. A 10-1 defeat in the opener was followed by a 5-4 victory, moving GPC to 6-11 this season. Rightfielder Denver Stovall's run-scoring triple in the second inning of the nightcap ignited the offense. Second baseman Brad Lunsford had three singles, while catcher Casey Young and designated hitter Greg Adams contributed two hits apiece. Kevin Boyd earned the win, his second in three decisions. The first game was forgettable for GPC, which committed four errors and scratched out only six hits. Chris Anderson was tagged with the loss.
GPC drops conference opening series It was no road trip to remember for the GPC baseball team. The Jaguars came up empty-handed in three weekend outings against against Darton College in Albany, a rough start to the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association portion of their schedule. On Saturday, the Jaguars dropped a doubleheader, 6-2 and 6-1. Sunday's score was 5-4. GPC outhit the Cavaliers in two games, including the opener, when Denver Stovall went 3-for-3. Starting pitcher Justin Yackee (0-2) took the loss. Dalton dominated the second game, limiting the Jaguars to two hits. Pitcher Ryan Haynie saw his record evened at 2-2. GPC spotted the Cavaliers a 5-0 lead on Sunday as pitcher Jesse Richeson failed to get out of the second inning. Alex Mahncke did yeoman's work in relief, shutting Darton down after allowing one run in the second. The chipped away at the lead with four runs and outhit the Cavaliers 12-5, with Brandon Mock going 3-for-4. A pair of baserunners stranded in the eighth inning sealed the Jaguars’ doom. GPC (5-10, 0-3 GJCAA) gets acquainted with Cleveland State this week with games Tuesday on the road and Saturday at home, beginning at 1 p.m. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars freeze in late innings A baseball game played Wednesday in football-like weather wound up with a football-like score, with GPC on the losing end. The Jaguars frittered away a late lead and fell to Piedmont College 12-11 in Demorest. With game-time temperatures in the low 30s having dropped below freezing, GPC carried a 10-6 advantage into the bottom of the eighth. But Piedmont erupted for six runs, highlighted by an inside-the-park home run. The Lions scratched out only eight hits but benefited from three GPC errors. Chris Anderson pitched 4 1/3 solid innings in the middle of the game for GPC. Starter Brent Hardy lasted just 1 2/3 innings, while late reliever Brent Hendrick took the loss. Third baseman Jeremy Reihn went 3-for-5, and catcher Kasey Young drove home three with a double and single as the Jaguars managed five more hits than the winners. The teams agreed to eliminate
one game of the scheduled doubleheader because of the cold. The Jaguars
(5-7) look for warmer weather in South Georgia this weekend, opening their
Georgia Junior College Athletic Association schedule with a series against
Darton College. Young’s long ball powers GPC With Casey at the bat, the Georgia Perimeter College baseball team managed a doubleheader split on Wednesday afternoon with Roane State in Harriman, Tenn., winning the second game 4-3. Sophomore catcher Casey Young made the difference with a solo home run, reprising his round-tripper in the opener, a 7-2 defeat. Justin Yackee, normally a starter, picked up a rare save when he entered the second game in the seventh (final) inning and induced two ground balls out of the Raiders—the second resulting in a double play that ended the game. Starter Ryan Haynie (2-1)—who got the win—permitted two home runs, but both were solo. He atoned by picking off two runners at first base. Pitcher Kevin Boyd absorbed the defeat in the first game as the Raiders piled up 10 hits, including two doubles and a home run. Roane State starter Jacob Jones held GPC to four hits, the big one being Young’s homer. The Jaguars (5-6) rest up for a doubleheader on Tuesday against Chattanooga State (Tenn.) at the Newton Campus, beginning at 2 p.m. The Jaguars’ home baseball
games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga.,
near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Freeman leads Jaguars’ hit parade The GPC baseball team got a win in heavy winds Tuesday, and it was no breeze. The Jaguars rallied from deficits of 5-1 and 10-5 to outlast Chattahoochee Valley 12-11 on the Newton Campus. Trent Freeman went 5-for-5, all singles, and scored three runs, while relief pitcher Brent Hendrick tamed the Pirates’ bats in the ninth inning for his third save. GPC starter Jesse Richeson allowed Chattahoochee a 5-1 lead, but the Jaguar bats came alive and tied it with four runs in the fourth inning. Then five runs, all unearned, in the sixth gave the visitors a comfortable lead. Chipping away, GPC promptly answered with two runs, then stormed ahead in the seventh with five runs on a mixture of five singles and three Pirate errors. Hendrick's strikeout after a scored run ended the Chattahoochee eighth, and he escaped the ninth inning with just one base runner allowed. Reliever Chad Sise (1-0) earned the win in relief for GPC (4-5), which plays a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon against Roane State in Harriman, Tenn.
GPC falls despite Yackee's performance The good news was that the top starter for the Georgia Perimeter College Jaguars, sophomore Justin Yackee, matched a 90-mile-per-hour fastballer for six innings. However, the bullpen couldn’t match Yackee's performance as the GPC baseball team fell 9-4 Saturday to Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Ala. Yackee, enabled by some small-ball offense, left his team with a 4-2 lead after six innings. He was removed because the starters are confined to a pitch count this early in the season. In the seventh inning, reliever Will Mathis allowed a bases-loaded triple in his only inning, and Chattahoochee Valley took a 5-4 lead. Chattahoochee scored four more runs in the eighth off Alex Mahncke to put the game out of reach. The defeat snapped a three-game win streak for the Jaguars (3-5), but they get a rematch with the Pirates on Tuesday afternoon at 2pm at GPC’s Newton Campus. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars bats come alive Brent Hardy started and went 4+ innings, walking four and picking up one strike out while giving up two runs, one earned, in the 2nd inning. That was all the Lake Land College Lakers could muster in an 8-2 victory for Georgia Perimeter College. Georgia Perimeter drove in eight runs with nine hits making a strong showing in the 2nd inning. Singles from Sparks, Cooper and Riehn; a double by Stovall; a sacrifice bunt by Bishop; and walks from Dodson and Betsill led to four Jaguar runs. Singles by Betsill ad Sparks around a sacrifice bunt by Young resulted in another run in the 5th inning. Doubles in the 6th from Stovall, Norton, and Young along with stolen bases by Norton and Mock capped off Perimeter’s scoring with three more runs. Sise came into the game for middle relief and gave up just one hit over two innings. Hendrick picked up the save, facing just three batters in the 7th inning. On a somber note, first baseman Chad Turner was struck in the face by a pitched ball in the 6th inning. His condition is unknown at the writing of this piece. Game 2 of the double header provided more excitement. Starter Ryan Haynie pitched a strong six innings for a Perimeter win giving up just two singles, one double, and one walk while striking out three. On the offensive side, the 2nd inning was once again lively for the Jags. Boyd started the inning with a double and Adams drove him in with a single, then was thrown out attempting to steal 2nd. Cooper started it off again with a walk ad Mock drove him in with a double. Mock landed at 3rd due to an error handling Mock’s hit by Lake Land’s left fielder and was easily plated by Stovall’s single. At the end of two innings the Jags led the Lakers 3-1. The 5th inning was also good for the Jags offense. A single by Stovall led the inning. Dodson followed with a walk and Freeman moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Riehn’s single scored both runners. Although Perimeter loaded the bases they couldn’t push any more runs across in the 5th, but picked up one more in the 6th inning. With a 6-1 lead for Perimeter, Alex Mahncke took the mound to start the 7th inning. The Lakers liked what he was throwing managing a single, a triple to score a run, and a walk before Hendrick was brought in to shut them down. Hedrick hit the first batter he faced to load the bases, then gave up a single to plate the 2nd run of the inning. He settled down after that striking out the next batter then securing the final out with a fly ball to the short stop for his second save. Next game is AWAY: Saturday, February 16th at Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, AL. Game time is 2pm. Next HOME game: Tuesday, February 19th vs. Chattahoochee Valley Community College. Game time is 2pm. Jaguars notch first victory at new field Georgia Perimeter College’s new ballpark had only resulted in disappointments for the home team. When the Jaguars stumbled 5-1 to Gadsden (Ala.) State in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday, it sank them to 0-4, all at the recently unveiled facility on the Newton campus. But GPC scratched out a pair of runs in each of the first three innings during the nightcap, and yeoman relief work by pitcher Kevin Boyd preserved a 6-1 victory that finally got the Jaguars off the “L” column. Boyd replaced Jesse Richeson, who had walked the bases full in the fourth. He threw one pitch to close out the inning with no damage and lasted three more frames, allowing nary a run. Run-scoring hits by Jeremy Reihn and Greg Adams in the first inning was all Georgia Perimeter (1-4) needed. Brad Lunsford's two-run single in the second allowed for some breathing room. In the third, Casey Young scored on a passed ball and Matt Bishop on a pop-up single by Jason Dodson. The first game started with promise as GPC pitcher Justin Yackee mowed down the Cardinals through three innings and had recorded two outs in the fourth. But a pair of two-run singles put the Jaguars down 4-0, a hole in which they never climbed out. All the Jaguars could muster offensively was a double by Russ Cooper that scored Craig Sparks. With a doubleheader last Saturday at Chattanooga State wiped out because of wet grounds, the Jaguars will play their first seven games at home. Visiting Thursday afternoon for a doubleheader is Lakeland (Ill.) beginning at 2 p.m. The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and State Route 11 east of Covington. Jaguars christen stadium with setbacks The first pitch to Guilford Tech’s Brandon McKinney was a high fastball. Justin Yackee of Powder Springs, Ga., delivered the historic first pitch as Georgia Perimeter College broke in its impressive new baseball stadium Saturday at GPC’s Newton Campus. But from the Georgia Perimeter point of view, there were a few missing items from the historic unveiling—permanent bleachers, a permanent sound system and a Jaguars victory. GPC lost three tightly contested games to Guilford Tech (N.C.), putting a slight damper on the ballpark's festive curtain-parting at the Newton campus. The Jaguars dropped a Saturday doubleheader 3-2 and 5-3, and then returned Sunday for a 6-5 defeat. “We could have won all three,” head coach Danny Blue said. “We didn't hit the ball hardly at all. We got good pitching.” None better than right-hander Yackee, who threw five no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in the opener. Because Blue is observing a maximum pitch count of 75 for his starters, a common practice early in the season, Yackee was lifted in the sixth inning. Three GPC errors contributed to Guilford's runs. “Routine plays, and we didn't make them,” Blue said. The first run by the Jaguars at their new facility was scored in the second inning by catcher Kevin Boyd. He walked, moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Chad Turner, advanced to third base on a balk and scored on a 4-3 fielder’s choice by Russ Cooper, who chalked up the first RBI. Passed balls were the culprit in the nightcap, with three in one inning leading to two runs that broke the game open. Sunday's setback was perhaps the most painful. The Jaguars tied it 5-5 in the eighth inning and had the go-ahead run thrown out at the plate. Then, in the top of the ninth, Guilford scratched out the winning run on a walk, a swinging bunt and a balk. GPC's top hitters over the weekend were Jason Dodson, Craig Sparks and Boyd. The losing pitchers were Alex Mahncke, Ryan Haynie and Brent Hendrick. The Jaguars play a pair Saturday at Chattanooga State, then return home for a twinbill Sunday against Gadsden (Ala.) State. The bleachers and the permanent P.A. system are coming soon—and some wins, the Jaguars hope, sooner still. GPC building new stadium, new baseball era If Danny Blue stays true to form, it’s a new era in Georgia Perimeter College baseball, or a revival of an old era. Not only does this spring’s season mark a move to GPC’s new Newton Campus with brand new baseball and softball fields, but it also promises to put Blue’s cleat prints on Jaguar baseball lore. After hastily taking charge of the college’s baseball program in 2006, Blue is settled in with his first recruiting class and ready for the upcoming season. As one of the most successful high school baseball coaches in Georgia—a perennial regional contender and a member of the Georgia High School Dugout Club Hall of Fame—Blue may be as qualified as anyone to bring back the glory days of GPC baseball, the dominant years of the 1980s and ’90s. The Jaguars posted an impressive 10-7 record in the fall exhibition period. However, Blue cautions, “Many teams hold back their pitching aces and do plenty of experimenting with personnel. But I was pretty pleased overall.” As practice opened in January, a few weeks before the Feb. 2 season opener at home against Guilford (N.C.) Tech, Blue was far from settled on a lineup. The Jaguars are freshman-laden, so he foresees fluidity within the starting group deep into the schedule. “This is like a big puzzle,” he says of piecing together the first-string cast. One of few certainties is pitcher Justin Yackee from Powder Springs (McEachern High School). Wielding an 88-mph fastball, he accounted for three of the 2007 staff’s wins and assumes the lead role in the rotation. Mound experience drops off after Yackee, though not necessarily the talent. Other candidates include freshmen Ryan Haynie of Fayetteville (Starr’s Mill High) and Jesse Richeson of Duluth (Duluth High). Brent Hendrick of Snellville (Brookwood High) looms as the closer. “That's our challenge, to see if the young guys come around,” Blue says. Of the field positions, only catcher is set in stone with Kevin Boyd of Conyers (Rockdale County High), though he also will take an occasional turn throwing rather than receiving. Two sure starters have yet to find a home. Russ Cooper of McDonough (Eagles Landing Christian High) probably will be stationed in right field, though he could slide over to center. Trent Freeman of Fayetteville (Starr’s Mill High) will wind up at second base or left field, depending on how the infield spot sorts out. There, he is contending with Matt Bishop of Conyers (Heritage High) and Tyler Norton of McDonough (Henry County High). In the outfield, Cooper could share the company of Watson Lavigno of Lilburn (Parkview High) in left or Brandon Mock of Portal (Portal High) in center. Should Freeman settle in at second base, the left field job goes to Denver Stovall of Suwanee (Mill Creek High). The rest of the infield pecking order is a free-for-all. Three players are vying at first base—top returning home run hitter Nathan Chancey of Duluth (Duluth High), Chad Turner of Suwanee (Peachtree Ridge High) and transfer Tyler Betsill of Tyrone (Sandy Creek High). A vacancy at shortstop caused by the academic ineligibility of the incumbent has opened the door to freshmen Brad Lunsford of Jackson (Jackson High) and Jason Dodson of Snellville (South Gwinnett High). Third base shapes up as a showdown between Craig Sparks of Conyers (Rockdale County High) and Jeremy Riehn of McDonough (Union Grove High). Helping Blue whip the team in shape is a solid lineup of baseball veterans: assistant head coach Stewart Bailey, assistant coach Thomas Briscoe, strength and conditioning coach Joe Hughes and The player lineup is not the only unfinished product. The Jaguars are beginning the season before final touches are applied to the stadium, and a state-of-the-art fieldhouse, with locker rooms and batting cages, will not be finished until later this year. With little choice for alternate sites, the Jaguars hope to play around and through the construction wrap-up. “Once it's all completed, bringing in [quality] recruits is going to put us over the top,” said Blue, who aspires to expand the recruiting base beyond state borders. “It's really going to become the place to be.”
The Jaguars’ home baseball games are played at GPC’s Newton
Campus, 239 Cedar Lane, Covington, Ga., near the intersection of I-20 and
State Route 11 east of Covington. Early commitments promising for Jaguars Georgia Perimeter College head baseball coach Danny Blue recently announced five early commitments from high school players to join the Jaguar baseball program next season. The athletes and Coach Blue’s comments: Rob Crosby: “A top pitching prospect from Loganville. This right-hander possesses a mid-to-upper-80s fastball with tremendous command of his curve ball and change-up. The GPC baseball program is definitely looking forward to Rob coming in and competing for a conference pitching role.” Blake McCullers: “A big time catching prospect from Loganville High School. This year’s GPC Jaguars squad loses all three of our catchers to graduation, so adding Blake to our program was the number one priority this year. Blake played of Team Georgia this past summer, and we are ready for him to come in and have an immediate impact next season.” Jake Dyer: “One of the brightest pitching prospects in this area. Jake is a right-handed pitcher from Salem High School in Conyers. He has dominant stuff with a powering mid to upper 80's fastball and great control of all his pitches. The GPC coaching staff is ecstatic about adding Jake to our team, and we are looking forward to him competing for a big time role in our pitching staff.” Micheal Madison: “A superb outfield hitting prospect from down in Vidalia, Georgia. Micheal has one of the sweetest swings we have seen this year, and is a very impressive young man. He also possesses quality outfield play that we are in need of, and we are excited about the possibility of adding his bat to our lineup.” Drew Dentler: “A left-handed hitting outfield prospect from Salem High School in Conyers. Drew is a very good athlete that gets a great jump on the ball, and that asset is going to be a premium for our new expansive ball park. He'll have a great opportunity to compete for a job in the outfield next year.”
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