As postseason continues, local teams finished first and second with a trip to the region tournament in sight. The district contest was filled with high-class performances, emotions, and nail-biting games that put fans on the edge of their lawn chair.
Here are a few takeaways from last week’s games.
- District 14-AAA is the toughest district around.
After the conclusion of this tourney, it’s hard to find another district in Class 3A that is competitive like the one that Munford, Brighton and Covington baseball is in.
Tipton County has been known for being a baseball community, and since the rearrangement of classifications last season, all of the local schools have been battling for the top spot. Ripley and Haywood, teams that shouldn’t be taken lightly, are added in as well.
Seedings don’t even matter. #4 seed Ripley push Brighton, the top seed, to nine innings in the first round.
But, on the bright side, each game is fight to the finish and seeing each athlete perform their best is why this district is not only difficult, but the best.
2. Munford’s pitching staff has depth
Despite coming in second, the Cougars’ pitchers looked very promising. Outside of Owen Geiger and Chase Spears, two senior aces, sophomore Noah Lowry has been on the rise.
He pitched a complete game, shutting down Covington’s offense to zero runs in a 9-0 win to lead Munford to the championship. Lowry surrendered 12 batters and allowed four hits.
Brodie Fortner, a sophomore, has been throwing well with giving up only three runs in the 8.1 innings that he’s been on the mound.
With a revamped regional and sectional tournament format, having extra arms is very crucial.
3. Andrew Davis showed why he was All-District MVP
Andrew Davis played the best baseball in the tournament, which awarded him MVP of the district. However, his performance in the semifinal game against Munford proved why he was a top contender for the award.
After giving up five runs on the mound to the Cougars, Head Coach Ryan Wood replaced Davis with Sean Brubaker. In the bottom of the fourth with bases loaded and the Cardinals down by four, the Northeast Mississippi Community College signee sent a ball out behind left field to tie the game.
It was his first grand slam he ever hit.
To follow up, he came back in the pitch, and left Munford scoreless. They won 10-8.
M.J. Parimore brings a pitch to the plate in the first round of the District 14-AAA tournament on May 3, 2023. Photo by David Perry
- Brighton captures fourth title in five seasons
After facing elimination last season, the Cardinals had a chip on their shoulder. With tons of talent returning this season, they were set up to go for another title.
They managed to stay in the winner bracket and captured their fourth title in five seasons. It was an achievable feat, but Wood and his team are aiming for a higher goal.
“Booking that ticket to regions is all that matters. Just keep moving. Keep on moving,” he said.
They will play Dyer County in the first round of the regional tournament on Friday, May 12th in Newbern.
- Covington bounced out of tournament
Only two teams can advance out the district and one county team must go home. Shockingly, Covington came up short.
This was their first time since 2015 that they didn’t make it to the region tournament.
To reflect, in the eight years since their last district exit, the Chargers have been nothing short of successful with five state tournament appearances during that span. Not to mention a ring in one of those years.
Head Coach Brad Warmath and his team will reload and prep well to compete at a high-level next year.
Author: David Perry
Writer
