Munford baseball headed to state for third time in eight seasons

When the Munford High baseball team dropped the first game of a best-of-three substate series against Dyer County last Wednesday, the odds were against the Cougars making state.

So much for the odds.

Munford won game two 4-3 the same day and then beat the Choctaws 13- 8 at home on Thursday to punch its ticket to state. Scotty Yount has been Munford’s head coach eight seasons and the Cougars have advanced to state three times during that span.

“I told the kids if we could go about .500 during the regular season with the schedule we played we’d have a chance (to make state),” Yount said. “These kids know how to win. It’s not one person. It’s about the team.”

Munford opens Class 3A state tournament play Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Anderson County at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro.

The game two win for Munford could not have been much more dramatic. With the scored tied 3-3 in the top of the 11th inning, Houston Yount, the coach’s son, singled home the game winner. A double play in the bottom of the inning ended things and Munford’s bats carried the team to a win in game three the following day.

“That was a father-son moment right there,” Yount said. “I let out some emotions right there for sure.”

In the decisive game on Thursday, Munford trailed 5-4 before scoring four in the third and four more in the fifth to take control.

Munford had 10 hits in the game three win, highlighted by homers from Jase Greenland and Braden Hawkins and doubles from Hudson Wright and Curly Lowry.

The Cougars are a young team, with five sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup on most days. The future is bright, but, for now, the Cougars are focused on bringing the second baseball state title to Munford.

“We have a lot of kids who have been in the fire,” Yount said. “They know what it takes to win.”