PCHS valuable game experience

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

There is one thing for sure, going into the Thomasville High School Pizza Inn Classic taking place today and tomorrow, none of the six teams participating will be more prepared to play four games in two days than the Pike County Bulldogs.

It’s been the same old story for the Bulldogs this season ­ another day another baseball game. It has gotten to where the PCHS baseball team actually has more games than practices, mainly because the way their schedule seems to give them very little time for a little batting practice after school.

After pulling their record above .500 at 7-6 with a win over Abbeville back on March 21, PCHS has rattled off five-straight wins (four of those in four days), including yesterday’s 5-2 victory over Bullock County. They now stand at 11-6 and seem to be no worse from the wear as it were.

"I’ve said it before, but I really think it is helping us," Pike County head coach Fred Holland said about his team’s multitude of games in short periods of time. "We took a couple of days off recently and you could notice a difference. We got healed up a little and that helped, but I still feel we could have played better today."

The improvement on the Bulldogs’ team is obvious. When looking at the schedule to begin the year it was a scarry proposition. Seven games in a string of six days, then, seven games in seven days right after that, would be enough to scare anyone.

As far as the players are concerned, the chance to go on streaks of six and seven games in as many days is a challenge, but also something that is making them grow as players and together as a team.

"There’s really nothing better for you as a player than playing in live situations that count," senior Robby Price said. "You get a lot better experience from something like that than any practice I’ve ever been in."

"It’s a lot like practice actually, but it’s really better for you," fellow senior Chris Langston said. "First we thought it was going to be tough, then we saw the talent we have on this team. If we continue to play like coach Holland has taught us we’ll do fine."

Right now Holland is just proud of his seniors and many of his younger players for taking everything they have been through in stride.

"I still think we are improving with every game and that’s a big thing this time of year," Holland said. "We are constantly making progress in the right direction and we’re still learning so I’m pleased with everything so far. I really didn’t know they would play as well and deal with the schedule the way they have."

"We’ve got a lot of good senior leadership on this team and they are helping some of our young players along," Langston said. "We’re showing that we’re ready to play any day at any time."