Legendary former Pike Liberal Arts School baseball coach Butch Austin was on hand to throw out the first pitch, at the baseball field named in his honor, before the Patriots swept their way into the AHSAA Class 2A State Championship on Wednesday. 

Butch Austin coached for decades at both Charles Henderson and Pike Lib, leading the Patriots to more than 400 wins during his head coaching days at the school, including the school’s first state championship in 2012. Now, PLAS is headed to a state championship as a part of the AHSAA, with Butch Austin’s grandson at the helm.

“It was a really special moment,” PLAS head coach Will Austin said of his grandfather throwing out the first pitch. “Coach Butch has been through a lot of health issues the last couple of years and for him to be able to come out there and throw out the first pitch and be there for that was a blessing. It was a really good moment not only for myself, personally, but for the school, as well. It was really awesome.” 

Pike Lib was turned into a baseball power under Butch Austin’s tutelage, winning four more state championships after his retirement. After joining the AHSAA, Pike made it to the playoffs in each of its first two seasons but this is the first time the Patriots have secured a spot in the state championship since that move.

“State is where you want to be,” Will Austin said. “It’s why you play and why you coach and you want to play and coach to win the whole thing. We have an opportunity to do that and that’s a blessing for our program.”
After a long night in the semifinal sweep, playing until almost midnight, Pike will have a quick turnaround with the state championship beginning on Monday, May 12. Standing in Pike’s way of reaching their goal is the Vincent Yellow Jackets. 

Vincent comes into the state championship with a 31-7 record, having been a dominant force in the playoffs. The Jackets swept West End in the first round, outscoring them 31-2 in two games. After losing game one of the second round series to North Sand Mountain, Vincent took the next two games by a combined score of 19-3. 

Vincent swept Sumiton Christian in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Jackets lost game one to Mars Hill Bible 3-1 but then answered by outscoring Mars Hill in the last two games by a combined 20-8. 

“Vincent has a really good team,” Will Austin said. “They’re going to pitch it well, hit it and play solid defense. It’s going to be another good challenge for our guys. We have to go out there and play well to give ourselves a chance.”

Pike and Vincent will play game one in Oxford on May 12 at 4 p.m. Game two will play on the campus of Jacksonville State at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. If a game three is necessary, it will be played later on May 13.