THE WAY IT IS: Can Whitley County win baseball state crown? You better believe it

Les Dixon, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·2 min read

Jun. 16—If you don't think Jeremy Shope's Whitley County Colonels have the talent to win a state championship — you better start believing.

I've seen and written about plenty of high school baseball regional champion teams in my 28 years covering high school sports, and this year's version of the Colonels is something special.

First off, the hiring of Shope to lead the Whitley County baseball program has been huge.

He built Mercer County High School's baseball program into a state contender and has now done the same with the Colonel baseball program.

His players not only believe in him and the coaching staff but they also believe in themselves and their teammates. This team enjoys playing the game of baseball. Don't believe me? Then travel up to Legends Field on Thursday to watch them play in quarterfinal action of the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament.

When the first pitch is thrown, everyone in the dugout gets involved, cheering on whoever is at bat or playing in the field.

The Colonels' love of the game and recent success have carried over into the Whitley County community.

Don't believe me again? You should have been in Morehead.

Colonel fans invaded Morehead State's Sonny Allen Field Saturday, and it felt like Jeremy Shope's team was playing at home. I've never seen a baseball fan base travel like Whitley County does.

And they've had a lot to cheer about this season.

In the past, if Whitley County fell behind early in a big game, you could bank on the Colonels being done the remainder of the contest but it's not like that anymore.

Shope has changed the culture with the baseball program. The players expect to win, and never give up until the final out is recorded.

To say I'm impressed with what Shope and the Colonel players have achieved this season is an understatement. They've proved they belong, and now, they're only three wins away from bringing home a state title — if you don't think it can happen, you better start believing ... now.