Young Colquitt County baseball team prepares for opener at Lee

Feb. 5—MOULTRIE — It was a new-look Colquitt County High baseball team that met Worth County in a simulated scrimmage on Monday and opens the season at Lee County on Tuesday.

Gone is the core of the 2022 Packers team that went 18-17 and advanced to the state's Elite Eight.

That Colquitt County team relied heavily on nine seniors, five of whom signed to continue their careers at the next level this year.

Only three starters are back. This year's team has just five seniors.

But second-year head coach Brandon Brock believes even better days are ahead.

There are a number of talented juniors and sophomores who could help make the Region 1-7A race an interesting one.

"We do have some good sophomores who could figure into things," Brock said. "The team's baseball IQ is high on the whole and they will mix it up.

"And the team is fast. I think it's a good dynamic."

The Packers got solid performances from two of their top returning players in the scrimmage against Worth County on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

Each team sent five batters to bat in each inning in the simulated event.

In the top of the first, junior left-hander Mason Moore struck out four of the five batters he faced.

"Mason's fine," Brock said.

And in the bottom of the first, after junior Neko Fann and sophomore Brady DeRosso led off with walks, junior shortstop Cam Cook rifled a double to center to chase both base runners home.

Moore had a double to score Fann, who had singled, in the bottom of the third. Cook followed with his second hit of the game.

Fann, starting at second base, scored a pair of runs and put his exceptional speed on display.

Brock said he was concerned with the number of walks his pitchers issued, but wrote off some of his team's uneven play to having to face new opposing pitchers and to perform under the lights in front of a crowd.

And Brock said he is looking forward to sending his second Packers team out to face Lee County, a longtime Colquitt County opponent and the school where he both played and coached before coming to Moultrie last year.

Looking ahead to the season, Brock doesn't downplay the role the late-season success of last year's team will have on this year's group.

"I am so proud of that 2022 group," Brock said of the team that included seniors Hayes Lightsey, Cameron Summerlin, Bryce Monk, Davis Dalton, Abraham Daniels, Hayden Moore, Cannon Whatley, Chasyn Miley and Cole Whately.

"They set the tone for these guys. They showed this group that this is the level we are supposed to be at. They showed what the expectations are for Packer baseball."

The 2023 Packers are expected to have senior Tucker Sparkman and sophomore Hayden Hembree working behind the plate.

At first base, junior Jay'Den Williams and senior Miller Tompkins are getting much of the work.

Fann is showcasing his athletic ability at second base and also should give opposing defenses fits with his speed.

Junior Asher Cox looks solid at third base and Cook, who batted .385 and drove in a team-leading 37 runs as a sophomore last year, will start at shortstop.

The Georgia Dugout Preview lists Cook As a preseason second-team All-Class 7A selection.

Senior Landon Griffin has been penciled in to start in the outfield, but will miss some time early as a hamstring injury heals.

DeRosso and juniors Jardae Williams and Cayden Parker are likely to be the early-season starters in the outfield.

Moore also will be in the outfield when not pitching, but Brock is counting on the junior left-hander to anchor a young and inexperienced staff.

Moore, who hit .366 and drove in 26 runs last season, also pitched in 15 games with nine starts and had a 3.23 earned run average last season.

He, too, is a preseason second-team All-Class 7A pick.

Brock said sophomore Cook Tompkins, who had a 2-1 record and a 1.33 ERA in 10 appearances as a freshman last season, also could be in the rotation.

Junior Garren Wingate will get his innings on the mound and sophomore Gabe Eubanks will be sent out to vex batters will his assortment of pitches.

Freshman Ross Sparkman should contribute and senior Kale Hopper will work out of the bullpen.

The Packers will not start Region 1-7A play until they meet Camden County in a three-game series beginning on Tuesday, March 14.

But the non-region portion of the schedule has "no cupcakes," Brock said.

After meeting Lee County, Colquitt will travel to Columbus on Friday for a doubleheader against Columbus and Harris County beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Columbus was 20-13 last year. Harris was 22-11 and reached the Sweet 16 in Class 5A last season.

Colquitt will play its home-opener on Tuesday, Feb. 14, against Thomas County Central.

The Yellow Jackets were 26-9 last season under head coach Ryan Strickland, a former Colquitt County assistant.

Also on the Thomas County Central staff is former Packer infielder Houston Massey.

This year's schedule also features Pierce County, which was 30-6 and reached the Final Four in 3A last year; Bartram Trail of St. John's, Fla., 21-9 last year; St. John's Country Day of Orange Park, Fla, 23-5 last season; and Pace (Fla.) High, 26-4 in 2022.

Colquitt also will take to trip to play Buchholz High in Gainesville on Saturday, March 4.

Region 1-7A has added two teams this season, including Valdosta, which will feature longtime head coach Bart Shuman returning to its dugout.

Shuman, a member of the Georgia Dugout Hall of Fame, coached Valdosta from 1997-2007 and has a career record of 472-307. He was the head coach at Brooks County last year.

Brock considers Shuman one of his mentors.

"Any team that has Bart will be good," Brock said.

Richmond Hill enters the region for the first time and Brock said he expects those Wildcats to play solid baseball.

They were 24-6 in Class 6A last season.

Lowndes, the defending Region 1-7A champion, went 27-9 last year.

The Vikings feature three preseason first-team All-State selections in infielders Carson Page and Tate Sirmans and outfielder Qrey Lott.

Designated hitter Cooper Melvin and pitcher Noah Thigpen are second-team All-State picks.

"They'll be tough," Brock said. "It's their championship to lose."

Camden County was 9-15 last year. On the Wildcats coaching staff is former Colquitt County player Drew Shealy.

"I think it's going to be a well-balanced region," Brock said. "Last year, it was Lowndes and everybody else. I think there is going to be a little more parity this year."

Back on the varsity staff with Brock this season are veteran assistants Ryan Davis and Tyler Hembree.

Kirk Woodall and Ethan Hopper coach the sub-varsity AAA and AA teams.

Ian Brinson and Jarvis Lambright are the eighth-grade team's coaches and Danny Blaylock and Chris Hart coach the seventh-grade team.

Brock estimates there are some 85 players in the Colquitt County baseball program.