Alderson reviews playoffs

By John Smithson

I met with Chiefs baseball coach BA Alderson late Saturday morning in the Chiefs empty dugout at The Hank. I asked him about the playoffs and the end of the Chiefs season the night before at Chapin.

“I thought we performed better this year than last year in the post season. I think we were a little more offensive this year. We even outhit Chapin 8-5 in last night’s game. We just didn’t get hits when we needed them. We had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh with runners on second and third, but it didn’t happen for us.”

“We gave up four unearned runs, and I think four of the runs came with two outs. If you get out of those innings with no runs you’re playing here today. But it is what it is. We left a lot of runners on base, and you have to get them in. It’s always difficult on the road.  Gabe Priest threw good enough to win. A couple of defensive miscues cost us, but he threw extremely well. He did exactly what we needed him to do,” Alderson said.

He spoke about his team and Chapin. “We really love our kids- their effort, their energy and attitude. They played their fannies off all year long, so we have no regrets. We played as hard as we could play. Chapin is a really good team though, solid and probably the best team we have played all season. They go to the lower state championship, and I thought they had a chance with good players and a good pitching staff.

The Chiefs lost nine seniors at graduation. “We will lose a lot of senior pitchers; Priest, Sawyer Smith, Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden and Jake Frick. Defensively we will have a lot of returning position players. We lose Priest and Sawyer and Trevor Mitchetti, all everyday players. But we should have some depth in position players next year. We will have to establish some depth on the mound. We have some good ones coming back but we will need depth.

I mentioned the performance of Andrew Mundy in the win over Lucy Beckham and how settled he was in his pitching. “He’s really grown up and he’s starting to mature and handle game situations. The more he is in those situations and environment, the more it will help him in the long run. He will have the experience of a junior or senior going into the postseason and there is no substitute for experience.

I asked about the excellent NMB B teams and JV teams and their impact on next year. “We have a calendar year to figure that out. We really like our young group and from the 7th to the 12th grade we should have some pieces that could put together a pretty good team. We try not to pull those kids into the JV team too early. We try to avoid middle school kids on the JV team. We want them to develop their skills. Our plan when I got here seems to be working since we have good seasons at all three levels.

Alderson went back to his seniors. “The senior group we had this year was probably one of the better senior groups we’ve had as far as leadership, leading in the right way. I’ve been with these kids, watched them develop since they were nine years old and come to my youth camps. It’s really hard to see them go. Nine seniors and other than Josh and Trevor they have all been here their whole life.

“A kid like Sawyer Smith. He has to hold a school record for winning as a high school baseball player at North Myrtle Beach. He’s won 97 ball games, three shy of 100, in four years. I don’t know if that’s ever been done. He was the starting shortstop the year we played for the state championship in ’23. For four years he’s done nothing but win 28,26,23 and 20 with him at shortstop and pitching. Got to believe that’s a record.

“A playoff loss hurts. These kids care so much and put so much into it. A lot of people don’t see all the things they do to prepare themselves for their season and their career. The weight room every day, the running, the toughness challenge we do in December. They work about nine months and in summer they go and play where they can for different teams. These kids put a lot of work and commitment into what they do. Most people don’t see those things. They see games and wins and losses and statistics. They don’t see how hard these kids work. I am very fortunate to have a group of kids that really enjoy the preparation part of playing the game.

“The time has passed where you just show up for practice and go home or play games and go home. If you are not working outside of practice and your competition, you will be left behind. These kids put a lot of time and effort into practice and what’s needed after practice. It’s tough and that’s why it’s so heartbreaking for them because they put so much time, energy, effort and commitment into it. They give up a lot of free time to do what they do and then it comes to an end and that’s sad.

There’s only one team in the state that wins the last game they play. People may think that is easy and expect it. It’s hard winning in the playoffs. Everybody is good and the best teams don’t always win. It’s the team that performs the best that day. That’s the thing that’s addicting about baseball – the best team doesn’t always win. In a lot of sports, the better team or most talented team comes out on top. It’s not that way in baseball. You have to perform your best and catch some breaks along the way and remember that everybody is good and winning is hard,” Alderson concluded.