Spring is quickly approaching, and winter sports are winding down at Bacon County High School.
The Red Raiders boys basketball team of second year coach J.B. Bergeron finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed from Region 2-AA. That gave Bacon County a playoff spot against Region 4 champion Laney. The Raiders could not pull of the upset after the road trip to Augusta and ended their season in the first round of the state playoffs.
As basketball season came to an end, baseball warmed up with opening day in February. Coach Derek James, now in his eighth year as head baseball coach, hopes to improve on last year’s 17-11 mark. The Raiders were the No. 3 seed from Region 2-AA and fell in the first round of the state playoffs to Harlem High School last season. This year, Region 2-AA includes Bryan County, Metter, Jeff Davis County, Swainsboro, Benedictine/St. Vincent’s, Vidalia, and Toombs County. This year is expected to be competitive with every team fighting for a playoff spot.
“Our non-region schedule is full of great teams and is very difficult,” James said. “We feel that playing these non-region teams will prepare us for our region schedule.”
The overall region is expected to be difficult with the addition of Metter, Toombs County, and Swainsboro.
“The players have been working hard and getting a little better each day,” James said. “They understand how competitive the region is going to be.”
The Raiders have lots of fresh young faces on the diamond this season. In fact, during Bacon County’s opening game, the bases were loaded with a freshman at every base.
“We feel that we have good players returning in some key spots,” James said. “We will be looking for the seniors to help lead our younger players as the season moves along.”
Seniors on this season’s Red Raiders squad include Xavier Hayes, Dawson Dyal, Alex Turner, Klein Nipper, Tyler Altman, Peyton Nobles, and Lane Foster. Bacon has a good group of seniors returning along with several talented younger players. With so many young players, the team is constantly working to improve fundamentals and overall competitiveness. They also hope to create more pitching depth as the season moves along.
“We have a lot of pitchers who will get their first varsity innings this year,” James said. “The goal is to have them ready by the time we get to the region schedule.”
Among the non-region games on the Bacon County schedule this year is a double-header against state powers Lakeside and Greenbrier in Evans, Georgia outside of Augusta.
Bacon County should have an exciting baseball season, and the coaching staff encourages everyone to come out and catch a game or two this year.
2017 Bacon County Baseball Schedule:
2/13 Treutlen
2/16 @ Appling County
2/18 Pierce County
2/21 Montgomery County
2/24 Lanier
2/25 Savannah Christian (Baseball at the Beach)
2/28 Long County
3/2 Appling County
3/4 @ Greenbrier
3/4 @ Lakeside
3/7 @ Metter
3/8 @ Long County
3/10 Metter
3/11 @ Pierce County
3/13 @ Treutlen
3/14 @ Vidalia
3/17 Vidalia
3/21 Toombs County
3/22 @ Montgomery County
3/24 @ Toombs County
3/28 Benedictine
3/31 @ Benedictine
4/4 Swainsboro
4/7 @ Swainsboro
4/11 @ Bryan County
4/14 Bryan County
4/18 Jeff Davis
4/20 @ Jeff Davis
Derek James – Varsity Head Coach
Scott Brown – JV Head Coach / Varsity Assistant Coach
Stephen Tyre – Assistant Coach
Thomas McCullough – Assistant Coach
Patrick McDonald – Middle School Head Coach
Ray Stevens – Middle School Assistant Coach
SE-SF-0317-Bacon
Bacon County page
By Rob Asbell
Baseball Season Arrives
