Baseball is a game of details; the more attention you pay to those details, the more games you should win. But even when you play well and feel like you’ve won, you are hit with the stark reminder that wins in the mind don’t count in the Win/Loss column.
The Camden County Wildcats gave head coach Chuck Seymour a victory in his first season at the helm after many seasons as a dutiful assistant to longtime head coach Jay Lasley. Career victory number one came against the Bolles School of Jacksonville, alma matter of future Braves Hall-of-Famer Chipper Jones, 2-0.
Then the Wildcats dropped a pair of games to metro Atlanta schools, River Ridge and Woodstock, in the annual Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by Brunswick High School.
Camden literally crosses the Georgia/Florida line, continually playing a number of strong teams in Florida and the Region 3-AAAAA teams here in Georgia.
“We have been strong on the mound most of the season,” Seymour said. “We lost a few games early we should have won in our minds. We had ups and downs at the plate and have been solid defensively on our wins. The kids have battled and played hard after an early region series loss at Coffee. We need to continue our success on the mound as that is our team strength. We have to live up to our potential offensively and continue to get better at the plate.”
Seymour can be proud of his team’s success on the mound: The Wildcats’ staff ERA is a tidy 1.62. Senior left-handed pitcher Jackson Cullen has a startling 0.76 ERA and a staff-best 4-2 record in seven appearances this season. Freshman Aaron Wainwright is right behind him, brandishing a 1.30 ERA and 2-2. Juniors Ian Smith and Caleb Brown have also been effective for the Wildcat pitching staff.
The toughest part of the season so far has been the Wildcats finding consistency at the plate. Junior shortstop and second baseman Milan Ellerson is the leading hitter for the Wildcats this season with a .408 average, including 20 hits in 69 at-bats. Seven of those hits were for extra bases, and Ellerson has also driven-in 20 runs. Sophomore catcher Brooks Bryan paces a .349 batting average and 13 RBIs. Senior outfielder Jon Lorens is sitting at .302 and 11 RBIs through 17 games, and senior Justin Leska is batting .273
“The region is strong and balanced, and it’s an every-week grind. I love our series set up where we play each other three times in a row, alternating sites,” Seymour said.
Though Camden has been able to avoid the brutality of the other side of the region, which houses both Effingham County schools, Statesboro, and Richmond Hill, the Wildcats faced teams that have strong traditions, including Brunswick, Glynn Academy, and Ware County.
Camden swept the three-game series with Brunswick putting up 26 runs in three games and only giving up three. However, the Wildcats lost the series against Glynn Academy, only picking up one win. The run differential against Glynn Academy, 5-4 in Game 2 and 2-0 in Game 3, points to the mental toughness Seymour has seen rise in his team this season.
The Wildcats split with a hot Ware County team, and the two teams have yet to play the final game of the season, which will determine the seeding for the Region 3-AAAAA tournament.
“We have had some ups and downs, but once we get more focused at the plate, we are going to be okay,” Seymour said. “I still feel like a kid in a candy store being able to do what I do every day. I have great kids and an awesome staff, so it’s a great day every day I get to come to the ballpark. I try to learn something new every day, and I’m taking notes for years to come.”
SE-SP-4.16-Camdenbaseball
Wildcats strong in the field and the mound
By John Wood
