By Regan Edwards
After coming down to earth, slightly, after a championship celebration, you can’t help but start to wonder about next year, right?
The Glenbrook School Apaches baseball team will always savor the thrill of winning their first state championship since 2012, and celebrating it on their homefield last Saturday. After a 9-7 road win earlier last week in the first game of the championship series, they walloped Tunica Academy 18-3 in front of an overflow crowd to capture the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools baseball crown.
The Apaches finished with a 23-7 record after overcoming first-game losses to win their first pair of best-of-three playoff series, then overpowered their next two playoff opponents to earn the title.
The four seniors on the team have their place in Glenbrook sports history. Pitcher, shortstop and outfielder Jackson Powell, outfielder Sammy Feaster, third baseman Jonathon Parkerson, and backup first baseman Ryan Sheets had the best possible graduation present – a state championship trophy in their last athletic competition as Apaches.
As Glenbrook looks for a repeat, replacing the outfield will be the biggest task but juniors DJ Carter and Rhett Johnson appear ready to fill the holes.
“Our team was a very young group. Losing a great pitcher like Jackson will be tough, but we have an excellent pitching staff returning,” said junior starting centerfielder and pitcher Maddox Mandino.
Along with Mandino, the Apaches return junior starting catcher Landry Powell and pitcher Hayden Harmon. More pitchers who will be relied on a lot next year will be senior Cale Hollis and junior Turner McClelland. Hollis is a very reliable and consistent arm on the mound for the Apaches.
The Apaches also bring back all but one of their infielders. Back for the title defense in 2022 will be junior shortstop Cason Clemons, freshman first baseman Easton Sanders, and sophomore first baseman Landry Powell. Senior Peyton Wells looks to replace Parkerson at third base, after backing up there this spring and sharing designated hitter duties with McClelland.
As the summer begins, along with activities away from school, there’s no doubt the returning players will be polishing their skills, looking forward to the 2021-22 school year and especially the chance next spring to live up to the title of reigning state champions.
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