A team, a dream, and one night that changed everything

June 10, 2023. That date will surely be etched into the hearts and minds of the people of Whitley County for decades to come. It will be remembered, now and forever, as the day that the 2023 Colonels baseball team came together one last time to achieve the impossible and secure a Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship title.

What else can be said about this group that hasn’t already been said? Let’s start with Head Coach Jeremy Shope…

Shope’s arrival at Whitley County back in 2018 breathed new life into a Colonel baseball program that, at that time, had gone 12 years since making an appearance in a 13th Region tournament. His impact was immediate, as the Colonels not only made the tournament that year, but they advanced all the way to the championship game, losing to the Corbin Redhounds, 17-10.

Shope and the Colonels were back in the region tournament a year later, but were disappointed by the Barbourville Tigers in the semifinal round, 4-3.

Then came the tragedy and heartbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the cancellation of all sports in the spring of 2020. Corbin was hoping to secure their third straight regional championship title that year, but Whitley County was also poised to give them a real run for their money. Unfortunately, all we can do is speculate about what could have been.

The Colonels bounced back in a big way in the spring of 2021, securing their first 13th Region crown with a 16-1 defeat of Middlesboro in that year’s regional finals. The team would go on to defeat the Raceland Rams in the semi-state round before falling to Lyon County in the state tournament quarterfinals.

In 2022, Coach Shope and company were disappointed by Middlesboro in the regional semis, and they had to watch as the Redhounds ultimately returned to state for the third time in five years.

That brings us to 2023, where Coach Shope and his staff have put the pieces in place and guided the Whitley County baseball team to an incredible 39 wins on the year. Their only four losses came against Great Crossing on March 25, Ballard on April 6, Warren East on April 23, and Corbin in the 50th District finals on May 16. The Colonels got their revenge against the Hounds in the finals of the 13th Region tournament a week later, though, winning 7-1 and punching their ticket to this year’s KHSAA State Championship Tournament.

Now let’s talk about this year’s Colonel seniors – Grant Zehr, Mason Croley, Andrew Stack and Sam Harp. What an unbelievable job these four players in particular did in setting the tone for this team throughout the entire 2023 campaign, and especially when it mattered the most, during their run through the state championship tournament.

Each of these four seniors had their chance to shine on the big stage, and they most certainly answered the call. Of course, they had plenty of help from their younger teammates, but without the veteran leadership and stellar play from Zehr, Croley, Stack and Harp, I don’t think that this team could have accomplished what they did, defeating four very good teams (LaRue County, South Warren, Henderson County and Shelby County) to become KHSAA state champs.

Finally, let me give a big shout out to all of the Colonel Nation fans out there. From supporting this team throughout the 50th District and 13th Region tournaments, to showing up en masse to wish this team luck with a pair of sendoff parades through downtown Williamsburg, to filling the seats and cheering your hearts out at Kentucky Proud Park, your love and support played a major role in helping the Colonels reach the mountaintop. I’m sure I speak for every coach and player when I say it has all been very much appreciated.

As for myself, it was a pleasure to be along for the ride. To witness history like this being made is quite the experience, and while I will admit that there is a certain amount of pressure that goes along with being among those who are tasked with documenting it all, I am glad to have had the opportunity to do so. June 10, 2023 is a date that I too will definitely never forget as long as I live.