EXTRA INNINGS

The 1994 Corbin High School Baseball team has been the only group of young Redhounds to make their way to the state high school tournament. It has been 11 years since the Redhounds have tasted victory at the regional championship. This year the Redhounds got past the Whitley County Colonels in the district to claim that title.
With Rockcastle County and Middlesboro dominating over the last 11 years, the Redhounds figured they would have to knock off one of those two to win the title. But thanks to rival, Whitley County (who shocked Rockcastle) and Cumberland (who defeated Middlesboro in the first-round) the Redhounds met district foe-Whitley County in the final game. The Colonels had used ace Jeremy Taylor to get past Rockcastle and used Adam Adkins to beat Cumberland. Derek Shelley gave it a try but couldn’t hold off the determined Redhounds.
After 11 frustrating years, four appearances in the regional final, four losses in the semifinals and two first-round losses, the Redhounds are back. Corbin (29-9) rolled past the Pikeville Panthers 3-0 and 9-1 to capture the best two of three series and now the task at hand, Boyd County.
The Lions won the state title in 2001, beating Louisville Ballard 3-0 in the championship game. They returned to the state playoffs the following year but lost to 13th region winner, Middlesboro, 1-0.
Boyd County (32-7) missed the playoffs the last two seasons. They lost in the 2004 regional final to Ashland 2-1 and lost in the first-round of the 16th region tournament in 2003 to East Carter, 7-6.
However, the Lions are back as well with coach Ben Maynard. They have used seven pitchers this season led by Senior Derek Wyatt with a 9-2 record. He has 82 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched and given up only 13 runs.
Sophomore Justin Moore (6-4, 180) is second with six wins on the staff. He has 82 k’s in 61 innings pitched and will come in with a 6-2 record. However, junior Tyler Gatrel is undefeated with five wins under his belt. He has pitched 34 innings with 43 strikeouts and 14 runs allowed.
Boyd County has not been a long ball hitting team. Of the 342 hits only seven have gone for home runs with 17 triples recorded. Catcher C.J. Wamsley and outfielder Brennan Sargent have two home runs each. Wamsley, a senior, is the Lions leading hitter with a .410 batting average. Brandon Rosen, a senior centerfielder, is the only other Boyd County player hitting above the .400 mark.
Coach Jeff Garmon said of Boyd County. “We’re going to have to continue to do the things we have been doing. That’s getting good pitching and playing good defense.”
“We’ve got to try and find a way to score one more run than what the other team scores,” said Garmon. “It’s a pretty simple formula.”
“Boyd County is probably a little bit better than Pikeville,” said Garmon. “Maybe not one through nine, but they are all 6-foot, 6-foot one, tall and lanky and all can run and bunt with good arms,” Garmon said.
“Like I have said in the past, you are not going to play anybody that is not pretty good at this level,” he said. “Everybody we face from here on out, like Pikeville, they could be easily be sitting were we are now. There is not anybody there that shouldn’t be there.”
Eleven years later, Corbin is there. The Redhounds have been at the door many times but couldn’t get that extra hit or that one out that could have pushed them over the top.
“Year after year we knocked on the door,” said Garmon of the regional championship. “This one is for all those teams that worked so hard to get us were we are today. I know those players want us to do well and they are still so much a part of this team and program.”