Jeremy Shope talks state tourney wins, what comes next

Whitley County High School Baseball Head Coach Jeremy Shope spoke earlier this week about his team’s performance in the early rounds of the 2023 Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship Tournament.

“It is nice that we have a group of seniors and juniors that were part of our trip to the state tournament two years ago,” said Shope. “They have that experience of being there, and not letting the moment get too big. That has been key for us.”

Shope’s Colonels bested LaRue County last Thursday in the Sweet 16 by the final score of 4-3. They came back to Counter Clocks Field in Lexington the next day and defeated South Warren in the Elite Eight, 7-4.

“Whether it was stopping the other team from mounting a comeback, or just continuing to compete even when we were down, we were able to keep our composure and do something big in order to win,” Shope said of Whitley’s early-round games.

The Colonels are now preparing to return to Lexington, where they will continue play in the 2023 state tournament later this week against Henderson County. Coach Shope said that win-loss records can be thrown out the window at this point, and that his team will have to “stay the course” and “play their guts out” in order to secure the win and advance to this year’s state title game.

The News Journal will continue to provide updates across all of our social media platforms as the Whitley County Colonels baseball team continues their quest for a KHSAA state championship title.

Photos by DYLAN WILSON