I would have just put a link to this article, but you have to have a user name and password and figured a lot of people wouldn't want to take the time to do that. It's worth the read!!
Coming Out Party
Alex Baker Dazzles In First District Start, Downs Centennial, 2-1
By Brent Yarina
McKinneySports.net Staff Writer
Published: Mar. 22, 2006 8:48 PM
McKinney pitching coach Grant Bergman said he watched a sophomore transform into a man Wednesday night.
Alex Baker received his first district start and twirled a six-hit complete game to lead McKinney to a 2-1 victory over Frisco Centennial at Al Alford/Lions Field. The victory snapped a four game losing streak and gave the Lions their first victory in District 9-4A since a 3-2 victory over Frisco on March 7 in the opener.
“You just saw a young man become a man tonight,” Bergman said. “He was relaxed. He was calm. He didn’t look like a sophomore at all. He looked like a veteran.”
“The kid made the turn,” McKinney coach Jeremy Price said. “We’ve seen him do this in practice. That’s taking advantage of an opportunity. He had his ‘A’ game tonight.”
Baker received word Monday that he would get the start in place of starter Tom Mitzner, who was unable to go with a minor foot injury.
He didn’t disappoint. Baker threw just 87 pitches and had four innings of eight or fewer pitches. Four of the six hits Baker allowed came in the second inning.
Centennial (2-2) scored its lone run in the second on Devin Greco’s RBI single that drove home Danny McDonnell.
McKinney (9-6, 2-2) tied the score in the second as Kyle Post drove home pinch runner Mike Aguilera on a single to right field. Scott Cottingham delivered the decisive blow in the fourth on a sacrifice fly to center that scored Tanner Moore, who tripled to start the frame.
Baker retired 15 of the final 18 batters following Centennial’s lone run to register his first complete game.
“All my pitches were working for me and I threw my game,” Baker said. “I just tried to keep my composure when I had runners on. It was all about throwing strikes and staying ahead.”
Baker, who tossed 55 strikes and 32 balls, threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of the 27 batters he faced.
“They were frustrated out there,” Bergman said. “You could see it. They were deflated. A lot of that had to do with No. 10 [Baker]. He had their number tonight.”
Centennial starter Nathan Jekel had McKinney’s number most of the night, too. Jekel allowed three hits in five innings but issued four walks.
Price said he isn’t worried about the number of hits his team manufactures.
“I don’t care what the middle column [on the scoreboard] says,” Price said. “If we’re ahead in the run column and there’s a zero in the error column, we’ll be all right.”
McKinney committed zero errors after compiling five in Friday’s 10-3 loss at Keller Central.
“We talked with the guys before the game how we wanted to play a clean game,” Price said. “We got it.
“It all stems from the kid on the hill. Confidence breeds confidence.”
McKinney plays at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Justin Northwest.
GAME NOTES: McKinney players wore the initials “DC” on their hats in memory of former teammate Drew Carlisle, who was killed in a car accident early Friday morning in Mississippi. There was a moment of silence for Carlisle, a 2004 graduate, prior to the first pitch. The game was played Wednesday because the Lions attended Carlisle’s memorial service during the originally scheduled time on Tuesday...Eric Lensing went 1-for-2 with a single and a stolen base...Third baseman Tanner Moore started a pair of double plays and recorded four other groundball outs.