Raiders looking for pitchers
Madison County baseball team starts summer league schedule
BY BEN MUNRO
One needs only to do the math to figure out to know where the diamond Raiders’ needs lie.
Madison County lost two pitchers who accounted for 13 of 20 victories last year, so all eyes will be on the pitchers’ mound during the summer exhibition season.
“We’ll try to get pitching shored up,” head coach Charlie Griffeth said while conducting the Raiders’ youth camp on a hot Monday.
Summer league started Monday for the Raiders, who are coming off a 20-8 season and a trip to the state playoffs.
The coach noted that he’ll throw at least nine different pitchers this summer on the Red team, which consists mostly of the returning varsity players from last year.
The Gray team includes most of last year’s junior varsity and middle school players.
Of course, there’s more player inventory to be looked at during the summer besides just the pitching staff.
Griffeth added that Madison County also needed to find at least one outfielder this summer to complement the cast of players already there. Ethan Seagraves and Dustin Roberts both return, but Griffeth said he’d ideally like to have five reliable outfielders on the roster especially since Seagraves and Roberts will both spend part of their time on the mound in 2009.
But Madison County will get an ample amount of innings to put their pitchers and outfielders to the test.
Combined, Madison County will play about 40 games between the Red and Gray teams during a busy month of June.
The condensed schedule includes eight double headers for the Red team and seven for the Gray squad.
SUMMER SCHEDULES
MCHS Red team
June 2 Franklin Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 4 Brookwood DH 5 p.m.
June 6 @Elbert Co. DH 5 p.m.
June 7 Hart Co. 8 p.m.
June 9 @Franklin Co. 5:30 p.m.
June 12 @Stephens Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 14 @Hart Co. 8 p.m.
June 16 @Winder-Barrow DH 5:30 p.m.
June 17 Elbert Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 20 @Brookwood tourney TBA
June 21 @Brookwood tourney TBA
June 26 Stephens Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
MCHS Gray team
June 2 @Franklin Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 4 @Brookwood DH 5 p.m.
June 6 Elbert Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 7 Hart Co. 5:30 p.m.
June 9 Franklin Co. 5:30 p.m.
June 13 Stephens Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
June 14 @Hart Co. 5:30 p.m.
June 17 @Elbert Co. 5 p.m.
June 20 @Brookwood tourney TBA
June 21 @Brookwood tourney TBA
June 23 Winder-Barrow DH 5:30 p.m.
June 27 @Stephens Co. DH 5:30 p.m.
