Knights prepare to face AA, AAA champs

The Bethlehem Christian Academy baseball team will face perhaps its toughest three-game stretch of the regular season later this week.

On Thursday, the Knights will travel to Macon to face defending Class AAA champion Tattnall Square before traveling to rival Loganville Christian Academy Friday. The three-day tour of duty will continue Saturday with a home game against the Brentwood Eagles, the defending Class AA state baseball champion.

BCA coach Nick Pou said region games are the most important contests on the regular season schedule, but he conceded this upcoming three-game stretch (all non-region games) will be fun to be a part of.

“Region games are like gold,” Pou said. “Those are the games which determine your seeding for state. Our first goal is to always win region.”

The Knights, in fact, were scheduled to open Region 1-A play Tuesday against Nathanael Greene. The game has been rescheduled, however, for April 4.

Pou said earlier this week the plan is for the Knights and the TSA Trojans to complete the season opener which was tied 3-3 after seven innings when the game was called because of darkness. Once the first game is complete, the teams will play another contest.

Friday will see BCA travel to Loganville Christian Academy. The two teams developed a diamond rivalry a year ago and that is likely to continue this spring. Saturday, the Knights will host Brentwood, which won AA in 2012. One GISA Class AA coach, who has competed against Brentwood already this season, said recently he thinks BCA has a “strong chance” of defeating the defending AA champs.

“We set out this season to face strong competition,” Pou said. “We wanted to make sure we were tested when we got to the playoffs.”

In evaluating his team to this point in 2013, the BCA coach said his players are facing better pitching overall.

“Last year we would go three or four games and not see the best pitching,” Pou said. “When that happened, it would take us a while to adjust once we saw good pitching again. This year we are seeing stronger pitching in each game and it is not taking us but a few innings to adjust.”

On the mound, several Knight players have seen action this season including PJ Klein, Niko Mallioux, Jordan Fountain and ace Jared Martin. Jacob Fincher is also expected to see pitching duty this season.

“When you have four or five games in a week, then you are going to need pitching depth,” Pou said. “That will be key for us this week.”