Seniors leading AA No. 2 Wayne for another postseason run

WAYNE, W.Va. — Wayne a season ago made its first baseball state tournament appearance since 2002, completing a 23-11 campaign with a 4-0 loss to PikeView in the state semifinals.

“It was a good experience for them to go (to the state tournament),” said Wayne coach Todd Ross. “Since we hadn’t been there in a while, sometimes the first year (back) is to just see what it’s all about. Now that they know, they’re a little more hungry and we’re hoping to build on that.”

With only one senior on that 2016 team, the Pioneers entered 2017 with state championship aspirations and a preseason No. 2 ranking.

“Expectations were really high coming in and that may have contributed to some guys pressing, wanting to have a great year,” Ross said. “But our seniors (this year) were the ones that carried us last year and they are the ones carrying us this year – they’re having a pretty good year.

“Even though we were young last year, in terms of baseball, these kids have played a lot,” he continued. “They have played a lot of travel ball and they’ve been in some big games – hopefully there are some more to come.”

Wayne (18-3) entered this week still at No. 2 in Class AA, just behind three-time defending state champion Bridgeport. Senior Dakota McCloud has led the Pioneers at the plate and on the mound, hitting over .500 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.

“He’s just having an outstanding year at the plate,” Ross said. “He’s also been our best arm for the last two years and he’s thrown some of our better games. He has two of our losses, but you’re going to throw your best arms against the best teams.”

Wayne had four players hit .400 or better a season ago – and all of them returned in Cayden Ross, Cody Noe, Brad Sharp and Zach Perry. Isaiah Thompson and Luke Cassidy, meanwhile, have been a couple of other sparks to Wayne’s offense and are threats to steal on the base paths.

Behind McCloud, Noe – a West Virginia State signee – Ross and Taylor Jones are part of six quality pitchers the Pioneers have in the mix on the mound.

“With the pitchers that we have and the weather up and down, it’s been hard to get everybody the time they need on mound,” Ross said. “We’ve had different guys stepping up.

“We’ve had some close games and it seems like it’s been someone different stepping up every time,” he continued. “Other than Dakota (McCloud), I can’t say that anyone is having an outstanding season, it’s just a different guy stepping up every game.”

Two of Wayne’s three losses this season have come to No. 5 Logan, 8-5 and 4-3.

“Errors,” Ross said of the two setbacks. “We gave them too many free bases. In the 12 runs that they scored against us, I think only two of them were earned. The loss at Logan, we had five throwing errors – you’re not going to beat a good team when you have that many errors.”

And that’s been the message Ross has been pushing to his group as the postseason draws near.

“We have to make (our opponent) earn it,” Ross said. “I don’t think anyone has hit their way to their runs. We’ve had a walk, an error or a hit-batter and then they only need one hit (to score) – that’s been the way we’ve been giving up runs.

“If we can play solid defense and make the other team earn it, then they beat us,” he continued. “But right now we have just been beating ourselves. We’ve been focusing on us and trying to shore up our defense, not giving them free bases.”

A return trip to Charleston, though, is certainly no guarantee as the Pioneers are positioned in sectional play with Nitro, Sissonville, Winfield, Poca and Point Pleasant. The opposing section in Region 4 includes No. 4 Chapmanville, No. 5 Logan and No. 9 Scott.

The now-bigger sections and best two-out-of-three regional matchups, new this season around the state, will provide even more intrigue to the postseason.

“I’d like to tell you we’re in good shape, but nobody knows what to expect with what’s coming ahead – it’s new to all of us,” Ross said. “I’m happy to have a good, veteran team this year and I feel comfortable with the team that we have. I like where we’re at, but you never know what’s going to play out with this new format.”