No. 7 James Monroe eyes state tournament return, next step

LINDSIDE, W.Va. — Class AA No. 7 James Monroe will enter the upcoming baseball postseason next month as one of the favorites to emerge out of Region 3 for the state tournament.

The Mavericks (8-3) were underdogs a season ago, but got hot at the end of the year and made it to the state tournament where they fell to eventual champion Bridgeport, giving the Indians their closest game in Charleston, 4-0 in the semifinals.

“It was a huge confidence boost because we were voted seventh in our region going into sectional play last year,” said James Monroe coach Nick Newberry. “Not many people anticipated us going that far. But you see our guys start winning some games and their confidence was building.

“We went up against what everybody knew was the best team in the state in Bridgeport and we felt like we were in the game for the entirety of it,” he continued. “Every one of our guys came out of the game feeling like we were one of the best two teams down there – we were as good as anyone down there.”

Many key pieces returned for this season, along with a young crop of talented freshmen who have jumped into the mix.

“We brought most of our team back and our pitching staff is completely intact with a few really good young arms,” Newberry said. “Our expectations have been really high and we fully expect to compete again for a regional championship and hopefully compete again at the state level.”

Senior Grant Mohler headlines the group of players who did return as he entered this week hitting .438 with two home runs, 11 RBIs and 18 runs scored.

It was Mohler who pitched all six innings last year in the state tournament game, giving up four runs (one earned) on five hits to Bridgeport.

“He never gives up a bad at-bat and he rarely strikes out,” Newberry said of Mohler. “He can run, he has power and is just a smart baseball player. He’s versatile – he was shortstop the last two years and we moved him to third base this year because we needed help there.

“On the mound, he’s a bulldog and you typically know what you’re going to get from him,” he said. “He’ll put it in the zone, make guys put it in play and let our defense do the work. You can almost always rely on him to provide a good outing.”

Connor Moore, another senior, leads James Monroe overall at the plate with a .471 average, 16 RBIs and 12 runs scored.

“We have 24 kids on the roster and 15 are sophomores or freshman – we’re a pretty young group,” Newberry said. “Connor (Moore) and Grant (Mohler) have really had to step up as senior leaders and bring those guys along.

“They’re a talented young group, but they still have to learn the lay of the land and what to do in certain situations,” he continued. “You couldn’t ask for better leadership than what Grant and Connor provide.”

Freshman Cody Moore, Connor’s cousin, and sophomore Monroe Mohler, Grant’s brother, are a couple of those talented young players as Moore entered this week hitting .600 on the season (12 for 20) with nine RBIs, while Mohler is hitting .353 with eight RBIs and 13 runs scored.

On the mound, senior Mikey Belcher (3-0) hasn’t given up an earned run in 12 innings, while freshman Andrew Hazelwood (3-0) has struck out 24 batters in 15 and a third innings and Cody Moore (1-0) has 16 strikeouts in just seven and a third innings without surrendering a run.

“Andrew Hazelwood has been as steady of a pitcher as any we have – I feel comfortable putting him in in about any situation,” Newberry said. “Cody Moore has also come in as a freshman and done an excellent job on the mound for us. Both of them throw the ball hard and have pretty good command.”

Monroe Mohler and Nick Jewel are a couple of other available arms who have seen limited action with the weather playing havoc on the Mavericks’ schedule.

Still, it’s a James Monroe team that proved it could compete with the best in Class AA a season ago and has bigger aspirations for 2018.

“We’ve only played three or four regional games so far this year,” Newberry said. “I feel like we have a pretty good shot in the region, but it’s going to be tough. I think they’re all pretty solid, but I still feel like we should compete and have a good shot at winning it — it’s not going to be easy.”

James Monroe’s section features Bluefield PikeView, River View and Shady Spring, while the opposing section consists of Independence, Liberty (R), Oak Hill, Westside and Wyoming East.