Scrappy Patriots ready for tough area
The Homewood High School baseball players will have several new starters this spring, but that doesn't faze head coach Lee Hall.
“We’re excited about this team this year,” he said. “We feel like we have a scrappy bunch of guys who love to play baseball.”
Homewood has to replace 12 seniors from last year’s team, which went 8-4 in the early portion of the schedule before COVID-19 prematurely halted the season.
“We felt like it was going to be a really fun group,” Hall said. “It was sad for that group of guys who didn’t get to finish their senior year.”
This year, the Patriots have seven seniors, all expected to contribute in a major way. Hall said he “feels good about all of them” and needs them to lead a junior class with no varsity experience to this point.
“We’re looking forward to learning as we go and getting our feet wet,” Hall said. “We’ll have some ups and downs as we go because we don't have a lot of varsity experience, but we’ll be ready to go for area play.”
John Hall is back for the Patriots as the “field general” at shortstop for his senior campaign. He has played on the varsity team since his freshman year and will slot in as Homewood’s leadoff hitter.
“He’ll be our leadoff hitter, and that guy who gets on base and steals bases and scores runs,” Lee Hall said. “[We’re] expecting big things out of him this year.”
Brode Susce is back after getting off to a strong start last year on the mound. He got plenty of action in the fall as one of Homewood’s quarterbacks and will now bring his strong arm to the baseball diamond.
“He’s a power pitcher who is going to run it up there around 90 mph and has a chance to dominate some baseball games,” Hall said.
Charlie Goode also had a big fall with the football team, bringing that “middle linebacker mentality” to the Patriots’ baseball team. He will play first base and hit in the middle of the lineup after missing last season recovering from a knee injury. He will also solidify the back end of Homewood’s pitching staff.
Will Heisler is also back to steady the Patriots’ rotation. He went 4-0 in four starts a season ago and is a crafty left-hander that throws four pitches for strikes and keeps guys off balance, according to Hall. Max Heath, Frank Studinka and Austin Whitley are also competing in their final seasons for the Patriots.
Hall said in order to win plenty of games this season, the Patriots are going to have to do the little things and pay attention to details. He believes he has a group capable of doing just that.
“At the end of the game, you’re going to walk off the field and have five or six guys who have dirty uniforms. They just understand how to play the game of baseball,” he said.
Other players expected to make significant contributions are center fielder Jack Couch, second baseman Charlie Teel, right fielder Griffin Fuller and third baseman Taylor Patterson among others.
Homewood is in a new area this year, with Briarwood, Chelsea and Mountain Brook in Class 6A, Area 9. Two years ago, Briarwood and Chelsea were in the state championship series. Mountain Brook finished last year as the top-ranked team in 7A as well.
“I would put it up against any four-team area in any classification,” Hall said.