New batch of seniors nothing new for Rebels
Jamie Harris has noticed something unique about the Vestavia Hills High School baseball team, both as a player for the Rebels and now entering his second season as the head coach.
“Vestavia has always been a very senior-heavy team,” Harris said. “I know when I played here and since I’ve been back, every year we lose a large portion of our lineup. I’m OK with that.”
Guys like ace pitcher Sonny Potter — who has moved on to the University of Alabama — Michael Gurosky, Parker Hershey, Nathan Hospes, Brett Jones, Sam Lawson and the rest of the 17-man senior class helped guide the Rebels to one of their most successful seasons in recent memory in 2016, a 29-6 mark and a seat atop the Class 7A rankings for much of the season.
However, Vestavia Hills fell to Oak Mountain in the first round of the state playoffs. While the result at the end did not wind up to the Rebels’ liking, Harris’ team achieved plenty in year one.
“Our big goal last year was to establish the culture that we wanted, as far as how we wanted things done on a daily basis, whether it be practice, school, how they act,” Harris said. “We didn’t always get it right. There were certainly mistakes, and those are the things you learn from. We had a terrific season.”
There are still plenty of seniors on this team, and more than a handful who could not crack the lineup a season ago will be asked to fill big roles this spring.
On the mound, Caden Lemons was the perfect complement to Potter, and he was dominant for much of the season. Notably, he hurled a no-hitter against Spain Park and already has signed to play at Ole Miss.
Behind Lemons, guys like Josh Stevens, Brett Brooks, Jack Brittle and Caleb Roberson are names to watch to log crucial innings.
“We’ve got a number of senior pitchers that all are going to get a chance to contribute,” Harris said.
Another college signee, Christian Cusimano (who will play at Louisiana-Lafayette), is a key returnee who played outfield and shortstop for the Rebels last year while hitting in the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
Luke Whitaker is another middle-of-the-lineup bat who will be back for Vestavia Hills. The third baseman led Vestavia in batting average a season ago. Ross Covington also should see time in the infield, and he boasts some pop in his bat as well.
As far as outfielders go, DJ Steele stepped up in center field last year after an injury forced him into the lineup regularly. Drew Stockton was used as a pinch runner last season, and his speed from the left-hand side of the plate will continue to wreak havoc on the bases. Manning Owen and Eli Shunnarah are two others to watch out there.
Vestavia Hills managed to win one of the toughest areas in the state last season but is now in Class 7A, Area 5, along with Hoover, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County. None of those programs is a slouch, leaving the Rebels with another difficult road ahead.
“There are no layups in 7A baseball,” Harris said. “You play good, or you get beat. It’s that easy. We did not play as good as we could have in the playoffs, and we got beat. What we try to focus on instead of how good our competition is, we just focus on us. It’s either going to be good enough, or it won’t.”