Bob Jones Baseball is good. Like, really good. 21 wins and 9 losses good. Number 5 in the state good. Beat the number 16 team in the nation good. 4 college commits in their senior class good. 3 potential all-state players good.

Did I mention they are good?

However stellar they look now, the team hasn’t always had the most respectable season records. Over the past two years, the team narrowly finished under .500 and missed the playoffs – both times. Bob Jones always had talent and plenty of opportunities, but they just never seemed to be able to do it, never seemed to be able to make it to the end. The team had good players. They should’ve been better. But the simple fact of the matter is, well, they weren’t. So what changed so drastically from last year to this year?

There are many, many contributing factors that make this year different from any other year Bob Jones has had in a long time. First and foremost, new head coach Jared Smith knows what he’s talking about, and knows how to lead the team. They love the guy – and when you like your coach, you want to perform for him. They are a genuinely talented team – these guys can play some baseball. With a senior class 14 players the experience level is a large factor – most of these guys have been playing varsity level baseball for 2, maybe even 3 years. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it is a huge advantage. Hitting this season has been phenomenal – currently there are 9 players batting over .300 (compare that to last years team average of .225) and that means one out of every three at bats results in a hit. When you have guys on base constantly, you are going to score. When you score constantly, you are going to win. Not only is the batting average for the team fantastically high, Bob Jones Baseball is also absolutely crushing the ball with over 16 homeruns from 8 different players. This is a testament to the power behind these swings – extra base hits are commonplace, allowing the team to immediately have runners in scoring position and bring in runners from scoring position. Not only can they hit, the pitching staff is lights out “I think the level of pitching this year has been awesome. Our staff is really strong” noted senior pitcher Luke Whaley.  Out of the top 5 pitchers, 4 have signed to play baseball in college next year. Oh, and the other? Well he is a junior by the name of Ford Luttrell, a D1 prospect topping out at over 93 mph. Luke Whaley is signed to Wallace State to pitch. Garret Gillum, a middle-infielder signed to UNA is undefeated at 5 – 0 off the mound this year. Trammell Shepherd a utility player (signed to Calhoun Community College) and Zach Duvall a shortstop (University of Alabama in Huntsville), are also pitching phenomenally from the mound.

When you add all of these together – experience, talent, great hitting, and great pitching, you get a great team.

But above all, something stands out. I have talked to several players on this years team and a recurring answer keeps popping up: mentality. “Everyone has bought into the system” noted senior player Trammell Shepherd. “This year we really have the same goal in mind and are working together”. It is all about the mentality of the players this year, that is what has made them so good thus far. Bob Jones Baseball cares. They want to win. They believe they can win. They are willing to put in the work to win. They are willing to sacrifice to win. This mentality, this outlook on the game is what makes them such a great team. That’s what Bob Jones Baseball has always been missing. Drive. The will to win. Now that it’s there, I don’t see how they can be stopped.

And neither do they.