With Sam McMillen and Josh Hembree as the only returning seniors for the DCHS Tiger Baseball team this year, and only three juniors on the roster, you might think the 2016 season would be a building year for the program.
Coach Tracy Slone thinks that may not be the case. The Review spoke with the coach Monday, and got his take on the upcoming season.
"Based on our two scrimmages we may be a little better than I thought," Slone shared. "Our district is really strong. Central Magnet and Upperman are both going to be really good this year, so it’ll be probably be tough to beat those two teams, but on a given night we could."
The team has scrimmaged Friendship Christian, winning 7-4, and rolled over Gordonsville Saturday in an 18-4 scrimmage game.
The coach said that he doesn’t think the team’s youth is as big a problem as it might seem.
"We are extremely young, but I like my team," he said. "We have good chemistry. The kids work really hard. I think they will continue to improve as the season goes on."
The Tigers’ regular season will begin March 14 with a home game against Eagleville. DCHS will then face White County in Smithville before going on the road for five games.
Slone said both McMillen and junior Steven Jennings returning as his biggest assets on the mound is a plus for the program. McMillen comes back after a strong junior year, and Jennings, who had an offer from MTSU and a visit to Vanderbilt scheduled before choosing to commit to the Ole Miss Rebels last year, and could become the first DCHS Tiger ever to play Southeastern Conference baseball, is back as well.
"As far as our top two pitchers, we are really strong," said the coach. "When Steven Jennings is on the mound we’ve got a chance to beat anybody. Sam McMillen threw well for us last year, and he’s done well in the preseason. Those two will lead our pitching staff. Time will tell who will step up after that. We have several strong pitchers who have the ability to stand out.
Slone said the Tigers should perform well at the plate as well.
"We’ve been swinging the bat well in the scrimmage games. Steven Jennings returns after being our leading hitter last year. Sam McMillen swung the bat well last year, and has hit well in the scrimmage games. Christian Pruitt should be one of our better hitters. Jacob Self is a strong hitter. I hate to leave anybody out, because we have a roster full of potential hitters," Slone said.
"Were young, but we should be alright. We could actually start as many as two freshman at any time and be a strong team. The team has a lot of depth. We are able to hit, and our defense is solid. We’ll find out once we start playing real games, but I have been pleased with the way we played in the scrimmages. I thought we played pretty well," he concluded.
Coach Slone joined the DCHS coaching staff in the summer of 2013 after serving for two years as an assistant baseball coach at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro. He previously held the position of head coach at Lebanon High School, Lincoln County High School, and Lakeland High School in LaGrange, Ind.
Slone’s accomplishments include more than 350 career wins as a coach. As many as 70 of his former players have gone on to play college baseball, and at least three have signed professional contracts.
An Indiana native, Slone is a graduate of Cumberland University, where he was a pitcher on the Bulldogs’ 1988 World Series team. He went on to play played two seasons in the New York Yankees and Oakland A’s minor-league organizations before experiencing elbow problems and embarking on a coaching career.
