Coach Adam Kefauver begins his second campaign at the helm of the DeKalb County Tigers baseball team not just hoping but expecting the squad will be in the thick of things in competing for the district title.

“I expect us to compete for the district championship,” Kefauver declared as the team eyes opening day March 12 when it hosts Grundy County here in a 5 p.m. contest.

The skipper’s lofty expectations come despite losing leadership which included the graduation of Steve Jennings who was the 42nd overall player drafted in the major league baseball draft when he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“That obviously was a big loss,” the coach admitted while at the same time saying he sees others stepping up in the leadership roles.

“We’ve got others who are stepping up and leading,” Kefauver said, admitting that he is excited about what he is seeing, especially when it comes to generating runs.

“Last year we were a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde when it came to offense. You didn’t know what you were going to get. I expect more consistency this year,” Kefauver continued.

The coach pointed to his pitching staff which include returning hurlers including John Maynard, Hunter Jennings and Colter Norris who will be joined by up-and-comers Lee Randolph and Grayson Redmon.

“Our pitching looks good,” the coach said. “And, our defense is looking really solid. Our infield is really good.”
Standing between DeKalb and a possible district title is the always tough Smith County squad, the same team that eliminated the Tigers from the district tournament last year.

“They only lost one starter so they’re going to still be very solid,” Kefauver said of his rival.
The Tigers finished last season with a 20-10 mark, going 10-4 in the district.

For those who want to see some pre-season action and get a sneak peek at this year’s Tiger team, they will host Cascade here at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Cumberland County Thursday at the same time.