You can’t coach speed, so the saying goes.
But you can reap its benefits. Just ask Loganville baseball manager Bran Mills, who’ll take his Red Devils to Coolray Field in Gwinnett County Saturday to begin the state Class AAAAA best-of-three finals series.
The Red Devils will face McIntosh (32-7) in a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m., with the if game scheduled for Monday.
It will be Loganville’s seventh consecutive appearance in the GHSA Championship series.
A victory would be the school’s seventh title and Mills’ second in just two years at the helm of the program.
They’ve reached this point in a most unconventional way.
In the past, the Red Devils have won with dominate pitching, power hitting, and overwhelming depth.
Heading into the season, thanks to heavy losses to graduation, they had none of the above, or so it seemed. But they did have a group of speedsters with a high baseball IQ.
“This might be the fastest team we’ve ever had,” said Mills, who spent two decades as Red Devils assistant before assuming the head job.
The numbers certainly back his claim. Three players have 20-plus stolen bases, and a fourth is just one shy of the mark.
Junior Jaylen Jones set a new school record for most steals in a single season with 38 so far, easily eclipsing the previous mark of 22 set by Clint Frazier in 2013.
Junior James Beaver has swiped 29 bags followed by seniors Sherman Johnson with 20 and Gage Fullerton with 19.
The unprecedented athleticism couldn’t have come at a better time. The Red Devils might set a low mark for home runs this season. They’ve only hit one, by senior Davis Roesler, in nine playoff games.
Instead, Loganville has relied heavily on “ABC” baseball. Getting on and navigating the bases with a combination of stealing, bunting, and singles.
“We don’t have a lot of power,” Mills said. “We don’t even hit a lot of doubles. But we do have a lot of guys who can turn singles into extra bases.”The running threat has not only caused havoc for opposing defenses, but has forced Red Devils batters to adjust their strategy at the plate.
“They’ve had to learn to be patient to give runners a chance to move,” Mills said.
Fortunately, this team is not only fast on its feet but are quick learners.
“I was just checking GPAs the other day, and we’ve got a really smart group,” Mills said. “That’s carried over to the field. They are very disciplined and pay attention to detail. They are very coachable, and that makes it a fun group to coach.”
Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which appeared to be the team’s weakness back in February has developed into a strength.
In fact, Mills calls it the team’s “backbone.”As a result, despite their relative youth —- there are only six seniors on the roster —- the Red Devils are in position for yet another state title.
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