CPS looks for another MPSA title

• By DAMIAN FOLEY
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 13, 2008 - Page: 6C - UPDATED: 12:15 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

When the 2008 Mississippi Private School Association baseball season started, the water cooler talk centered around one big topic of conversation — would the three-time defending champion Central Private Rebels be able to find success with only six returning players and no returning starters?

The Rebels opened the season with a nine-game win streak and answered that question in fine fashion on the diamond, and at 30-2 are now just one best-of-three series win against Marshall Academy away from their second “four-peat” since they won it all from 1997-2000.

But before they can think about taking two-of-three from the Patriots (22-6), starting with Game 1 at Marshall tonight, one more burning question needs to be answered:

Who is Marshall?

“I have been making phone calls to teams in their district to collect as much information on their team as possible,” Central Private coach Jason Kinchen said. “But being that they are 6‰ hours away and I don’t know any of the teams they have played, information is tough to come by.”

What is known about the Rebels championship series opponent is this: The Holly Springs, Miss., team boasts one pitcher who is 11-0, they are well-coached, and they have speed to burn in the outfield, Kinchen said.

With so little to go on, Kinchen is trusting in his team to get the job done.

“I’m about the only one who expected us to get this far,” Kinchen said. “I knew if we could get guys to throw strikes we could be competitive and compete for the state championship. A few people said we would be down this year, but our job was to prove them wrong.

“We came out and worked hard every single day — our team isn’t selfish, every guy plays for the guy beside him.”

The Rebels are planning to open the series with Jeff Martrain (5-0) on the mound, knowing that to earn a win in the opener will mean the bats, dormant of late, will have to reawaken and provide Martrain with breathing room.

“Offensively we have been struggling as of late causing for dramatic late-inning heroics by certain key players,” Kinchen said. “We have been winning games strictly on luck, heart, and determination.

“I am hoping that our bats wake up in this series against Marshall so that we are not relying solely on pitching and the short game.”

The lineup, one that has scored in double-figures 10 times and in the 20s once, has found the going a little tougher in the playoffs and has not scored more than seven runs in any one postseason game.