Although their season came to an end Friday night in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs, there are a few silver linings to the sweep the Columbia Wildcats suffered.
The first is that the Wildcats (11-13-1) were eliminated by Magee (23-5), who has spent the entire season ranked the No. 1 team in 3A. The second is that they were competitive for the vast majority of both games against Magee. Lastly, Columbia will be returning nearly its entire starting lineup along with returning every single pitcher it relied on this season.
In Game 1 at Magee April 6, Columbia jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning before Magee scored three runs in third inning. Then in the fourth inning, Magee loaded the bases with one out, meaning a double play could have ended the threat entirely. However, Columbia started walking batters and allowing easy runs to score, gifting the Trojans a 7-4 advantage. Eli Lowery got the Wildcats back in it, launching a solo homer that cut the deficit down to 7-5. But Magee’s athleticism took over the game from there, despite Columbia scoring three runs in the seventh to make the final score a respectable 11-8.
“I felt like we went out and really laid it on the line. I was proud of our guys the way we competed. We got on them early, 4-0. Obviously the moment wasn’t too big for our guys. That’s something I was really proud of,” head coach Kyle Lindsey said. “They’re extremely athletic. They can hit and run the bases. It’s hard to hold their offense down. I thought our guys played hard, especially up there.”
Tucker Lucas had a pair of RBI groundouts, while Lowery, Connver Cox, Austin Arnold and Keion Jackson each drove in a run. Dylan Wallace took the loss, allowing five runs on two hits and five walks while fanning three.
Game 2 at Columbia Friday was close through three innings, with the Trojans leading 2-0, before Magee struck for three runs in the fourth inning and six in the fifth to win 11-0.
“It was just one of those things where we really couldn’t keep them in check. We couldn’t get a whole lot going offensively. The kid they had on the mound was really good and filled the zone up all night long with quality pitches,” Lindsey said. “Magee is a really good ball club. You have to tip the cap to them. I think they’ll be playing for a couple more weeks.”
Carter Smith and Arnold were the only two Wildcats with a hit. Lucas took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks (88 pitches) while striking out five. Dylan Broom got touched up for seven runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings.
Looking forward there is a lot to like about the Wildcats. They are losing just two starters — Jackson and Arnold — and their returning players got a lot of really good experience this season. Wallace, who was arguably Columbia’s top pitcher, and Lowery, who led the team in extra-base hits with eight doubles and three long balls, were sophomores this year and are primed to continue progressing. Freshman Nik Carney threw 28 innings and proved to have the best natural stuff on the pitching staff, highlighted by a team-best 42 strikeouts.
Then there’s the junior class that was the backbone of the Wildcats all season long. Smith is a Swiss army knife who can both catch and play shortstop, as well as be Columbia’s closer on the mound and be a catalyst at the top of the lineup. Adkins led the team with a .310 average and can deliver highlight-reel plays defensively at third base and shortstop. Cox seemed to get better with each passing game and finished the year with a .291 average. Carney also continued to improve at the plate throughout the season and finished with a .276 average. Then Broom, who would challenge Wallace as Columbia’s best starting pitcher, led the squad with 35 1/3 innings pitched and struck out 40 batters against just 14 walks, which was by far Columbia’s best strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“There’s no substitute for experience, and that’s something we’ll definitely have,” Lindsey said. “We’ll be returning every single guy who threw for us on the mound this year pretty much.”
Columbia will also be getting Collin Haney back, which Lindsey said will be a huge lift for the Wildcats.
“He started a few games for us last year at the varsity level. He’s a good player. He’s got some intangibles you can’t teach,” he said. “He’s still got a ways to go with the game, but he’s one we’ll be excited to have back.”
