It was the second week in May and guess what the Gainesville High School baseball team was doing?

During the last five years, the Red Elephants have been playing deep in the playoffs.

But this year’s team was not expected to repeat a final four appearance. Because too many Division I players left to go to places like Columbia, S.C., and Athens to pursue their baseball careers. An unfortunate incident in the late spring led to their top pitcher, another D1 prospect who had signed with LSU, being dismissed from the team.

This year’s championship run is an exclamation mark on years of quality baseball all the way back to the Drake Watson era with such players as the late Jack Roberts, Larry Pardue, Walter Byrd and so many others.

This team finished 29-7 for the season. Coach Jeremy Kemp and his staff did the best coaching job of the century considering all the adversity they faced as a team. Each team member stepped up and contributed an outstanding season.

This was a true Red Elephant team that kept fighting and never gave up despite the odds. We are truly proud of the class and character our young men showed throughout the entire season!

Wayne Vickery
Gainesville

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