By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Sylvan Hills will enter this weekend’s 6A state tournament as the No. 1 seed out of the East after a near-flawless 13-1 run through the league schedule in 2008.
The Bears (26-6 overall) will begin tournament play today, facing the winner of last night’s first-round game between Searcy (East No. 5) and Lake Hamilton (South No. 4).
That impressive run was made even more challenging with tragedy and hardship along the way. Former player Taylor Roark was killed in a car crash in January, and the team lost its baseball field in the tornadoes of March.
But head coach Denny Tipton said the mental toughness of his top-ranked team equals its talent.
“I think we’ve been through a lot this year,” Tipton said. “From what happened with Taylor Roark at the first of the year, to the tornados, to people getting hurt, we’ve had to fight through so much.
“These kids are very tough mentally, and I think they will be prepared. Physically, I fully believe they are as tough and talented as any group we’ve had in the last few seasons. If they play to the best of their abilities, we should have a shot at winning some games.”
Despite the Bears’ immaculate record in the 6A East, the final few games did not feature the offensive firepower of their early league romps. Tipton said clinching the top seed early, along with the nasty weather this spring, led to a few lackluster efforts during late-season outings. He’s hoping that the state tourney will rekindle that early fire.
“Everyone is 0-0 now,” Tiptonsaid. “I know everybody’s plan is to go all the way, and right now, everybody has the same shot everyone else does. I hope we can come out and swing our bats with a little more intensity than what we have recently.
“I know that those final games weren’t very important seed-wise, but we just weren’t playing with a lot of intensity. As a coach, you’re never really satisfied, and there’s always room to improve.”
The Bears are undeniably a potent, well-balanced team. The influx of three Abundant Life transfers to go along with Hunter Miller and an already stout lineup has given them additional depth.
One of those transfers, D.J. Baxendale, has developed into the staff ace and can be nearly unhittable. Miller, the Ole Miss signee who has belted 11 home runs this season, has become an outstanding No. 2 man in the rotation.
But the pitching depth doesn’t stop there. Tipton can also call on Jake Chambers, Chris Dalton or Chris Perez. With the bye, the Bears must win only two games to reach the state championship next Saturday at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, so pitching depth is not as big a factor. Still, it’s a nice luxury to have.
Defensively, Sylvan Hills couldn’t have been much more solid. Other than a 4-error hiccup against Forrest City in their only conference loss, the Bears have taken care of business in the field, making Baxendale and Miller that much more effective.
The lineup, despite the late season dropoff, features no easy outs.
The Bears have had a lot of ups and downs since their run to the state championship back in 2005. That Class 4A title win over Jonesboro continued a remarkable baseball tradition at Hillside.
But the Taylor Roark tragedy in January, and devastating storms that demolished their home field over a month ago have had the Bears playing with heavy hearts for most of the season.
Tipton says regardless of whether his team plays the Lions or Wolves today at noon at Joe Blagg Field in Texarkana, he expects a tough battle.
“We’ve prepared the same way,” Tipton said. “Searcy already beat us once this year, and I know that Lake Hamilton has some talented players. But I believe these kids will be prepared.”
