By TODD TRAUB
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville coach Larry Burrows knows too well the Red Devils’ season could be down to just one game.
Burrows and the Devils will be doing their best to make it a three-game finale when they open play in the 6A state tournament at noon today at Benton’s Bernard Holland Baseball Complex. Jacksonville, the 6A-East champion with a first-round bye, will face either defending state champion Benton or Marion.
With two victories in the single-elimination tournament, Jacksonville (20-7, 12-2) can reach the final at Fayetteville’s Baum Stadium on Friday. One loss, and the Red Devils go home, as they did after finishing second in the conference and getting a bye last year.
“I wanted to make sure we at least got into the top two but it doesn’t assure you of anything,” Burrows said. “We finished second last year and got the first-round bye and lost by one run to Lake Hamilton.”
After a season full of conference doubleheaders, and with the colleges and pros playing series, Burrows said he wished the state tournament format also offered multiple games to show a team’s true measure.
“It’s tough; I’d like to see the top four teams in double elimination,” Burrows said. “They don’t care about my opinion. But you’ve got to play well. You’ve got to take advantage. It’s tough to have it all boil down to one.”
Searcy, beaten 8-5 by Benton in last year’s championship, is on the Jacksonville side of the bracket and opened play Friday against Texarkana as the No. 3 seed from the 6A-East. A victory would put Searcy in the second round against Watson Chapel at 2:30 p.m. today.
If Jacksonville or Searcy reach the semifinals, they will play at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at Benton High School. The championship is at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
“It’s going to be intense, all of them, because it is one and done,” Burrows said. “If you’ve won three pretty intense games in a row you probably deserved to win the state championship.”
Though the Red Devils lost three starting pitchers from last year’s team and returned just one senior, Burrows said he felt his players would hit this season. It is the pitching, led by sophomore right-hander Jesse Harbin (8-0, 1.25 ERA) that has been a pleasant surprise.
Despite his youth, Burrows said he was confident in Harbin, who will start today, while Mike Lamb and Nick Rodriguez have blossomed.
“They don’t have the power arms that some people have but we’ve pitched extremely well,” Burrows said.
Pitching probably was less of a concern for Searcy, whose staff features 6-4, 210-pound prospect Dillon Howard, a junior who has drawn interest from both pro and college scouts.
The Red Devils got to Howard in a 5-4 victory in the first game of their last conference doubleheader on May 4.
“We thought we were going to swing it pretty good,” Burrows said of this year’s hitters, led by junior catcher Patrick Castleberry.
Castleberry is batting .446 with a team-high 54 RBI.
“There’s no doubt he’s one of the best hitters in the state,” Burrows said. “When you have 50-something RBI’s there’s people on base. I feel like, when we’re focused in, I don’t think anybody can swing it better one through nine than us.”
Setting the table for guys like Castleberry are outfielder D’Vone McClure and shortstop Jacob Abrahamson. McClure is batting .434 with 26 RBI and Abrahamson is hitting .423 with 26 RBI and a team-high 36 runs.
Burrows agreed Benton may have a home-field advantage, though that is lessened somewhat by the one-and-out format. As for the possibility of seeing 6A-East opponents like Marion or Searcy again, Burrows said there could be an advantage in having faced their pitchers before.
But really, Burrows said, it’s more important how the Red Devils go about their business and not what the other team is up to.
“It’s about us. We need to play well,” Burrows said. “That’s what needs to happen. If we play well I’ll take my chances with any of the 12 in that thing.”