Kennard Tigers Making History

By Will Johnson 

Messenger Reporter

KENNARD – With their 10-0 win over the North Zulch Bulldogs, the Kennard Tigers made history as they are the first baseball team in the district’s rich athletic history to advance to the Regional Finals. 

Earlier this week, Coach Cory Carden took time out from preparations for the Tigers’ three-game series against the Miller Grove Hornets to discuss his team’s historic accomplishments. 

As to how Kennard reached the Regional Finals, Coach Carden said, “We are in a mixed district with Class 1A and Class 2A teams. In 2A, we have Cushing, Alto, Douglass and Groveton. Three of those teams are really good. We also had Wells and Apple Springs which kind of hurt us a little bit. We had a bye in 

Bi-District because Oakwood didn’t have a team, so we played Bartlett in a warm-up game. Then we played Chester in Hudson and we won both of those games (10-0 and 16-4) pretty handily. Next, we played North Zulch. We had played them earlier in the year and beat them.” 

Carden said while this year’s team is really good, the team he had last year might have been as good as, if not better.

“We had a very, very good team. We graduated eight seniors and most of them started. Two of them were pitchers. We had about seven pitchers. For a 1A school, that is unheard of. Most 4A and 5A schools don’t have that many. They weren’t just guys that would go up there and throw a fast ball. We had guys who were throwing in the mid-80s, throwing change-ups, knuckle balls and sliders. They were throwing pitches most 1A schools don’t see. We were ranked – I believe at #6 – and then COVID hit,” he said. 

Last year, Carden said he started out with 23 players on the roster but with graduation, attrition and kids who moved out of the district, this year’s roster is not quite half of that. 

“Most of the kids who were on the bench last year were good enough to play at other schools. This year, we didn’t want to take anything for granted. We have been locked-in and focused on what we missed out on last year,” he said. 

Speaking of the season that never was because of COVID-19, Carden said, “I felt terrible for our seniors. A lot of these kids had been playing baseball since they were very little. Like I said, we had eight seniors. Very few played basketball. Their sport was baseball and that was what they were good at. We were just as good last year as we are this year and it never happened. There were kids crying. They were angry and upset because this was something they had waited for their entire lives and it got yanked out from under them.” 

As the 2020-2021 school year got underway, Carden said he was unsure if volleyball season would occur because of UIL rules, social distancing and limited capacities. 

“I felt like if we don’t have volleyball, then we won’t have basketball and it will trickle down. Once we got through basketball, I was a little more confident we would have baseball because it is more spread out. I was a little worried, and I’m still worried, someone might get sick. I would hate for anybody to have that happen to,” he said. 

Changing gears, the coach was asked for his thoughts on Kennard’s opponent in the Regional Finals, the Miller Grove Hornets. 

“They are a really solid team. We played them in basketball and all the kids were coaches’ kids. They played hard. They were fundamental and they had good instincts. On the baseball field, they are the same way. The kids have bought in. They like to play a little small ball. They like to bunt and move people around and they like to put a lot pressure on you. They also have a lefty who throws in the low-to-mid 70s. We haven’t faced one lefty all year and we actually had a parent come out and help because he’s left-handed,” Carden explained. 

Questioned about the strength of the Tigers, Carden said it was his pitching staff. 

“We have five pitchers that I feel confident with. They have gone out there multiple times throughout the year and they have pitched a lot of innings. All five have started and all five have come in for relief,” he said. 

Hitting-wise, Carden said, “One through nine we are solid. We have guys in the front of the line-up that are really good hitters and the guys in the back of the order can still make really good contact and put the ball in play. Usually in 1A baseball, the first four or five batters can generally hit pretty well, but after that it drops off. With us, we are solid throughout. Our main strength, however, is our pitching – just because of the depth we have.” 

The Tigers and Hornets will begin play in their best-of-three series on Thursday, May 27 at 5 pm. Game Two will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game One. If necessary, Game Three will be held on Saturday, May 29 at 2 pm. All games will be held at Cumberland Academy in Tyler.  

From all of us at The Messenger Sports, good luck in the Regional Finals and as you go forward in the postseason!!

Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].