BASEBALL TAB: Faith Christian outlook

By Brandon Davis
Published in Sports on March 11, 2016 1:48 PM

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bdavis@newsargus.com

No more hitting the fence.

This is the year Faith Christian Academy's baseball team wants to knock it of the park. The Conquerors enter a new season with hopes of hitting the long ball and reaching the N.C. Christian School Association Class 2-A playoffs.

The latter holds precedence, but the first gives Faith the chance of reaching the tournament.

Ninth-year head coach Justin Smith says his team experienced winning seasons before the merger NCCAA merger that took place in 2013. The 3-A schools dissipated and joined the 2-A classification, which increased the competition level.

Although Faith has endured many losses over the past three years, Smith believes his senior pitcher and powerful hitter, Christian Mills, can change the current history. Mills batted a .455 average with 15 hits in his junior year.

He knows his final season will end in May, but he will not leave without seeing the ball go over the chain link fence.

"I've had some more batting practice time to change how I hold the bat, hold it a little bit looser. I was hitting them to the fence in practice," Mills said. "I've hit the fence a couple of times.

"I've never hit one over before."

The Conquerors want the ball to land on the other side, but especially in the games against perennial powerhouse Wilson Christian on April 11 and 25. Wilson has lost a combination of only 14 games over the past three years.

"The toughest competition, Wilson Christian, which we were in their division for three years," Smith said. "We got to play them twice. They've been state champions two of those three years. It's a solid baseball program, and they got great facilities. One of their big sports is baseball."

Faith is a member of the NCCSA District 4 this season that includes Bethel, Wilmington Christian and Greenville Christian. The Conquerors visited Wilmington earlier this week and travel to Greenville Christian on March 15.

Bethel comes to Faith on April 5.

Faith finds themselves in the NCCSA AA District 4 this year against rivals Bethel Christian Academy, Wilmington Christian Academy and Greenville Christian Academy.

Junior short stop Dylan Downey is ready for the competition -- and the fence as well. Downey recorded a .235 batting average and collected eight hits during his sophomore year. A .685 average between Mills and Downey solidifies the chance of a 2016 home run derby for the Conquerors.

Which one will it over the fence first? The shortstop and the pitcher will need to talk it over because Downey is up for the challenge.

"I want to be the one," he said. "I think I can be the one. I just got to find the right pitch."

Both Downey and Mills stood out at the plate last Friday and Saturday for a tournament in Greenville.

"Last year we struggled," Smith said. "We had to really defend well because we weren't putting a lot of runs on the board. We got ourselves in a bind, making errors, and mentally, they were checked out because they felt like they couldn't do it. We didn't have any home run hitters on our team in the last two years.

"And I'm thinking there's probably three or four this year. I wouldn't be surprised if they sent one over. And I'm going to be the first to jump up and down."