BASEBALL TAB: Wayne Country Day outlook

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

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bdavis@newsargus.com

Bats are propped against a bench where helmets rest in Wayne Country Day School's dugout.

But on a wall of the dugout, hangs an acronym for a successful team and a winning season.

One letter stands out.

The "R" in CHARGERS represents the responsibility of the players who want to overcome a season-opening, 8-8 tie against Wilson Christian Academy nearly 10 days ago.

One particular player took responsibility for season-opener deadlock.

"Yesterday (last Tuesday) we came out, Mitch (Turnage) actually hit two home runs in that game, and we started off good, but then we got in a little slump in the third or fourth inning," senior pitcher Patrick Hall said. "They (Wilson Christian) hit a three-run home run, so they had all the momentum, and we were down a little bit with, I think, two innings.

"We came back up and I was pitching. I went in there with one out, and I got two outs. The next time I came out, we got two errors, and they kind of brought us down. Then they hit a three-run home run off me."

However, Turnage, the shortstop for the Chargers, understands the pressure of a pitcher. Rather than standing between second and third base, Turnage takes on the role of a leader as he walks to the mound during innings.

"You got to be a leader. You got to control the infield, outfield game and try to keep everybody's heads up. You just got to keep everybody's mental game together," Turnage said. "You're a leader on the team and when the pitcher gets down, when he's struggling, you got to go talk to him."

After reaching the mound, Turnage says speaks with Hall about the mechanics of pitching, or he'll ask Hall if he would like to get something to eat after the game to relieve the pitcher of any blame or burden.

Fourteen-year WCDS head coach Michael Taylor, a former assistant coach under Charles B. Aycock's Charles Davis, doesn't place all of the blame on Hall. Taylor says the team made simple mistakes, which cost it a win to start the season.

Missed fly balls and kicked ground balls left the Chargers with the responsibility of ensuring another berth in N.C. Independent High School Athletic Association's playoffs this year. Taylor says his team won the state championship in 2007, but lost in the 2012 championship game, and been in the playoffs for 13 straight years.

WCDS advanced in the playoffs last season after losing first-round games in each of the previous two years.

"Wilson Christian, they won their association's state championship last year," Taylor said. "It was a good opening game (last Tuesday) for us to see where we're at, what we need to do moving forward and get ready for today's practice and tomorrow's game.

"Just knowing what we got, putting people in different positions. We're still young. We got three seniors, and everybody else is underclassmen, so moving forward, there's a lot of potential here. They just got to rise above the ball game.

"I have a saying in my dugout about what Chargers stand for. Think about what requires zero talent. It's just some of the work ethic that we have. We always have a quote of the day, thinking about what is the thought process for the day. They have their practice schedule every day.

"It's very detailed oriented."