BASEBALL TAB: A different, excited McKee returns to guide Saints

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 10, 2017 10:01 AM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- A new era begins at Southern Wayne.

Well, that's not completely true.

After a three-year absence, Trae McKee has returned for his second stint as head varsity baseball coach with the Saints. And, not surprisingly, he felt right at home when he stepped onto the diamond for the first official day of practice in mid-February.

It's a different McKee, though.

While he keeps his competitive edge in a laid-back style, the sabbatical gave him time to think through his previous 12-year career that ended in 2013.

"I had time to reflect on both things that I thought I did well and other things I might change," McKee said. "There are definitely a few things I have changed. Overall, as far as the basics -- the meat and potatoes of the program -- there have been a few tweaks that I've brought in that I've learned from my time off."

One change?

Individual work.

McKee has spent the fall and winter trying to boost the psyche of a team that has endured three consecutive losing seasons and made just one playoff appearance over the past four years. Since he has contact with the players in his weight training classes, McKee has evaluated their skill sets and also introduced character education.

The message?

Keep a positive mentality.

Southern Wayne logged a 7-15 worksheet last season. Nine of the outcomes were decided by two runs or less. The culprit was the Saints' inability to close out ballgames.

"The game of baseball, especially high school baseball, you're going to make some mistakes," McKee said. "It's about how you respond to those mistakes...get in there and grind, get in there and battle and not worry about what's happened in the past, but try to move forward and play as clean as possible from that point on.

"We can overcome those mistakes if we stay in the right frame of mind...keep competing."

McKee inherited a solid foundation.

He loves the players' desire and the fact they're willing to play for each other. Just like any coach, he's identified the needs of his charges and has used the non-conference portion of the schedule to evaluate those areas.

Leadership has already surfaced -- not just from one individual.

Each player understands individual accountability, the importance to play and practice at a high standard, and display a strong work ethic.

McKee must do the same.

"That's where me as a coach trying to put pressure on them in practice to do things under pressure with positive/negative consequences," he said. "Just trying to get them over the hump that we can finish these games. We don't have to come up short. We can pull this off.

"It's just a matter of playing (late in a game) like we've been playing up to that point."

Pitching and offense could eventually be the Saints' two strengths.

Lance Wise, Aryc Chrisman and Jack Casbarro have already ate some innings since regular-season play began nearly two weeks ago. Due to the new pitching rules instituted by the National Federation of High Schools to protect and prevent injuries to pitchers, McKee needs to develop a quality bullpen.

He needs someone to step up in relief and say 'I can get these final outs.'

That group includes Derek Holsinger, Josh Grady, Justin Edwards, Alex O'Neal and Braxton Bradshaw. Ideally, McKee would like to use Casbarro as a closer. He also realizes he may rely upon the old standby -- pitch by committee -- during weeks when SW has three games.

At the plate, the Saints can hit one through nine.

They showed some anxiety during the scrimmages, but have squared up some balls during regular-season play against Greene Central, Wilmington Hoggard and county rival Spring Creek.

"I think we just have to get more comfortable in the box," McKee said. "(In scrimmages) we did a little guessing. I thought they really improved in the second scrimmage. (We need to) hit the ball hard, get good pitches to hit and make the other team play the baseball."

Before his departure, the Saints were realigned into a split-classifcation conference that brought in perennial 4-A powers J.H. Rose, D.H. Conley, South Central and New Bern.

McKee relishes the challenge of playing one of the better teams in the state every night. Most coaches portray the highly-competitive Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference as a "grind-it-out" league.

"You may play a great baseball game and come up a little short," McKee said. "Or you may play a great baseball game and squeeze one out. Just putting your nose to the grindstone, not getting too down when you come up a little short and not getting too high when (you win).

"(Just) try to play the game of baseball on an even keel."

And just follow McKee's easy-going manner.