Coach Gibson satisfied with outcome of first season as Patrick Henry baseball head coach
Jacob Corley, Rylin Brunson, Scoot Mizell All-Region 4-AAA selections
Estill – The Patrick Henry Academy baseball team closed out its season with a 9-11 overall record after going 2-2 in SCISA Region 4-AAA in its first season under head coach Brody Gibson.
The Patriots went 0-2 in the state playoffs, falling to Spartanburg Christian Academy 10-1 in the opener before losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Orangeburg Prep in an elimination game. Putting everything in perspective though, Gibson had no issues with his team or its season.
“The season overall was a step in the right direction,” Gibson said. “The majority of our team was inexperienced at the varsity level. We competed well and were able to win some games against some solid ball clubs.
“We will return six starters, and we have a good group of rising freshmen.”
Three PHA players were selected to the All-Region 4-AAA team, seniors Jacob Corley and Rylin Brunson and junior Scoot Mizell.
Corley led the team in hitting with a .436 batting average. He led the team in runs scored with 30, stolen bases with 19 and triples with three to go with four double and nine runs batted in.
Brunson batted .348 and had Patrick Henry’s only two home runs. Brunson had four doubles, two triples, 14 stolen bases, 24 runs and 14 RBI.
Mizell led in RBI with 17 and doubles with five while batting .255.
Mizell and Brunson were the top pitchers. Mizell worked 34 innings and had a 1.85 earned run average. He had 38 strikeouts while walking only six and allowing 37 hits.
Brunson tossed 33 innings and finished with a 3.82 ERA.
The other senior starter was Keegan Lee. He batted .289 and had 15 stolen bases to go with 17 runs and eight RBI.
The other seniors on the roster were Mac Gohagan and Daivon Glover.
Along with Mizell, the Patriots will return two of their other top arms as well in junior Devin Austin and eighth-grader Caleb Corley.
Both of them worked 17 2/3 innings. Corley had a 3.17 ERA while Austin posted a 3.19 ERA. Austin had 25 strikeouts while Corley had 18.
Freshman Josh Evans will be back. He batted .255 and had two doubles, eight RBI and five runs. Caleb Corley batted .203 but drove in 10 runs and scored nine times.
Other returning starters in the field will be junior Andrew Haddock, junior Wylder Vaughn and Austin.
