While the Milton High School varsity baseball team currently has a winning record at 13-6 and a 8-0 district record, the Panthers are looking to address concerns on offense.
“Our defense has been coming around, our pitching has been keeping us in games and we are getting enough hits to scrounge around some runs,” said MHS baseball coach George Blake. “I would like to see us do a little better and get a few more timely hits.”
Last year’s team ended being number one in their district, which includes opponents Pace, Pine Forest, Booker T. Washington, Escambia and Pensacola high schools.
Blake, who has coached the team for the past six seasons, attributes this season’s success to the senior leadership on the roster.
“I have 18 guys on the roster and nine of them are seniors, that’s helped,” Blake said. “This group works well together.”
Sophomore Justin Raley, who in addition to playing first base for the Panthers is also one of the leading hitters on the team, is receiving insight from his senior teammates.
“They have been here before, it’s my job to pick it up after them and hopefully lead the team next year,” Raley said.
As an example, Raley said he looks towards one the team’s starting catchers for leadership qualities.
“Taylor Ford is a heck of a leader, anything I can take from him is a good thing,” he said.
Like Coach Blake, Ford believes the team is currently in good shape based on the returning players from last year.
“Chase Shell, he was number one is our pitching rotation last year and he is returning, we got most of our pitching from last year,” Ford said.
He is also confident in the team’s ability to improve as the season progresses.
“We are getting better every day…taking batting practice and working in the cage, hoping to get better,” he said.
Fellow senior Bryton Melvin, who plays third base for the Panthers, also believes the team in heading in the right direction for the final six games in the regular season.
“If we keep playing like the way we are doing, I think we will win district and move on from there,” Melvin said.
The Panthers will travel to play the Navarre High School Raiders on Friday night. Next Tuesday, MHS will then travel to face rival Pace High School, which currently has a 14-4 record with a 7-1 record in the district. Milton is the only district opponent to hand Pace a loss thus far in the season.
“Right now, it’s looking like that game next Tuesday will be the one that decides who will be one and two (in the district),” Blake said.
Blake said the key to success is a much improved offense.
“If we get where we starting swinging it well, we got a shot,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Baseball: MHS works to improve on offense while remaining undefeated in district