CMA 2017 Varsity Baseball Season

By: Casey Robinson on May 3, 2017 | Categories: Athletics

The Camden Military Academy Varsity Baseball Team enjoyed one of the more successful seasons in recent years. "This was such a crazy year for us. We had some injuries and illnesses early in the year which prevented us from playing with what I considered the starters. Then we had a 3 week period in the middle of the season in which we didn't touch the field at all between games. I was very proud of the leadership on this team and the team in general for their hard work and dedication." Coach Griff Beckham said. With an 8-12-1 record on the year the Spartans played some great baseball late in the season. They won 3 out of their last 5 games against a 1A playoff team in North Central, a 4A Crestwood team, and a good Heathwood Hall team. The tie came from the last game of the season against a team the Spartans lost to in 5 innings in the first meeting. "I told our guys after spring break that we have some of our best ball left to play. Since I've been here, we always seem to play better when the weather warms up. I was very proud of the guys in the way the finished the season." said Coach Beckham. The Spartans were lead by a group of seniors in Mason Van Loan (4yr player), Kevin Phillips (3yr Player), Ned Gilleland (2yr Player), Jaydon Shearn (2yr Player), Caleb Crouch (1yr Player) and John Moore (1yr Player). " I was very proud of the way the seniors lead this team. We had a few younger players that were also leaders, but I was extremely proud of this group." Coach Beckham said. The Spartans had some guys that had some big years this year other than just the seniors. Woodson Alexander was a big asset to our pitching staff, his defensive play, and his offensive approach. Jacob Rathbun was a very steady player at first base and lead the team offensively in BA, walks, and home runs (5). Karson Stewart was a catalyst in our outfield and was a stellar leadoff batter. Other players include: Cameron Cowdrey, James Oribhabor, Davis Long, Shane O'Connor, Alex Rodriguez, Ian Lehman, Graham England, and Trey Daniels.