Aucilla Christian baseball growing in belief ahead of playoffs, building for future success

There is a single message being spread throughout the Aucilla Christian baseball team.

It's a message of belief.

With four games remaining before the playoffs begin, Aucilla Christian is poised for one of the program's best regular seasons ever, and the Warriors have hopes for much more.

"I think the big thing is we believe," Aucilla Christian head coach Deven Heard said. "We believe that we're a tough team to beat and if we continue to do what we need to do, I do believe that we can make a run."

In his first season as head coach, Heard has led the Warriors to a 16-2 overall record after a run rule 26-2 victory over Gadsden County on Tuesday night. With the win, the Warriors are riding high ahead of the start of district tournament play in just under two weeks.

Spending the last two seasons with the junior varsity program at Aucilla Christian, Heard is laying his foundations down for what he hopes is the start of a successful future for the program.

"We have a good system here and if they just follow through with it, they're gonna see success this year," said Heard. "But it's also going to be years down the road where we want to maintain success here at Aucilla Christian Academy."

Picking up quality wins over St. John Paul II and Madison County, Heard feels the team has truly bought into his system and is reaping the benefits.

"We came in with a blueprint that we think wins," Heard said. "I commend this team for coming in and trusting that blueprint, and trusting and seeing the product on the field and getting some good big wins this year."

While Heard is excited about what his team has been able to produce in year one, he knows there is still work to do ahead of the district tournament.

Following the team motto of 'Hard work, works', Heard hopes his team enjoys the thrilling ride that is the postseason.

"The Warriors are working really hard. We don't know the destination, but we know we're working hard for the next stop," Heard said. "We're looking forward to districts and if we continue after that we're gonna take it one game at a time. I think the big thing is just enjoying the ride, wherever that ride takes us, we're going to enjoy it. But we're going to be proud of what we've done thus far."

How intrasquad competition sparked a big season

The Warriors are a tight-knit team, with most of the roster rising through the ranks together.

But as head came into his first season as the varsity head coach, he wanted to challenge his team to compete with one another all year.

"It started in the beginning of January when we're out here for conditioning," Heard said. "We push them, they have to compete. I know they're all teammates, but whenever they're inside those lines, they're competing for spot, and nobody should want to sit. The only way to not sit is to compete against your brother sometimes."

Two of the players who have excelled in Heard's system are seniors Eli Conrad and Tucker Wiles.

Wiles, a Thomas University signee, has been a big part of the Warriors baseball program during his high school career.

While Wiles is friends with his teammates and even has a younger brother on the roster, the senior knows he wants to outwork anyone to get on the field.

"I feel like the competition amongst your friends is only gonna make you better," Wiles said. "If it takes you working harder than your buddy to be able to play, you can't tell me that you're not going to do that. Nobody wants to sit the bench, so that hard work to earn your spot only makes the team better."

Wiles feels that Heard's approach has helped the team really believe in itself, and after wins over the likes of Madison County, it reminds the team what its capable of on the diamond.

"The bigger wins throughout the season help reassure us that we are good baseball team," Wiles said. "At the end of the day, no matter how deep you get in the playoffs, you still gotta get on the baseball field, and you got to go across those lines where anybody can be beat, or anybody can win on any day."

"So I just think that having a team that you trust, that works hard and believes that they're gonna win is what helps us."

Conrad feels the team has put its trust in Heard's system and that the head coach has put his trust in the team, so when the Warriors hit the diamond on gameday, he knows everyone is on the same page.

"We're here every day just to work hard, and the coaches tell us that and we believe it," Conrad said. "So when we walk out there with a gameplan that we're going to win, there's no better feeling than to know there are people behind you that want it as much as you do."

Leaving the next generation in good hands

The Warriors' success this year has been sparked by a talented young group of players, with only two seniors on the roster being Conrad and Wiles.

The senior duo has helped Heard in implementing his system, becoming leaders both on the field and in the dugout for the team.

"We obviously have a bunch of underclassmen, but they work hard," Wiles said. "I think more than anything, the work ethic that is taught here is what's going to keep things at a high level."

Both Wiles and Conrad have been important pieces to the Warriors team, consistently among the top performers for Aucilla Christian every year.

With the younger roster looking to build on the success that the pair have left, Conrad is excited to see what kind of momentum this season can create for the future.

"I know we have some special here and coaches have been building it," said Conrad. "When I graduate, I know I'm gonna be leaving it on the rise and I just can't wait to see how this team grows."

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Aucilla Christian baseball thriving under first year head coach