Why West Henderson baseball isn't shying away from competition during state title defense

HENDERSONVILLE – Coming off last year’s 3A state championship, West Henderson didn’t expect its path to a title defense to be easy by any means.

But in the back stretch of the season, West Henderson only doubled down on its strength of schedule. Two games against Tuscola and a nonconference matchup with Roberson last week, then two contests with North Henderson to close out the regular season. All three teams were in the top five of the Citizen Times’ latest power rankings.

Win or lose – and make no mistake, the Falcons plan to win – these games are preparing West Henderson for its ultimate goal of repeating as state champions.

“It gets you going because that’s how the playoff is,” West Henderson coach Jackie Corn said. “If you don’t show up one day, you’re going home. We just have to get that mindset going in our players. Anything we can replicate towards the playoff-type feel, that’s what we try to do.”

With a target on their backs thanks to the ring on their fingers, the Falcons are typically getting opposing teams’ best shots when they come to town.

But whether it’s Tuscola’s Amos Rich or Roberson’s Reno Jeter, seeing the best of opponents only sets up West Henderson for success down the line. Despite both getting the best of West Henderson last week, the Falcons are using those games to prepare them for a postseason run.

“It really gets us ready for playoffs,” senior pitcher Truitt Manuel said. “We’re going to see those top arms in the playoffs, and we’re going to be ready to go. Even if we do not so well, we’ll be ready the next time.”

Manuel lives for the big games, those like Thursday’s contest against Tuscola. He took the mound at home with the conference title on the line – if the Mountaineers won, they’d win the Mountain 7 Conference.

“I love it. I love the experience and the crowd’s energy,” Manuel said. “It gets me pumped up and ready to go.”

Corn called Manuel a competitor, noting he gives West Henderson a chance to win every time he takes the rubber.

Manuel, an NC State baseball commit who also starred in football for the Falcons, inspires confidence among his teammates when he takes the mound. Senior Jude Lyda smiled and said the team knows not to overthink it during games Manuel pitched.

“I just know I need to do my part at the plate,” Lyda said. “Just do my part and let this man go to work.”

After dropping the first game of the series against Tuscola 4-0, West Henderson returned home needing a win to maintain a shot at a conference championship. Corn told his team it needed to learn from the failure to bounce back in the second game on Thursday.

The Falcons came out firing, scoring five runs in the first inning in a 7-4 victory.

Now it heads to North Henderson on Tuesday for another vital conference matchup. With two games left, the Falcons could win the conference outright or miss a share of the title completely.

“We just have to take it one day at a time,” Manuel said. “Be really patient at the plate and see our pitches. Not get too out front and I think we’ll be good.”

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Corn said the nonconference schedule – including the two-game series against Roberson and Reynolds and an early season matchup with Asheville High – prepares West Henderson for the back stretch and the playoff slate.

“We’ve got guys in the dugout who want to win another one,” Manuel said. “Who want to play until June, play until the summer. Everybody’s starting to buy in and really come together.”

Evan Gerike is the high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at egerike@citizentimes.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanGerike. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How West Henderson baseball preps for playoffs, state title defense