Nanih Waiya's Road to the State Baseball Championship

(A local writer chronicled the road to the 2011 State Championship for the Nanih Waiya Warriors)

The Nanih Waiya Warriors have been to the championship a couple of times in the past but just couldn't close the deal. That is until May 19, 2011. That day will live forever in the hearts and minds of a group of young men, coaches and Warrior fans. They can now claim the title of STATE CHAMPS!!The 2011 Warriors are a mix of youth and experience. The starting lineup included only 2 seniors, hard hitting All State outfielder Dominique Carter and versatile infielder Jeffrey Hemphill, and 2 juniors, slugging All State 3rd basemen Hunter Swart and scrappy outfielder Brandon Rigdon. The balance of the lineup were sophomores,All State clean up hitter/pitcher Colby Eaves,All State leadoff hitter/pitcher Luke Rosamond, 1st baseman/DH Zach Hanna, outfielder Hunter Luke, infielder Tanner Dalton and freshman catcher Stewart Ball. But don't let their youth fool you. These young men came through down the stretch with big plays in the field and at the plate. But the youth doesn't stop there. Head coach Tyler Rogers has only been a head coach for 5 years, Assistant coach Corey Coward 3 years and Assistant coach David Frey is in his first year.
The road to the championship was not an easy one but started with the Warriors winning the District with an 8-0 record over French Camp, Weir, Noxapater and East Oktibbeha allowing them to have a 1st round bye in the playoffs. In the 2nd round of the playoffs the Warriors faced the Ethel Tigers, sweeping them in 2 games. Led by Rosamond with 3 hits, Eaves with a home run and Rigdon with a Grand Slam the Warriors routed the Tigers by a score of 12-1 in the first game. Eaves pitched a complete game scattering 2 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7. In the second game the Warriors scored the only runs they needed in the 1st inning but added 2 more in the 4th and one in the 5th to advance to the next round with a 5- 0 win. The Warriors were led at the plate by Eaves and Rosamond each hitting home runs and Rosamond pitched a complete game allowing 5 hits and striking out 9 Tigers.
The 3rd round of the playoffs presented a much bigger challenge with the Warriors visiting the Cathedral Green Wave in Natchez. The Green Wave started the game out scoring one run in the 1st while the Warriors got it cranked up scoring 3 in the 2nd, one each in the 3rd, 4th and 5th then exploding for 4 in the 6th. However, the Green Wave didn't lay down. They scored one each in the 3rd and 4th and 3 in the 6th but the Warriors held them to 2 in the 7th to take the win 10-8. The Warriors were led by Carter and Hanna with 3 hits each and 5 RBI and Luke and Ball with 2 hits each and 4 RBI. Eaves pitched another complete game giving up 9 hits and striking out 4. Hoping to end the series in 2 games the Warriors came back home to play the Green Wave in game 2. The Warriors came out hot scoring 8 runs in the the first 2 innings but the Green Wave scored 4 runs in the 1st, 2 runs in the 3rd, 1 run in the 4th and 5 each in the 5th and 6th to win the game 17-15. Eaves led the Warriors at the plate going 3 for 4 with a homer and 6 RBI while Swart went 2 for 4 with a homer and 4 RBI. Rosamond picked up the loss on the mound giving up 13 hits and 11 earned runs. He wasn't helped much by the defense who committed 8 errors in the game. The Warriors had to make the long drive to Natchez once again to face the Green Wave in game 3. Eaves took the mound once again and only gave up 2 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikouts and pitched another complete game. The Warrior defense made up for the previous game with only 1 error. Hemphill and Rosamond led with 4 put outs each and Luke had 3 in right field. The Warrior bats were led by Luke who went 2 for 4 with a solo home run, Hanna who went 2 for 4, Swart who went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, and Eaves who went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI. The Warriors won 6 to 2 and would face the Bogue Chitto Bobcats for the South State championship in the next round.
The Warrior defense once again stepped up as the Bobcats visited Nanih Waiya for game one. Rosamond took the mound and pitched a complete game giving up only 3 hits and striking out 3. The Warrior offense also came out firing on all cylinders as they scored 10 runs on 10 hits. Rosamond helped himself out by going 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and was assisted by Eaves who went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI. The Warriors scored in each of the first 3 innings and scored 5 in the 5th to end the game at 10-0. The Warriors then made the long drive down to Bogue Chitto to go for the sweep and take the South State Championship. But they knew it wouldn't be easy this deep in the playoffs and the Bobcats rose to the challenge. The Warriors jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after 2 innings but the Bobcats roared back scoring one run in the 3rd and 5 runs in the 4th to take a 6 to 4 lead. The Warriors fought back scoring 2 in the 5th and 2 in the top of the 6th to lead 8-6 but the Bobcats weren't done yet. They scored 3 in the bottom of the 6th to lead 9-8. But the Warrior bats were not done. They erupted again for 3 runs in the top of the 7th and the defense held on with runners on in the bottom of the 7th to take their second trip to the State Championship in school history. Winning 11 to 9 the Warriors were led by Eaves who went 3 for 3 with 3 RBI, Swart who went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI, Carter who went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and Ball who went 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 RBI. Eaves started the game on the mound for the Warriors and pitched 4 innings allowing 5 hits and had 5 strikouts but walked 4 batters and hit 3 by pitches. Swart came on in relief and pitched 2 innings giving up only 2 hits but walked 2 and hit 2. Rosamond closed out the game in the bottom of the 7th giving up only 1 hit and striking out one.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
It has been a long time since “tiny” Nanih Waiya had been in the State Championship of any sport. In baseball it had been 24 years. The 1987 Warriors, coached by the late Tommy Joe Miles who got the program started in the 1970's, won the North State Championship that year but were beaten in the State Championship by Beulah Hubbard. But this year the team and the school and the fans just knew it was their time. Cheered on by hundreds of fans, the Warriors took the field on Tuesday at Smith-Wills stadium in Jackson to face the Falkner Eagles. The Eagles, the number 3 team in their district, came into the championship having beaten Shaw,Tupelo Christian, Pine Grove, and Greenville St. Joseph's. This young team from North MS had scratched and clawed and fought its way to the State Championship and Coach Rogers knew the Warriors would have to be ready to play to win. The Warrior bats caught fire from the start scoring 2 runs in the 1st and 5 in the 2nd and 2 more in the 3rd. But the Eagles fought back scoring 1 in the first and 2 in the 3rd. But it wasn't enough as the Warriors added 6 more runs to finish the game 15-4 in 5 innings. Rosamond recorded a complete game on the mound for the Warriors only giving up 3 hits and striking out 4. The defense played well behind him with only 2 errors. The Warrior offense, however, was on fire!! They were led by Hemphill who went 2 for 2 with 2 walks, 3 RBI and an inside the park home run. Eaves also went 2 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch and had 2 RBI, Rosamond and Luke each went 2 for 3, and Ball went 1 for 2 with 2 walks. The Warriors were one win away from their first ever championship.Game 2 saw the Warriors and Eagles meet at Trustmark Park, home of the MS Braves minor league team. With a huge crowd in attendance the Eagles put their ace pitcher, senior Will Robertson, on the mound hoping to tame the Warrior bats and extend the series to a third game. And it looked like it might be possible as Robertson for the Eagles and Eaves for the Warriors pitched shutouts for the first 2 innings. However the Warriors came alive in the bottom of the 3rd scoring 4 runs and never looked back. They scored one more in the 4th, 2 in the 5th and 1 in the sixth while Eaves kept the Eagles off the board to end the game and give Nanih Waiya its first State Championship ever. The Warrior offense was led by Eaves who went 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI, Carter who went 1 for 4 with 3 RBI, Hanna who also went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI, and Luke who went 2 for 3 and a triple. After the game the Warriors were presented with the MHSAA Division 1A State Championship trophy and the celebration began. There were tears of joy and smiles from ear to ear in that crowd. Including Coach Rogers who clutched that trophy like someone might try to steal it. One proud dad of two of the Warriors and who was on the 1987 team that lost the championship said to his son “ You just did what I couldn't do for Tommy Joe. That sunshine out there today was him smiling down on you guys from heaven. I am so proud and I know he is too!”Congratulations to the Falkner Eagles on a great season and to the Nanih Waiya Warriors, 2011 State Champions.
...Jerry Hemphill