Jacob Shively did not realize how much he missed being a baseball head coach until Shelbyville elevated him to the position on March 13. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of preparation for Wednesday’s season opener against Hauser.
“A lot of work but work I have enjoyed, for the most part,” said Shively after Shelbyville’s 12-1 victory over Hauser. “I have kind of fell in love with the practice planning and trying to figure out what everybody needs and put together a good plan. I think that has put some of my other priorities down a little bit lower but I hope that will pay off in the long run. Being part of the program, being around baseball is not something new, but it is a different lifestyle.”
Shively was promoted to head coach following the sudden resignation of head coach Royce Carlton earlier this month to accept a pitching coach position with Miami Marlins. Shively served as Waldron’s head coach for three seasons (2006-2008) and is currently a teacher at Shelbyville High School and has been on Carlton’s staff for multiple seasons.
For more on Royce Carlton's departure, go to https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/732903/shelbyville-baseball-coach-accepts-position-with-miami-marlins
That familiarity made Wednesday’s opener at Barnett Field go smoothly, even if Tuesday’s scheduled scrimmage with Batesville was canceled due to inclement weather.
“I think before the game I was nervous but after the first pitch was thrown, or maybe it was after our guys got the first hit, the nerves kind of left and I went on instinct and experience,” admitted Shively.
Sophomore Aiden Smith took to the mound and made quick work of the Jets which allowed the Golden Bears to get to work in the batter’s box.
Shelbyville scored four runs in the first inning and five in the second, all off Hauser starting pitcher Holden Pittman, to take a big lead on a crisp sunny day at the diamond.
“I wanted live at bats outside against another team besides ourselves, and not in our auxiliary gym,” said Shively of his expectations. “I wanted to see how everyone played together because we haven’t had everyone together for very long at all because of the way Spring Break fell.”
Luke Brinkman, one of four seniors on the 2024 roster, opened the Shelbyville half of the first inning with a double. Back-to-back one-out walks to juniors Gavyn Fisher and Dalton Jones kept Pittman in high leverage situations. A wild pitch plated Brinkman with the season’s first run.
Senior Luke Jackson was then hit by a pitch and senior Brock Kuhn followed with a run-scoring single. A Kohen Myers ground out followed to plate the inning’s third run and freshman Grantland Fitzgerald, running for Jackson, scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0.
Sophomore Donavon Martin and Brinkman started the second inning off Pittman with walks – Shelbyville received nine free passes in the game. Smith reached on a fielder’s choice and Fisher followed with a 2-run double to extend the lead to 6-0.
Jones scored on a wild pitch for a 7-0 advantage.
Two more walks loaded the bases again and Myers and freshman Brayden Smith delivered run-scoring singles.
Meanwhile, Smith was cruising on the mound. He faced 13 batters over four innings of work, did not allow a hit and struck out six. The only Jet to reach base off the highly-regarded sophomore was Stryker Gill, who opened the fourth inning with a walk. He moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout before scoring on Kameron Blair’s sacrifice fly.
The Golden Bears put the run rule into effect with a three-run fourth inning. Myers singled and later scored on a throwing error. Brayden Smith reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch. And Aiden Smith singled in Martin for the 12th run of the game.
Myers, a senior, took the mound in the fifth and delivered a perfect inning to complete the five-inning no-hitter.
“I wanted to evaluate some players out here,” said Shively. “That happened to a degree, although not many defensive evaluations and opportunities. It was enough to see this is a lineup to consider and move on from there.”
Shelbyville travels to St. Leon Friday to face a potential sectional opponent in East Central.
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