COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Coming off their 13th regular season Tennessee Community College Athletic Association title in the last 18 years and sporting the No. 4 ranking in the nation, Walters State enters the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Tournament at Columbia State's Dave Hall Field looking to looking to win back-to-back tournament crowns for the first time since the 2005-06 seasons.
Winners of 21 of their last 25 games, the Senators (46-9) enter the tournament as the odds-on favorite to their 12th Region VII championship in program history after going 20-4 in Tennessee Community College Athletic Association play this season. Of the 46 wins this season, 28 have come either on the road or at a neutral site, as WSCC is 28-5 away from Morristown this season, including a split of a doubleheader with Columbia State at Dave Hall Field two weeks ago.
The Senators enter the Region VII Tournament knowing they will face one of three opponents in their opening game on Monday at 1 p.m. CT, with the results of Sunday's play-in games being the basis for the first opponent.
The tournament begins with No. 8 Volunteer State (19-27) taking on No. 9 Southwest Tennessee (17-32) on Sunday at noon before No. 7 Jackson State (29-20) takes on No. 10 Roane State (16-24) at 3 p.m. in the two elimination games. The Senators could face Volunteer State, Southwest Tennessee or Roane State in the opener, as they will play the lowest remaining seed once those games have completed. A Jackson State win over Roane State would put them in a matchup with No. 2 Motlow State (36-14), as the Senators cannot face Jackson State in the opener. WSCC has a combined record of 8-1 against its three possible first round opponents.
Monday's action begins at 10 a.m. with No. 4 Chattanooga State (31-13) taking on No. 5 Columbia State (21-25), and the winner moving on to face either Walters State or a play-in game winner in the winner's bracket semifinals on Tuesday in the double-elimination tournament. At 4:30 p.m., No. 3 Cleveland State (27-18) will battle No. 6 Dyersburg State (33-18), while the nightcap will feature Motlow State and the other play-in winner.
The opening two games on Tuesday will be elimination games, as will the first two and closing game of the four-game schedule on Wednesday, setting up the loser's bracket final on Thursday at 1 p.m. and the championship game at 4 p.m. The if necessary championship game would be on Friday at 1 p.m.
The Senators have belted 71 home runs as a team this season, with four players notching at least nine long balls on the year. Brayden Combs leads that category with 13, while Bryce Hodge and Jerry Hammons both have 11 and Braydon Runion has nine. Combs leads the team in RBIs with 72, while Hodge has 59, Hammons has 47 and Michael Robinson has 42. Hammons has clouted 18 doubles, while Combs has 15, Hodge 14, Xavier Arnette 11 and Runion 10.
On the mound, the Senators are led by staff ace Alex Haynes. The sophomore TCCAA Pitcher of the Year candidate has compiled a 9-2 record with six complete games, a 1.21 earned run average, allowed just 12 runs (nine earned) on 35 hits in 67 innings while striking out 90 batters and walking 21.
Corey Stone (8-2), Kody Davidson (6-1), Zebulon Matthews (6-2) and Gage Gillian (2-2, 5 saves) will all be counted on heavily in the tournament, with Davidson being a flex option to start or work in relief. Blake Petty (2-0), Bubba Hubbard (5-0) and Andrew Lindsey (3-0) all factor into the bullpen plans as well during the tournament.
The winner of the Region VII title will move one step closer to the crown jewel of junior college baseball, as they will host the NJCAA East Central District Championship Series against the Georgia state champions from Region XVII on May 15-17, with the winner advancing to the Alpine Bank JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado, on May 25 through June 1.