The Grundy Center baseball team recently clinched the NICL-West championship with Monday’s doubleheader sweep at Gladbrook-Reinbeck. It’s officially recognized as a shared title with South Hardin due to having the same conference record, but the Spartans won two of the three meetings between the teams.
Head Coach Pat Brown Jr.
“Baseball is one of those games where if you have one bad inning, I mean, it could ruin a season,” Brown says. “Or if you have a slump here or there, you know, it could change all those things. And luckily, for four years in a row, the kids have been able to figure it out and get it put together and scratch out wins when they need to and hold off losses when they have to.”
The Spartans have won six straight, including the last five that have ended early due to the runs-ahead rule. Senior Tate Jirovsky, one of the league’s dominant pitchers, has stepped up offensively. He had a six-game hit streak that ended in Game 2 Monday.
Brown on the areas of focus in the last week of the regular season.
“It’s so hard to duplicate things in practice. Hopefully we get the opportunity to work on some bunting stuff or some defensive type situations to where we practice this, now execute it, so when it really, really matters, we can do it. So that’s kind of where we’re at with that. And then just go out there and fall asleep in the box, hit the ball hard, run the bases fast, do it with a smile on your face and good things will happen.”
The Spartans were scheduled to host a non-conference test with #1 (2A) West Marshall Friday, but it was cancelled due to field conditions. They’ll play at #7 (1A) Wapsie Valley Monday.
Pat Brown interview:
