Tough Gulf Shores Classic tests Mavericks baseball

March 19, 2025 by Ken Lay

When Anderson County High School baseball Coach Josh Boynton saw his team’s draw for last week’s Gulf Shores Classic in Alabama, he knew the Mavericks might face some challenges.

They did.

Anderson County dropped three of its four games, but Boynton wasn’t disappointed with the trip.

“Overall, I was pretty happy,” he said.

“Record-wise, we didn’t do as well as we would’ve liked, but we faced some good competition and played teams we wouldn’t normally see. We played two (Class) 7A teams and two teams that made their state tournaments.”

The Mavericks (2-3) had just one regular-season game under their belt before heading to the Gulf Coast. Their opponents had been playing since February.

“I’m not making excuses — I don’t make excuses — but our first game down there was only our second of the season,” Boynton said. “Those teams had already played 15 games.

“We had some errors and some situational baseball where things just weren’t quite there,” he said. “But the kids had a great time at the beach, and the parents were glad to get away from home. Plus, we got to eat some good seafood. The kids were happy to have a trip for spring break.”

The Mavericks opened play on March 10 with a 9-6 loss to Tuscaloosa County. They fell behind early before rallying for six runs in the fifth inning.

Senior centerfielder Trent Strickland went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

Jeremiah Owens was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run, while Ty Wilson singled, walked, and scored.

Anderson County committed five errors in the game.

The Mavericks secured their lone tournament victory on March 11, using a big fifth inning to edge the Huntsville Crimson Panthers 4-3. Anderson County scored all of its runs in the bottom of the frame, despite managing just four hits.

Clay Fletcher went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Owens singled and scored, while Reece Wilkerson went 1-for-3.

ACHS played twice on March 12, falling 7-2 to New Hope and dropping a 7-6 contest to DeSoto Central.

Owens led the Mavericks against New Hope, going 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Easton Beaty was 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Blake Lowe added an RBI single.

Lowe stayed hot against DeSoto Central, collecting two hits and scoring twice.

Anderson County faced Greenback on Tuesday, but results were unavailable at press time.

The Mavericks will travel to Pigeon Forge on Thursday before hosting The King’s Academy on Friday.