Baseball

What if I told you that there is an all-time career home runs record-holder playing right here in Whitley County? Not a program record holder, but a national record holder… It’s true. University of the Cumberlands senior catcher Charlie Muniz, a native of Naranjito, Puerto Rico, recently broke the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) record for career home runs when he smacked his 89th ball over a fence during a recent road game against Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla. Muniz then hit home run number 90 during a March 12 home game against Johnson University (Tenn.), and followed that up by hitting four more homers against visiting Mid-South...

Head Coach Brennen Patrick’s first year at the helm of the WHS baseball program was a tough one when it comes to wins and losses. With only two victories on the year, 2024 was full of difficult learning experiences for coaches and players alike. This year, Patrick says that the Yellow Jackets are looking forward to taking the next steps toward building a winning culture in their dugout. “It takes time,” Patrick said of establishing a winning identity. “I challenge them a lot. When it comes to both their school work and to being out on the field, we need to strive toward excellence in everything that we’re doing.” Patrick also...

The Corbin High School varsity softball and baseball teams will be among the most experienced in the region this spring, with both squads featuring strong veteran leadership in multiple positions on the field. The softball Hounds will be looking to successfully defend their 50th District championship crown and reclaim the 13th Region championship crown that they last won in 2022. “We have thoroughly enjoyed our offseason,” said Head Coach Crystal Stidham, explaining that the team has been reaping the benefits of incorporating a new, tailor-made training program courtesy of Tyler Ross and Grit 2 Great Sports Performance. In addition to a re-vamped training program, the softball Hounds are also enjoying their portion...

With extensive field renovations taking place at Whitley County High School, the baseball and softball Colonels are both eager to get back to action on newly installed turf playing surfaces. Things aren’t quite ready yet, but with some good luck when it comes to the weather (badly needed), games should be able to take place at WCHS later this spring. While coaches Jeremy Shope and Angela Singleton wait for the remodel job to finish up, they are keeping their teams busy with indoor workouts and, when able, the use of middle school facilities and the high school’s turf football field. The situation is less-than-ideal, but both squads are making the...

The world of minor league baseball is full of unexpected twists and turns. Just ask Chase Estep. Before graduating from Corbin High School in 2019, he helped lead the Redhounds to a pair of regional championships on the baseball diamond and back-to-back appearances in the Class 3A football state championship game.   Estep moved on to Lexington after graduation, where he played baseball for the University of Kentucky. After his first season as a Wildcat got cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned for what he described as a “down year” for him personally in 2021. It was at this point that things really began to turn around.   “I switched...

This week, the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets varsity baseball team hosted a youth baseball camp at Briar Creek Park. In addition to teaching young players the basics of the game, Head Coach Brennen Patrick said that it’s also about establishing relationships that will benefit the program in the years to come. “We want to give something back to the community, and give something to these kids who will be coming up soon,” said Patrick. “These kids will be our future.” Patrick and his assistants, including some current Yellow Jacket players, have welcomed in between 30-40 campers this week. Some of those attending were part of this summer’s recently concluded Little League season. “I...

On Monday, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) announced some rules changes via its social media accounts and on the khsaa.org website. One rule change dealt with high school baseball, and read: Players using non-wood bats will have greater flexibility in using substances to enhance their grip on the bat with a change that brings consistency to Rule 1-3-2. This rule revision was one of two proposed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee after its annual rules meeting held June 2-4 at The Alexander hotel in Indianapolis. The rules changes were accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors and are effective with the...

It took two extra innings for them to get the job done, but the Owensboro Catholic Aces were able to pull off a 5-4 victory over the 13th Region champion Corbin Redhounds Friday in round one of this year's Kentucky High School Athletic Association Baseball State Tournament, played at Legends Stadium in Lexington. With the loss, Corbin wraps up their 2024 campaign with an overall record of 30 wins and 11 losses. The Hounds got on the board first Friday thanks to an inside-the-park home run from Noah Cima. The Aces would score a run in the bottom of the inning, though, tying the game up at 1-1. The score remained...

As many expected it would, this year’s 13th Region baseball tournament once again came down to 50th District rivals Corbin and Whitley County. Last year, it was the Colonels who defeated the Redhounds in the regional finals before going on to win a program-first KHSAA state championship. This time around, Corbin was able to return the favor by punching their tickets to the 2024 state championship tournament in Lexington. The Colonels got out to an early lead in Friday’s regional championship contest, played at Knox Central High School in Barbourville. After going up 2-0 in the top of the first inning, Redhound Noah Cima hit a solo home run in...

Memorial Day will be full of softball and baseball action in Knox County as this year's 13th Region championship tournaments are scheduled kick off at Lynn Camp and Knox Central high schools. Lynn Camp will host this year's regional softball tournament, with the following contests scheduled for Monday-through-Wednesday: Lynn Camp (23-11) vs South Laurel (26-9) - Mon. at Noon Harlan (14-18) vs Jackson County (23-10) - Mon. at 2 PM North Laurel (24-9) vs Harlan County (14-19) - Mon. at 4 PM Corbin (18-15) vs Pineville (14-7) - Mon. at 6 PM Winner of Lynn Camp/S Laurel vs Winner of Harlan/Jackson Co - Tues. at 6 PM Winner of N Laurel/Harlan Co vs Winner of...