Baseball

The Corbin Redhounds successfully defended their 50th District championship crown Tuesday evening, while the Corbin Lady Hounds played their way into Wednesday's softball district finals. After wins over Williamsburg and South Laurel, respectively, the Whitley County Colonels and the Corbin Redhounds met up on the baseball diamond at Briar Creek Park to determine this year's 50th District champion Tuesday evening. The Colonels managed to get out to an early lead, but some big at-bats midway through the contest allowed the Hounds to take control. They would not look back, going on to secure a 6-2 victory that improved them to a region-best 27-10 overall win-loss record on the season. With...

If you are a casual baseball fan, then you may or may not know the name Josh Gibson. He is considered by many historians to be one of the best catchers that the game has ever seen, but the fact that he spent his career in the Negro League means that many “best of” lists will not include his name. Once you learn more about Gibson’s accomplishments in baseball you begin to truly understand what a travesty this is. Unfortunately, his is just one of many examples of black players not getting the recognition that they deserve because they had the misfortune of living during a time when segregation kept...

With the spring sports season now just days away, Whitley County Colonels Baseball Head Coach Jeremy Shope is well aware of his team’s situation as the defending Kentucky High School Athletic Association state champions. “Any time that your program reaches that pinnacle, and you are playing at that level, it is going to push other teams up against the wall,” Shope said recently. “They are all going to come out swinging, so we have to be ready for that fight. We have to work harder than ever.” Indeed, there is zero chance that Shope’s Colonels will be able to fly under anyone’s radar in 2024. Last season, they were one victory...

As we enter into the month of March, the official start to the 2024 high school baseball season is now just days away. Among the area teams chomping at the bit to get back out onto the diamond are the Corbin Redhounds, who will once again be considered a top contender in the 13th Region. “The guys are excited, and ready to get on the field,” said Head Coach Cody Philpot recently, adding that, although work to install a new turf playing surface has been running a little behind schedule, his players have still been able to get reps in at the school’s football stadium. “We’re getting a lot of work...

Recently, Williamsburg Independent Schools announced the hiring of their newest varsity baseball head coach, Brennan Patrick. Patrick, a native of Nashville, Tenn., played baseball at Cumberland University (Tenn.), later returning there to serve as an assistant coach and head coach of the junior varsity team. Before landing the job at Williamsburg, Patrick was an assistant coach at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, which is an NAIA school located in the St. Louis area. Prior to the tipoff of the Yellow Jacket basketball team’s game against visiting Lynn Camp last week, Patrick was on hand just outside the gymnasium for a meet-and-greet event that allowed him to get to know members...

The Williamsburg High School varsity baseball program has its newest head coach in Brennan Patrick. In a press release sent out by the school Monday, the administration said, "Williamsburg City School is pleased to announce the hiring of Brennen Patrick as our new head baseball coach. The new Yellow Jacket skipper grew up in the Nashville, TN area and played college baseball under the legendary Woody Hunt at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN." "After graduation, Brennen joined the coaching staff of Woody’s son, Ryan Hunt, at Volunteer State. When Ryan was tabbed to replace his father at Cumberland University, Brennen followed and served as an assistant coach and head junior varsity...

The recent updates to Corbin High School’s football stadium has grabbed many headlines in recent months, but the school’s baseball and softball facilities are also undergoing major renovations, including all-new turf playing surfaces that will be in place for the upcoming 2024 season. “There’s going to be turf, there will be new fencing all the way around, and we’re moving to the third base side where the locker room will be completely re-done,” said CHS baseball Head Coach Cody Philpot of some of the more important changes taking place in that area of the campus. Philpot also mentioned that seating in the ballpark is being updated, which should improve the overall...

Last week, several of Whitley County High School’s varsity sports teams joined forces to present a two-day youth camp that included hands-on instruction in six different athletic activities. The event was a huge success, with around 300 kids ranging in age from preschool to eighth grade showing up to take part. “At this age, kids should try all of it,” said Matt Rhymer, who is about to enter into his first season as the head coach of the Colonel football program. “We have to share athletes here as a rural county school, so it’s really about being one big community. We don’t want to create any barriers or walls, but...

Lynn Camp sports fans are sure to remember the name Austyn Weddle. As a multi-sport athlete, he helped several varsity-level Wildcat athletic programs remain competitive on the court and field during his years at LCHS. As a senior during the 2015-16 school year, Weddle led the Wildcats football team in receiving with over 400 yards on the season, including six touchdowns. He was also the basketball team’s leading scorer that season, averaging 13 points per game and contributing to an overall winning record of 17-10. He also was a member of the school’s baseball team that spring. Weddle is still doing big things nearly ten years after last suiting up at...

“It can be done.” That is what Whitley County Baseball Head Coach Jeremy Shope said after his Colonels defeated Shelby County, 2-1, in the finals of this year’s Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship Tournament. “It’s something that you believe, and it’s something that our kids believe, but to actually pull this thing off feels unbelievable,” said Shope, who in six years at the helm of the WCHS baseball program has compiled an overall record of 147-47. “What a gritty bunch this is. They have pitched well, played defense, and have had timely hitting. I am just so happy for our school, and I am so happy for our...