WEST POINT — Marion Bratton has been coaching long enough to know not to buck tradition.
But the Oak Hill Academy baseball coach also has learned that sometimes it’s better to do things differently if you sense an opportunity to lift the spirits of an individual or to snap your team out of its doldrums.
Bratton accomplished both of those goals last week with one talk.
In the process, he might have helped Drew Riley have the best pitching performance of the season.
Coming off a lackluster performance in a 7-4 victory against Riverfield Academy (La.) in Game 1 of their best-of-three Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AA playoff series, Bratton sat his team down for a clear-the-air talk. The conversation wound up lasting 30 minutes and touched on a number of topics, including a way to get Riley to forget the first game. Despite the victory, Riley wasn’t in good spirits after striking out a couple of times. The junior right-hander felt he needed to do more, especially since he stated at the beginning of the season he wanted to be the team’s MVP.
Bratton knew exactly what to say. Knowing Riley might have been putting too much on his shoulders, Bratton asked Riley, “What would you think if the conference (Class AA, District 2) already had selected the MVP and that it had selected you?”
Bratton said all Riley could do in response was keep his head down and grin.
“I always hold (awards players receive) until the end, but I just felt like it was time,” Bratton said. “It was a way to vent the team and relax the ballclub, and I hope it works. So far it has.”
Riley responded by pitching a complete-game one-hitter Friday in an 8-0 victory against Riverfield Academy that helped Oak Hill Academy take the series.
For his accomplishment. Riley is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“I just cleared my mind and did what I had to do and was successful,” Riley said. “I felt like this past game everything was falling perfectly in hand. It was probably our best game of the year. Everybody had a part in the game.”
Riley and the Raiders will try to build off that series victory starting at 6 tonight when they take on Winona Christian in Game 1 of that best-of-three series. Game 2 is scheduled for Friday in West Point. If needed, Game 3 would follow approximately 30 minutes after the previous game.
Riley said he knew after the first inning that he could “control the mound” and that things were going to go well. Even though he hadn’t faced Riverfield Academy, Riley said he stayed focused and pitched the best game he has had in a long time.
“After the first few innings, I thought about it for a little bit and I was like, ‘I don’t need to think about it because something is going to go wrong,’ ” Riley said. “I just told myself I needed to keep doing my thing, keep throwing strikes, and let the infield work for me. The infielders and outfielders had my back.”
Bratton said Riley’s only loss of the season was a 1-0 decision to Tri-County in the first district game of the season. He said Riley has been steady all season thanks to good control.
“He has pretty much been our go-to guy,” Bratton said. “If he makes a mistake, he doesn’t dwell on it.”
Riley didn’t make many against Riverfield Academy, allowing only a hit to the No. 9 hitter and hitting another batter. Aside from those two at-bats, Riley was solid, mixing his pitches to keep his defense in the game. The Raiders (13-5) responded with their second errorless game of the season.
“Everybody realized maybe we’re coming together,” Bratton said. “We played our best ballgame. I was very, very proud of them.”
Bratton said the Raiders have overcome an injury to senior Drake Riley, one of the team’s leading hitters last season. He said everyone else has emerged to do their part, including sophomore Powell Tabor and senior Blake Henley, who are splitting time in left field in the absence of Drake Riley. Bratton said the team’s versatility allows him to move three or four players to different position to suit his needs depending on the situation.
With Drew Riley, Bratton said consistency is the key. Whether it is at the plate or on the mound, he knows Riley is going to deliver.
Riley said he knew he was going to start Game 2. He said Bratton told him to forget about Game 1 and he was able to clear his mind.
“It turns out I pitched the best game I have pitched all year,” Riley said.
Riley didn’t know how to describe his feeling in Game 1. He said something was “messing” with him the whole time and he couldn’t battle back. He responded in Game 2 with a two-hit effort to back his pitching performance.
“I hope I can do that (against Winona Christian) and lead our team to a victory,” Riley said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.