Trace Lee and Christian Dale are going to do everything in their power to help get the Columbus High School baseball team back to the postseason.
While both players make solid contributions in the field and at the plate, Lee and Dale likely will make their presence felt the most on the mound. Combined with left-hander Hunter Mullis, Columbus (11-6, 2-2 Class 6A, Region) has three starting pitchers who can stop a team’s momentum.
Lee and Dale showed last week just how effective they can be.
On Tuesday, Lee pitched six strong innings in a 6-0 victory against South Panola. Dale pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
On Friday, Dale pitched allowed one earned run and seven hits in a 3-2 victory against South Panola in eight innings.
For their accomplishments, Lee and Dale are The Dispatch’s co-Prep Players of the Week.
“They both battled very hard,” Columbus coach Jeff Cook said. “Trace did an outstanding job. His breaking ball is rally tough to hit when he is on. He did an outstanding job of locating it early. Trace has just done an outstanding job this year. We’re just glad he is injury free and healthy and doing a great job.
“Christian gutted it out Friday night. I don’t think he had his best stuff, but he still struck out 10. … I asked him in the eighth if he wanted it, and he said, ‘Yeah.’ Christian had some big battles he won. They both did a great job of competing.”
Lee, who also plays quarterback on the school’s football team, broke his foot last season playing basketball and didn’t return to the baseball team until late in the season. He said he is fully recovered from the injury and feels confident and strong enough to deliver “dominating” efforts like the one he turned in Tuesday.
“I felt good,” Lee said. “I was hitting my spots and I had excellent defense behind me. When you have confidence in your defense, it allows you to feel more free on the mound, and that is how I felt.”
Lee felt he had more fire to him in that game, especially after Columbus lost its first two region games to Grenada. At 6-foot, 180 pounds, he feels stronger, even if he may not be a pitcher who can overpower hitters all of the time. He said a mixture of curveballs and fastball on the corners helped him keep South Panola off balance.
Lee said he divided his time last offseason between seven-on-seven football and with Columbus’ summer baseball team. He credits his coaches and teammates for improving.
“They have helped me come back and prepare for this season,” Lee said. “My pitching has gotten a lot better. I have been in the weight room with the football and baseball teams. My hitting has gotten better, and I have been able to locate my pitches better.”
Dale received offensive support from Jimmy Cockrell, who doubled and scored on a single by Chris McCullough. McCullough also tripled Cockrell home with the winning run.
Dale took care of the rest, striking out two in the sixth with the bases loaded. He pitched out of another bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Dale shouldered a big load on the mound last season. This season, he and Lee share time in the middle infield when the other is on the mound. When they’re both in the field, Lee takes shortstop and Dale plays second base.
Against South Panola, Dale said he felt good on the mound and knew he had to reach back for a little extra to work out of some key situations.
“I had to get the out somehow, so I let my defense work,” Dale said. “I struck out one guy and then got a groundball on another guy that Trace fielded and threw to second base to get us out of the inning. It was another good inning for the defense.”
Like Lee, Dale feels he is locating his pitches better this season. He said he worked on his curveball a lot in the offseason and added a cutter to his repertoire. He admits he hasn’t thrown it a lot in games, but he is developing more confidence in it to help him stay ahead in counts.
Whether it is Lee or Dale or Mullis, the Falcons feel their pitchers will give them a chance to take the next step in the playoffs this season.
“Everybody on the team believes we have the best pitching staff in the district,” Dale said.
Lee and Dale agree, though, that defense is the key to the team. Their job when they’re on the mound is to make that defense work to help keep the team in games.
“No matter where somebody is on the field, I have confidence in them because I know they are going to give me 110 percent wherever they are,” Lee said. “That is a big confidence boost when you have trust in your guys like we do.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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