Despite a lot of ‘new’ surrounding the Alcovy Tigers baseball program, new head coach Brandon Thomas and the team are eager for what awaits in 2025.
Thomas was hired as the Tigers’ new baseball coach at the start of the offseason, which is where the work began for the 2025 campaign.
However, the team is rolling out an almost entirely new starting lineup and rotation. This offseason, getting the new players up to speed was the focus, according to Thomas.
“Just knowledge and IQ of the game,” Thomas said. “The first couple days we were out here I felt like these guys didn’t understand the basic cut-off man principals, relay principals, bunt-coverage principals. Just basic ABC fundamental baseball, [we] have had to drill that a lot. I have seen some improvement in that and just understanding the game better.”
Last season, the team graduated six seniors. Out of the seven juniors that were set to come back, only two remain.
In search of players to be leaders in the dugout, Thomas turned to the trio of senior Sam Minniefield, junior Evan Kenley and sophomore Channing Jones.
“I have seen it from them, I like the way they come to work everyday,” Thomas said. “It is always effort and intensity, and that’s what it takes to be great. It’s repetition, but repetition with intensity and purpose behind that repetition. They are more of my upperclassmen, so they embody that and present that to the younger kids.”
According to Kenley, who plans to spend most of his time in the middle infield and on the mound, the effort of the team has been the biggest improvement over the span of offseason workouts.
“Effort,” Kenley said. “At the start, they didn’t know what all to do but now they are getting it more. They are starting to flow more. A lot of just getting used to chemistry. A lot of new players and a new team. Everyone is getting to know their positions [more].”
Another returner from a year ago is senior Jacob Kitchens, who Thomas expects to pitch innings for Alcovy along with Kenley and Minniefield.
Although the team does not have a prototypical ace pitcher on the staff, Thomas notes the work they have been doing to improve their staff’s pitch velocity and location.
“We don’t have an ace this year, where we have one guy we can just put on the mound and he is going to shove it up. I don;t feel like we have that,” Thomas said. “Just working with them to improve their velocity first off will be key. But, as long as you can throw strikes you can win games. To me, the most important thing is throwing strikes.”
Another new aspect of this season is Alcovy’s new region, which is highlighted by three-time defending state champion Loganville Red Devils, who have lost only four region games over the last three seasons.
Outside of Loganville, Region 8-AAAAA features other teams that went above .500 in 2024 such as Habersham Central(21-11) and Apalachee(21-13).
The team is young, but that did not deter Thomas from seeing what the team can eventually be.
“There is a lot of potential there,” Thomas said. “There is a lot of raw skill, they all have the hand-eye coordination to hit the ball. It is just about polishing that up and more repetitions. Repetition is the mother of all skills.
