By DJ MOORE
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga — The Social Circle Redskins’ baseball team is coming into the 2022-2023 season looking to go even further than last season. And that only means one thing — the Redskins have a state title on their mind.
Social Circle reached the Class A Final Four last year and suffered a two-game sweep by eventual state runner-up Charlton County 4-0 and 16-6, respectively.
The Redskins, who were led by head coach Kevin Dawkins, finished the season with a 27-13 overall record while finishing third in Region 8A-Public with a 14-4 mark. The Redskins have brought everybody back from last year’s team and are looking to appear in the final four and win the Class A-Division I state championship.
“We have a big senior group this year, and we got a bunch of underclassmen that are hungry for more,” said Dawkins. “Last year we weren’t particularly on anyone’s radar at the beginning of the season, but as the season went on, we were on the radar.”
Building off last year’s success is something that will be beneficial for the team this year to reach the state finals. And leadership from some seniors like Logan Cross, Mason Moore, Mitch McCullough and Brayden Mitchell will be key.
“I just want to see them be humble, and there is a difference between being humble and laying down for your opponent, “ Dawkins said. “I just want them guys to continue to lead, but I do want other guys to help lead this year as well.”
In the first couple of weeks of the preseason, the Redskins have been doing a great job of holding each other accountable which has been a pleasant surprise, according to Dawkins.
The preseason progress is vital because Dawkins believes this year’s squad won’t be sneaking up on anyone, thanks to last year’s deep playoff run.
“I think anything with success will bring a target on your back,” said Dawkins. “And after beating Wilcox County, who was the No. 1 team in the state, teams started to realize that it is Social Circle baseball.”
Before the Redskins started competing in region play last year, their non-region schedule helped create the necessary chemistry to help them prevail later on down the line. And this year is no different for Dawkins’ bunch as the non-region slate is littered with perennially tough teams in higher classifications like Morgan County and Eastside.
The Redskins will open the season in Conyers against the Heritage Patriots on Feb.13. Their first region game will be in Lexington, Georgia, against Oglethorpe County on Monday April 3.
“I want to face adversity early on and see how our boys respond to it,” said Dawkins. “Since our first region game is in the first week of April, we have 20 non-region games or opportunities to get better.”
