AWT BASEBALL: Nance's batting led Crockett County

Being the lead-off batter brings much responsibility. The lead-off batter is put in that position because that person is the most consistent player at getting on base and giving the team the best chance to score.

Junior Jeremiah Nance batted lead-off for Crockett County this season, and with his .525 batting average, he proved that he could reach base more often than not.

His batting helped lead the Cavaliers to the Class AA state tournament and earned him the honor of The Jackson Sun's 2015 Baseball Hitter of the Year.

"Me and my guys knew that we had a chance to do something special this season," Nance said. "Last year, we didn't have the senior leadership. But the football players brought that leadership this year. Even when football was going on, the football players were still out here in 30-degree weather every day to get better."

Nance also had 51 RBI and 59 stolen bases this season.

Batting .500 is something that many of the top players work toward, but many don't achieve it.

"From a personal standpoint, batting .500 is a gift," Nance said. "I didn't expect to hit that well. I went up and battled every pitch and looked for the best pitch. My speed also helped."

The speed that helped Nance steal bases was also key in his play as a centerfielder.

"Coach [Brent] Fronabarger introduced us to staying moving every pitch," he said. "That gave me an extra 10-12 steps that I didn't get with the normal alignment. That helped in getting to those balls hit in the gap or the diving catches."

The postseason run wasn't a surprise according to Nance, and he didn't feel like the team played any different.

"The games we lost in the regular season, we should have won," he said. "We got a second chance at all of the teams that beat us except for one or two. No one just flat out beat us, and that is how baseball goes. We had a few errors that caused some losses."

Nance admitted that this year's Crockett County team was special, and they knew how to play against the best teams in the area.

"It was about staying confident," he said. "Good pitching isn't all that hard. If you focus on fundamentals, it will show on the field."

The run to the top four in the state tournament was good, but Nance still wants more.

"I didn't like losing, but top four was satisfying," he said. "We didn't get what we wanted, but we put together a strong run. I enjoyed the run, the senior leadership and the coaching.

"For next year, personally, I want to work on being an overall leader. As a team, we have to stay humble and not get too caught up in the limelight. We need a few players to step up to be successful."

Michael Odom, 425-9754