Is Scotts Hill baseball ready to repeat as state champs?

Last season, the Scotts Hill baseball team went from a fourth-place finish in the regular season of District 15-A play to winning the Class A state championship.

The Lions brought back the nucleus of last year's team and look to be ready for another strong postseason push. But is another state championship a possibility?

"We haven't thought about it," Scotts Hill coach Carl Harken said. "It hasn't been brought up once. Our only concern is the next game. We told the kids that a sign of a good team is putting back-to-back wins together."

Evan Russell, a Tennessee signee, had the top batting average last year, and he is on his way to doing the same this year as a senior.

"We play hard," Russell said. "Once we get momentum going, we feed off it. Since it is almost the same exact team as last year, we will be ready to go."

Scotts Hill did lose two key players from last year's team, but the Lions could be even better this time around.

"We lost a pitcher and a center fielder, but I think we have rebuilt," Russell said. "I think our team is as good, if not better that last year.

"I think we hit the ball better and out mental focus is better. And our intensity is a little better."

The Lions have a year more of experience, and the role of some players are different.

"It is a completely different team," Harken said. "We are relying on different kids, whether it be on the mound, in field, in the base path. This team is really growing through mental toughness the most. That is what we like to see."

But one area that Harken has been working with his team to get better at is consistency.

"If we can find our consistency throughout the entire season from inning to inning, we are good," Harken said. "But as of right now, we find that we are up and down. We have been preaching consistency, and [Monday against Jackson Christian] it showed when we got lead-off runners on, good things happen. That is what we have been preaching for the past two weeks, getting lead-off runners on and extending the inning with two outs."

Scotts Hill is now 18-6 on the season with a 10-2 mark in District 15-A play. All four of the non-district losses have come from teams in Class AA or Class AAA.

The Lions won't have to fight out of being the No. 4 seed in the district tournament, but Harken feels that with the quality of teams in the district, advancing will still be tough.

"If you look through our district, there is some pretty tough competition top to bottom," Harken said. "There are going to opponents that are very competitive no matter where you are seeded."

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.