Providence Christian Academy is on a TSSAA baseball playoff roll, winning district title

What sophomore Josiah Allen did on the mound for Providence Christian on Tuesday night basically sums up the roll the Lions have been on in the TSSAA baseball playoffs.

The seldom-used Allen had not started a varsity game all year and had logged just a handful of relief innings in early-season non-league games. He's been playing mostly junior varsity.

On Tuesday, he tossed a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Franklin Road Academy in the Division II-A District 3 tournament championship game, giving the Lions the title. He didn't let the moment get too big for him, which made him the perfect starter for the perennial underdogs.

"I was a little nervous," said Allen, on getting the start in such a big moment. He walked five and struck out six. "But, I'm a sophomore, I don't really have a lot to lose out here. I just came in trying to throw as well as I could."

PCA (11-15) won four of its five district tournament games after entering as the No. 5 seed. The Lions defeated No. 4 BGA 2-1 in a best-of-three series before knocking off No. 3-seed Grace Christian in the semifinals and then the No. 8-seed Panthers.

The Lions, who will begin region tournament play at home Friday, have earned six of its 11 wins over the past two weeks since veteran coach Mike Bartlett took over for his son, Barry Bartlett, who was fired in mid-April for undisclosed reasons. Mike Bartlett, who started the season as an assistant, declined an interview request by The Daily News Journal after Tuesday's win.

"He's done really well," Allen said of Mike Bartlett. "It's been amazing. He was just like making jokes, helping me relax out there."

Mike Bartlett is no stranger to success, particularly in the TSSAA baseball playoffs. As Stewarts Creek's coach from 2013 until he retired following the 2022 season, the 38-year teaching and coaching veteran guided the Red Hawks to the state tournament four times, including the 2017 Class AAA state championship game.

His final team at Stewarts Creek went 29-9 and reached the state tournament.

"He's a great dude for it," said Bjornstad, one of the team's aces and third baseman. "We've just had faith in each other and faith in Coach. Coach has been great. We've known him for several years. He knows how to get a team hot in the postseason.

"He doesn't want anybody to be tense. We've kind of played free (during the tournament), and it really helped."

The Lions went 3-22 last season and 3-14 in 2022 after going winless in 2021, its first full season as a member of TSSAA.

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After playing its home games at city parks around Murfreesboro, the team began playing in a new stadium on campus, complete with artificial turf on the infield and outfield, this season.

That's not the only thing new for the Lions. Success, at least during the magical playoff run, has joined the team's new digs.

"We weren't supposed to be good this year," Allen said. "We've outperformed expectations. We just keep playing like we have nothing to lose, and it's worked out for us. The more relaxed you are, the better you play."

Casen Youngblood's RBI hit in the first and Jackson Livesay's RBI hit in the sixth provided the offense for PCA.