Play Ball! There are no two words that gets the “boys of summer” more fired up. This Tuesday, the diamond dandies of Quitman High School will get to hear the umpire shout those two words for the first time this year in a pre-season scrimmage at Class 2A D’Arbonne Woods in Farmerville.
It is the start of a daunting schedule comprised of contests against eight schools from higher classifications and a home and home series for the District 2B crown. What makes things even more challenging is that Quitman will travel for eight of the nine non-district games. Adding in Monday’s scrimmage, the annual Jamboree at Choudrant and the three district contests, Quitman will load up on the bus 13 times this season in 17 playing dates.
Most will not be short trips either. By the time the season is over the 15 man roster will be able to boast they have traveled as far as any team in QHS history, including going to places like Stonewall (North DeSoto), Spring Hill (North Webster), LaSalle, Oak Grove and Natchitoches.
“We are going to have to be road warriors this year for sure,” said head coach Joe Lockhart. “It really wasn’t by design but kind of just happened that way. Several of these games were scheduled for last year. When we ended up losing virtually the whole season due to the Coronavirus they just rolled over into this year.”
If there is a silver lining to all the road games for Lockhart, who is entering his 13th season at Quitman where he has won 143 games and four straight district titles, it is that he has a very experienced squad returning that is used to tasting victory.
The five seniors and five juniors, many who have been playing regularly since they were freshmen, have never lost a district game in their career and are just one full season removed from the memories of competing for the 2018 Class B title.
Quitman Wolverines 2020-21 Baseball Schedule
Feb 9 Scrimmage @ DWC 4:30
Feb 20 Jamboree @ Choudrant
Feb 22 @ St Mary’s 6:00
March 2 @ Castor (JV/V) 4:00
March 9 @ DWC (JV/V) 6:30
March 15 @ LaSalle 4:00
March 23 MANY (JV/V) 5:00
March 25 @ Cedar Creek 4:00
March 30 @ N DeSoto (JV/V) 4:00
April 1 @ N Webster (JV/V) 4:00
April 6 * CHOUDRANT 5:00
April 8 @ *Choudrant 6:00
April 13 @ *Simsboro 6:00
April 16 *SIMSBORO 5:00
April 19 *WESTON 5:00
April 22 @ *Weston 4:00
April 24 @ Oak Grove 2:00
( * – district 2B games)