Joomla Login LightBox powered by WowJoomla.com

Make no mistake — Jeff Cain would rather not have to dust off his "shock the world" speech one more time.

But since his Smithville High baseball team finds itself in familiar waters, there is really no other mental state for the Warriors to employ now that the Class 3 District 16 Tournament beckons.

"Our kids are going to be excited," said Cain despite the fact Smithville is seeded eighth in the eight-team field, meaning a matchup with No. 1 Savannah at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph. "You’re going to see a really, really good effort out of our kids, and who knows what happens?"

That belief in miracles has unfortunately become a rite of passage for the Warriors (3-14), who, as the eight seed last year, took perennial power St. Joseph Benton down to the wire in the opening round before suffering a 6-5 loss.

And, much like last year, Smithville now has reason to believe anything is possible after what looked to be a lost season. Following 12 straight losses to open the 2009 campaign, Cain’s club has won three of its past five ballgames, including victories against the tournament’s No. 6 and No. 7 seeds (Maryville and St. Joseph Bishop LeBlond, respectively), and a respectable loss to fifth-seeded Cameron.

"It helps a lot. We have more confidence now," said Cain about his team’s play the past two weeks. "They have the attitude when they step on the field, it doesn’t matter who they play."

That’s a good starting point considering it will be the defending district champs — not to mention a ballclub that just beat Smithville handily May 5 — in the opposing dugout.

"We’re just happy to get a chance to participate and play," Cain said. "It’s a great atmosphere. The kids are going to benefit from it.

"We’re going to give Savannah our best shot."

Sports Editor Scott Tittrington can be reached at 389-6632 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed