By Robert Wilson
Hartfield Academy started off the MAIS Class 6A conference season with back-to-back, three-game sweeps over Madison St. Joseph and Jackson Academy before losing six of the next nine conference games and lost to Presbyterian Christian School in the semifinals last season.
Hartfield coach Justin Smith, in his fourth season as the Hawks head coach, is expecting a difference result this season.
Hartfield won its fourth straight 6A conference game with a 6-2 victory over JA Tuesday night before an estimated 200 at JA’s Raider Park in Northeast Jackson.
Hartfield – ranked No. 2 in Mississippi in MaxPreps behind six-time defending MAIS 5A state champion and No. 1 Magnolia Heights – improved to 17-2 overall, 4-0 in league play, and won its eighth straight game. JA – ranked No. 8 in Mississippi by MaxPreps – dropped to 14-5 overall and 1-3 in 6A play.
Game 2 of the three-game series is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Hartfield in Flowood. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. at JA.
Hartfield senior right-hander and Jacksonville (Ala.) State signee JP Abt continues to have a solid season and had a no-hitter threw five innings before giving up his first hit, a single up the middle to centerfield by JA freshman third baseman Jed Rodden. Abt, who improved to 4-0 and has a 1.56 earned run average this season, allowed just one hit and one earned run with nine strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Senior left-hander and Louisiana Monroe basketball commitment Wiggy Ball and sophomore right-hander Cope Burnham combined to allow one hit and no runs for the final 1 1/3 innings.
“JP is really settling into his starting role on the mound,” Smith said. “Wiggy is great to have coming in as a lefty after JP. He will continue to get better. He’s only three weeks removed from basketball season. So, he still trying to get a feel for it. Cope has emerged as our closer for the year. He has the moxy and confidence to take on the role as a first-year player. I’m really happy with how he has contributed to this team. Since his eighth-grade year he has taken his development seriously and when you do that you give yourself a chance to help as a sophomore in our program. I’m proud of him.”
“I was able to get ahead of them early and keep them guessing,” said Abt, last week’s BSN Sports/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Player of the Week who has 40 strikeouts in 27 innings this season. “I credit my coaching staff for the pitch calling and my defense for playing well behind me. For us, this win keeps the momentum we already have to continue. I think that we are playing at a very high level in all facets of the game, and I once again credit my coaching staff. I also feel that our leadership and culture is at an all-time high and I wouldn’t want to graduate with any other guys.”
Abt is one of the many reasons why Smith – who was promoted from assistant when Chuck Box left to become the director of player personnel at Texas A&M (now at Texas) – is high on his team.
Hartfield caught the attention of many across MAIS when Abt and the Hawks defeated seven-time defending MAIS Class 6A state champion Jackson Prep 11-2 two weeks ago in a non-conference game to break a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots. It was Prep’s largest margin of defeat this season. Abt was solid in that game and allowed only one hit and one run with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for the win.
Not only is Abt having a great season on the mound, the shortstop is hitting .418 with a team-high 10 stolen bases. His younger brother, junior right fielder and Jacksonville State commitment Henry Abt, is hitting .433. Senior first baseman, Jones County Junior College signee and Northwest Rankin transfer Sam Oakley leads the team with a .438 average and is tied with JP Abt with a team-high eight doubles.
“Sam has really been big for us this year,” Smith said. “He transferred over this summer and when you get a player like him for one year you have to take more time to get to know them before you coach them. Through the summer and our mini-camp (practice before Christmas break), you could tell that the swing is there and that he is a player that with more at bats he will get better. He’s a really high character kid as well.”
Oakley had two doubles Tuesday and had two hits along with JP Abt, Henry Abt and senior third baseman and Meridian Community College commitment Graham Jackson – son of former Mississippi State All-SEC pitcher Jeremy Jackson and grandson of former longtime West Lauderdale baseball coach Jerry Boatner, the winningest high school baseball coach in Mississippi history and member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Henry Abt had two runs batted in and Jackson scored two runs.
“This team is fun to be around,” Smith said. “They all pull for each other and motivate each other. The seniors are the driving force for this team. Our expectations for the rest of the year are to keep getting better each week. If we do that, then we will be where we need to be at the end.”
Meanwhile, first-year JA coach Corey Dickerson – who had an 11-year career as a major league outfielder – is trying to find the winning ways again after his Raiders won 12 straight games. JA dropped two of three games in the season opening 6A conference series to Presbyterian Christian last week and Tuesday’s game to Hartfield.
JA has its hands full with a talented team for the second week in a row. PCS and Hartfield are two teams many consider as the favorites in the 6A race this season.
“Hartfield is athletic and can hurt you in many ways,” Dickerson said. “Abt pitched a great game. He had good stuff while also commanding the zone. We lacked adjustments offensively. We pride ourselves to play good defense and tonight we didn’t play to the standard that we expect.”
