FPD Baseball Prepares for GIAA AAAA State Championship Series
The Vikings look to win their third State Title in program history; their first championship in the GIAA
MACON, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The FPD Vikings baseball team is back in the state championship game and ready to win a title for the first time in 14 seasons. Two years ago, fourth year Head Coach Greg Moore led this team to the elite eight, then all the way to the Class AAAA final four last season in their first year with the GIAA.
Now with their big game one match up Thursday night against the 26-5 Brookstone Cougars, FPD is confident they have what it takes to win it all.
“We’re very proud and feel very privileged and grateful to be able to play this weekend” said Coach Moore. “It’s been a long process obviously and I’m just really happy for our seniors especially. We got an interesting mix of old guys and young guys, but these seniors were freshman my first year here as the head coach and I feel like we kind of grown into this thing together a little bit so this pretty rewarding.”
One of those seniors is Cody Strandmark. “We put a lot of work into this year so we’re grateful to have the opportunity to go play for a state championship” said Strandmark. “We’ve been working the last three years and we finally got over the ledge, and its been fun.”
Sophomore Stud Keon Johnson “Feels great. “We’re just grateful for the opportunity. We are going to take advantage of it. Going to have a good time as always. Our big thing is just letting things flow, not pressing too hard and just going out there trying to get two wins. So that’s our big thing because its been awhile since we won a state championship” said Johnson.
The last time the Vikings won the State Championship was back in 2010. Johnson was only a one year old. After winning in the final four against rival Tattnall Square with some Game three heroics, this team is poised to bring home the third title in program history.
“We thought we played really well at just the right time and we caught a break or two when we needed to” Coach Moore said. “We took advantage of it too. The kids did some great things in some pressure situations this past weekend. That was really fun to watch because that’s hard to create in practice. Although we try, but to see them get out of some things and do some things really well in pressure moments, like in that last series, was really good.”
Coach Moore couldn’t be more proud of the seniors that he feels helped propel his team to what it is today. “It’s one thing to be a good player, but a whole lot more goes into what kind of guy are you in the dugout, what kind of guy are you in the locker room, how do you do practice, how do you handle some things from some younger guys that maybe things get a little adverse a little bit, and our seniors have just been awesome. Its a picture of what leadership is supposed to look like in a player-led team and I’m really happy for them” said Coach Moore.
Strandmark is not only good at it, but enjoys being a leader to the young guys on the team. “‘I try to lead by example” said Strandmark. “I try to do everything the right way and they follow our lead. It’s not even a job to me, it just comes natural.”
That leadership and total team effort will be in full swing come Thursday night, as the Vikings take on a tough Brookstone team.
“Just like them, you got to throw the ball over the 17 inches. You still got to hit, get guys around, and score runs” said Johnson. So our big thing is just staying calm and being prepared for the moment. Everybody has a part to do and if everybody does their part, I’m sure we will be alright.”
Strandmark is not worried. He knows what it will take to win. “We tend to do a lot better when we are not walking people and making a lot of errors so if we play our game, play relaxed, have some fun, we’ll be successful” said Strandmark.
Coach Moore tells 41NBC that “our hands [are] full, but the kids are excited for it. We’ve done a good job of getting here, but now its time to finish and its gonna take playing the best we’ve played all year honestly” said Moore.
The series will be held at Luther Williams Field as game one with Brookstone starts Thursday with a first pitch scheduled for 7 pm.
Game Two is scheduled for 7 pm on Friday May 17, with a TBA Game Three scheduled for Monday.
