3A PLAYOFFS: Trinity's Ashe carrying Wildcats

Grayson Ashe leads team in several offensive categories. (Staff Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

When asked about his personal goals this season, Grayson Ashe doesn’t mention home runs or his team-leading batting average.

The Trinity senior merely wants to raise his weight a few pounds to get ready for next season at George C. Wallace Community College in Dothan.

Ashe doesn’t think about the accolades or the personal honors. He just arrives at the ballpark every day with the intention of doing his job and hopefully getting a little better in the process.  

“He’s that kid that I think every coach would dream of, to have on their ballclub,” Trinity coach Jarrod Cook said. “He comes to work every day prepared. He’s a blue-collar kid, works hard, is a leader for the right reasons and just loves the game.

“You’re talking about a guy who’s behind the plate every game, hits in the middle of our order and teams have to pitch around him at times when bases are open. He’s a tough out. Wallace-Dothan is very lucky to have him.”

Ashe and the Wildcats will be back in action on Thursday in the 3A state quarterfinals against Opp at Whittle-Armstrong Field at 1 p.m. 

“We need to come out 100 percent, we can’t come out slow,” Ashe said. “Once we figure out what we need to do with that, we’ll be on full cylinder, playing our best baseball.”

If the Wildcats are playing their best baseball, it’s a sure bet Ashe has a big hand in their success. He leads the team with a .474 batting average (46 for 97), striking out just five times in 97 at-bats while hitting 13 doubles, four triples and driving in 37 runs. Behind the plate, he has committed just two errors this season.

“He understands how people want to pitch him now,” Cook said. “He has a good concept of his approach and maybe what the situation is and how opposing pitchers and coaches want to attack him.”

Ashe said he has a place he wants to hit the ball -- about 10 feet over the infielders’ heads -- but it never translates into trying to hit home runs. 

“As a hitter, you’ve got to have a specific plan on what you want to do and how you want to hit the ball,” he said. “Then, adjust to where you need to if you have two strikes or you’re ahead in the count. Once you get down to two strikes, you just have to protect the plate and put the ball in play.”

Behind the plate, he has worked diligently to develop backup Jordan Jenkins and junior Ross Sanders.

“I told him from day one you’re the catching coach,” Cook said. “He’s done a real good job of teaching these guys fundamentally but also situationally.”

Ashe spent a lot of time behind the plate last year but it wasn’t until this year that he added a younger backup who needs tutoring. 

“It’s been a lot different this year trying to teach Ross what he needs to do and how he has to be mentally behind the plate and all the mechanics he has to have,” Ashe said. “And the mental toughness you have to have behind the plate in high school baseball, especially when you get into the playoffs and how hectic it can get.”

This year, the development of the pitching staff has allowed others to take the mound, leaving Ashe to concentrate on catching. He has pitched 20.2 innings this year, however, compiling a 4-0 record and 2.03 earned run average while striking out 23 batters and walking just six.

“We were fortunate enough to have some guys step up in a starting role and felt good with what we were doing with Ben (Easterling) and (Coleman) Stanley and Fleming (Hall) and then we’ve got a couple of guys out of the pen we feel good with,” Cook said. “So Grayson’s role went from being a starter and having to balance that to, now, we feel good with him behind the plate and can use him just to close.” 

That emergency role, however, means double duty in practice, where he has to practice blocking balls in the dirt while making time to get in some bullpen work as well. 

“Sometimes you’ve got to balance it,” Ashe said. “Predominantly, I’m behind the plate but I’ve just got to find time, even outside of practice, to work on pitching as well because there’s going to be times I’m going to have to go out there and throw a few innings and try to get some guys out.”

AHSAA QUARTERFINAL BASEBALL PAIRINGS

Here are the pairings for the quarterfinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association state baseball playoffs. All series are scheduled to open on Friday with a doubleheader unless otherwise noted. A third game in the best-of-three series, if necessary, will be played the following day.

CLASS 1A

Sweet Water (14-17) at Millry (22-12), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 4 p.m., if needed)

Berry (14-8) at Bayshore Christian (23-5), Thursday, 1 and 3 p.m. (Friday, 4 p.m., if needed)

Appalachian (24-4) at Lindsay Lane (24-6), Thursday, 2 and 4:30 p.m. (Friday, 4:30 p.m., if needed)

Covenant Christian (16-7) at Donoho (19-5),  Thursday, 2 and 4:15 p.m. (Friday, 3 p.m., if needed) 

CLASS 2A

Fayetteville (18-11) at Ariton (18-14), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

G.W. Long (28-6) at Vincent (28-7), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Westbrook Christian (18-16) at Decatur Heritage (26-8), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 5 p.m., if needed)

Ider (26-9) at Mars Hill Bible (25-5), Thursday, 3  and 5 p.m. (Friday, 1 p.m., if needed)

CLASS 3A

Opp (24-8) at Trinity (27-5), Thursday, 1 and 3:30 p.m. (Friday, 1 p.m., if needed) 

Thomasville (18-10) at Bayside Academy (21-10), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Elkmont (19-12) 5-1, Phil Campbell (28-7) 3-6. Third game on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Piedmont (33-4) 7-8, Lauderdale County (24-6) 0-5 (Piedmont sweeps series 2-0)

CLASS 4A

Gordo (24-5) at Montevallo (15-10), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 5 p.m., if needed)

Bibb County (21-8) at Mobile Christian (27-4), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, noon, if needed)

Hamilton (25-11) at Brooks (14-13), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 5:30 p.m., if needed)

Etowah (24-12) at Jacksonville (19-10), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 5 p.m., if needed)

CLASS 5A

Holtville (30-5) at UMS-Wright (19-12), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Shelby County (30-4) at Headland (22-2), Thursday, 4 and 6:30 p.m. (Friday, 11 a.m., if needed)

Leeds (28-8) at Russellville (29-11),  4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Alexandria (24-13) at  Madison Academy (27-13), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 1 p.m., if needed)

CLASS 6A

Stanhope Elmore (26-12) at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (21-12), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Hueytown (29-10) at Pelham (14-15-1), 5 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday, noon, if needed)

Hartselle (33-4) at Buckhorn (26-10), 5 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Hazel Green (23-14) at Chelsea (21-13), 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Saturday, noon, if needed)

CLASS 7A

Central-Phenix City (29-8) at Baker (24-10), Thursday, 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Friday, 5 p.m., if needed)

Alma Bryant (20-16) at Auburn (27-6),  5 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)

Bob Jones (35-8) at Vestavia Hills (22-15), Friday, 5 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday, 2 p.m., if needed)

Hewitt-Trussville (26-3-1) at James Clemens (23-18), 5 and 7:30 p.m. (Saturday, 1 p.m., if needed)