Douglas County baseball coach John Farmer is confident in his team’s playoff potential, fueled by strong senior leadership and a stable of talented arms in the pitching rotation.
“This group is a great group of young men and they play together,” Farmer said of his seniors. “They're always having fun with each other outside of baseball, too.”
Farmer highlighted four key players during the recent Spring Sports Athletic Media Day:
• Styles Bailey, senior, pitcher/infielder
• Demari Rogers, senior, outfielder
• Jaden Strong, senior, pitcher/outfielder
• Alex Bemus, sophomore, pitcher/infielder
Bemus, a right-hander, is the Tigers’ No. 1 starter in the pitching rotation. His fastball tops out in the mid-80s, and he has a breaking ball and changeup, Farmer said. Bemus also plays in the infield.
Bailey is another right-hander who throws in the low 80s and has good offspeed stuff. He also plays in the infield when he’s not pitching.
Strong is a left-handed pitcher who is also a “dominant center fielder as well, defensively,” Farmer said.
Offensively, Farmer said the Tigers are working to develop consistent hitting throughout the lineup after losing five of their top six hitters last year to graduation, including two playing baseball at the next level in Trey Relliford (Mississippi Valley State) and Cameron Camp (Xavier).
“It's our last year playing baseball, so we want to have fun, go out with a bang, and go to the playoffs,” Rogers said.