Athens Baseball Team is 'Very Young' and Cautiously Optimistic

The varsity baseball team isn’t short on talent, but experience? That’s a different ballgame – pun intended. 

“We have a very, very young team,” Red Hawks coach Mike Morris said. “It’s the youngest team in my time here.”

Last season, Athens fielded a very competitive squad that made it to the district semifinals.

The Red Hawks finished 16-11 and 9-7 in a tough Oakland Activities Association Red division. Carrying over their success won’t be easy since Tommy Eng is the team’s only returning starter.

Athens has as many sophomores on the team, and most of the 12 juniors on the roster are first-year varsity players.

“We are talented enough, but it’s going to be a long process,” Morris said. “There are going to be ups and downs this season.”

Morris is relying on Eng to be the Red Hawks anchor, and the senior shortstop certainly has the talent. As a junior, he made the All-OAA team and was Athens’ top hitter.

“He’s a bonafide Division 1 player. Unfortunately, he can only bat once every nine times,” Morris said, laughing.

Eng is one of only two players Morris has ever coached who started every day, even as a freshman. The four-year starter is a captain on this year’s squad and an important leader.

“He can play anywhere,” Morris said. “He’ll play most days at shortstop, he’ll pitch sometimes, but we take a big hit when he’s not in the field.”

Another key piece, albeit a younger one, is sophomore Grant Sweeney.

“He’s a sophomore that brings a lot to the table,” Morris said. “He came up and pitched some games at the end of the year last season and handled the spot well. He’ll also hit right in the middle of the lineup.”

Developing a group of young arms like Sweeney is going to be one of the challenges Morris and his coaching staff faces. Morris doesn’t want to throw his younger starters too many innings.

“There’s a big difference between a tenth and twelfth grader, all the way around,” Morris said. “With all the doubleheaders we play, you have to protect those young arms.”

When Sweeney doesn’t pitch, he’ll play at first base and fill in at shortstop when Eng pitches.

Division and District Realigned

The Red Hawks are moving from the OAA Red to the Blue, along with Troy High and Avondale. In the off season, managers in the OAA voted to group the divisions based on geographic location. The schools join Andover, Lahser and Royal Oak.

Realignment means Athens gets to avoid playing powerhouses like Lake Orion and Clarkston during the regular season.

“We’ve had to play Lake Orion and Clarkston (in recent years). We’ve been hanging right in there, but if there was a year to get away from those teams, this was it,” Morris said.

Morris expects the Blue to be balanced and very competitive. He admits most teams won’t know what to expect from his young squad.

“We are the youngest team by far in the Blue,” Morris said.

For the districts, both Troy high schools move a little south. The schools were in a district with Utica Eisenhower, Utica and Rochester last season. This year, Athens will host its district with Troy, Avondale, Pontiac and Adams.

“Come district time, I hope we come together as a team,” Morris said. “It’s a wonderful team to coach, but we have to make a big jump.”

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