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  • Austin Warnke, a Cullman senior on the varsity squad, works on a bunting drill Tuesday under the instruction of Bearcats’ coach Brent Patterson. Team baseball practices for all teams in Cullman County and the state began Monday. Rob Ketcham

    Austin Warnke

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February 1, 2012

PREP BASEBALL: Team practices underway

Cullman coach compares 1st day to Opening Day at major league level

By Rob Ketcham The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — The lines are no longer waiting to be chalked, boxes of Cracker Jack don’t have much time till they’ll be ripped open by the masses and umpires are putting the finishing touches on their finest, “Play ball.”

It’s finally time for baseball in Cullman County.

Teams were allowed to start practicing on Monday, which made Brent Patterson as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning.

“Yesterday was like opening day,” the Cullman coach said in between drills Tuesday afternoon. “I get real excited on Feb. 19 and 20 when major league pitchers and catchers report. It’s almost like that feeling. Everything you’ve done in the summer, in the offseason, in the weight room — all that stuff — you can finally come out here and see what happened.

“It’s big to actually get out on the field. They’ve put in a lot of work in order to finally come out here and get to have fun doing it.”

Patterson and his coaching staff showed they meant business right out of the gates, holding a nearly five-hour practice Monday. The lengthy session was obviously tough and tiring, but Patterson was pleased with the level of effort and excitement all the players showed on their first day as a full squad.

“We ask them to bring energy and good attitude every day,” the coach said.

“And they did yesterday. We had a great practice. The effort and the energy they brought was really incredible.”

Just a day later, they were right back at it. On Tuesday, the players rotated from a variety of drills that worked on fundamentals and techniques like bunting, stretching, strength training, baserunning and catching fly balls near the warning track, just to name a few.

“The biggest challenge is not to let it get mundane,” Patterson said. “It’s a challenge for us to try and make sure that we’ve got the right things planned so they don’t get sick of it.”

One thing the Bearcats must overcome this season is the loss of key seniors like Ben Moore, Matthew Britton, Daniel Moore and Alden Rakestraw, among a handful of others.

“We lost nine seniors last year that accomplished a whole lot,” Patterson said. “But this group coming in is ready to write their own chapter. It’s exciting.”

The beginning of practice means there are now less than three weeks until the regular season kicks off. The start of the road back to the Class 5A State Baseball Finals, where Cullman lost to Spanish Fork in two games last year, won’t be an easy one, though.

The Bearcats will begin play Feb. 20 with an 8 a.m. game against Hillcrest followed by a matchup with Russell County at 10:30 a.m. Patterson said he knows neither opponent will be gimmes.

“You don’t have to motivate our players,” the coach said. “You just show them the schedule. We better be ready. That’s a good enough motivator in itself.”

Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 257 or at robk@cullmantimes.com.

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