The Gilmer High Bobcats have higher expectations this season after their state playoff appearance in 2024.
Head coach Jeff Thurman returns to the Bobcats’ dugout, and this year’s team boasts some experienced players as the program replaces its starting pitchers.
“This group has high expectations, and it’s not like we haven’t had high expectations in some years past, but with this group and so many guys coming back after playing well in the playoffs, they’ve gone into this season with some expectations. We also have high expectations from us as coaches.
“With that comes responsibility. We’re not going to sneak up on anybody this year, and we’re going to get everybody’s best. Whereas last year, a few times toward the end of the year, we may have snuck up on a few teams when we got hot at the right time to get into the playoffs. We’re excited to be in this position because it is some new ground for some of them.
“With some returning veterans we feel like we can maybe build off what we did last year. Again at the same time, it’s a new region and a new season, and we know it’s still going to be a challenge.”
Preparation for the season began back in December. The focus was conditioning and getting their arms ready for the season. Four players at a time were permitted to meet with a coach for further workout sessions, but no baseball equipment was permitted at the time, per GHSA guidelines.
Official practices began Jan. 27. As the final touches were applied to the Bobcats’ new artificial playing surface, they spent the first week practicing at the softball field at Mountain View Elementary.
“We practiced up there and used the indoor facility for hitting,” Thurman said. “We got on our field for the first time Feb. 1. I’m really glad they got it finished before our first game, and that we were able to get out there and kind of get used to it for a few days.
“The new field plays really well. We’re very excited and very happy with it. There’s been a lot of thought, time and work spent going into what type of turf to put down, the color, the logos, and just so many details that a lot of individuals were involved in. I couldn’t have asked for it to turn out any better than it did. It is not just a surface that looks good, but it plays good too.”
In the fall, the field will be used by GHS softball. The baseball mound is portable, and the base paths can be adjusted. A temporary fence will be used in the outfield.
“I think softball is going to be really excited once they get a chance to get out there,” Thurman said. “It’s going to be new for them, and it’s new for us.”
Gilmer returns five positional starters from last season, which includes a trio of senior all-region performers.
Eli Cooper is back to play shortstop, and Noah Gutillo will start in right field. Both were all-region first teamers as juniors. Catcher Hayden Berry was voted to the second team.
Gutillo was Gilmer’s top offensive weapon a season ago. He led GHS in batting average (.398), on-base plus slugging percentage (1.150), RBIs (30), home runs (four) and doubles (14). His 22 stolen bases tied him for most on the team, and he ranked second with 39 hits.
Cooper was the team leader in hits (46) and tied Gutillo with 22 stolen bases while hitting .393. He added six doubles and drove in 18 runs.
Berry is a durable and reliable asset behind the plate who caught every game last season. He finished with 24 hits, three home runs, nine doubles and drove in 18 runs. He drew 11 walks and hit .276.
Also returning to the infield are juniors Blake Grizzle and Mel Mosley. Both played third last season, and Thurman expects them to share time again. Whoever does not start will be the designated hitter.
Senior Haden West returns to make up the other part of the Cats’ middle infield at second. First baseman Cooper Cochran lettered as a sophomore and typically played one full game defensively per week depending on who was pitching.
Along with Gutillo in the outfield is senior center fielder C.J. Hatchett. Sophomore Peyton Chancey will play right field and senior Will Capstick should see significant time in left and center as well.
Senior Deacon Shull is a reserve second baseman, as is Landon McClure, who also plays shortstop. Zander Shute will suit up behind the plate when Berry pitches. Rob Mosley can play left or right field and was a dependable pinch hitter last season.
GHS graduated all-region starting pitchers Ethan McCollum, Dalton Crisp and Austin Zabala. Thurman expects McClure, West, Cochran, Berry and Hatchett to see the most innings this season, and all have varsity pitching experience. Thurman also said several underclassmen will help fill out the bullpen.
“When people ask me about how we’re gonna be this year, I usually say, ‘We got a chance to be pretty good, but we’ve got to replace some pitching, and I think we will,’” Thurman said.
“We have some good guys who had a good offseason, and they’re prepared to step up to the challenge. I think we’ll be fine as a staff in the long run, but we’re going to have to go through some growing pains as a staff early on until we get it all figured out. Those three seniors will definitely be missed, but I’m looking forward to seeing some other guys get the opportunity to fill their shoes.”
GHS is in a new region this season, and Thurman expects it to be very competitive. Heritage and Northwest Whitfield routinely reach the playoffs, and Adairsville qualified for state last season. Calhoun typically fields formidable teams across all sports. Ridgeland and LaFayette are teams Thurman referred to as “scrappy” and “you’re going to have to show up to beat them.”
Thurman added, “From top to bottom, it’s going to be a very strong region. There’s a lot of baseball tradition with some of these schools.”
Preparing for the region schedule is the focus through the early weeks of the season.
“Every day we want to go out and play hard. In our nonregion games, we want to continue to learn about ourselves as a team and get better,” Thurman said. “When we open up with that first region series, we want to be ready for that week, and we want to get hot at the right time.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you end. Whatever our record is at the end of our nonregion games, whether we’ve won them all, lost them all or somewhere in between, that doesn’t matter. What matters is how we’re playing when we get into March.”
Cats go 1-1 in first week
GHS started the season last Monday with a nine inning loss to Lumpkin County, 7-5. The Cats hosted Union County Friday and defeated the Panthers, 4-2.
Four GHS errors led to three unearned runs versus Lumpkin. The back-and-forth game ended when LCHS plated a pair of runs in the ninth and Gilmer was unable to respond.
Mel Mosley, Berry and West each had two hits. Berry also drove in two runs, and Cooper and Chancey each knocked in one.
West was the winning pitcher against Union. He tossed five innings, struck out six, walked one and gave up two earned runs off three hits. Hatchett took the hill for the final two innings and fanned two and walked one.
UCHS led momentarily after its fourth inning at-bat, 2-0. GHS plated four runs in the fifth and shut down Union for its first win of the season.
GHS finished the game with seven hits. Cooper had two and one RBI, and Cochran recorded a two-hit day as well. Hatchett had a hit and RBI, while West and Mel Mosley both added one hit.
Gilmer hosted Pickens at press deadline.