BRYANT -- Bryant's two aces have been hard to beat this season.
Seniors Zach Jackson and Evan Lee are a combined 17-1. Both have given up only four earned runs and have signed to play for the University of Arkansas next spring.
"You have some guys who can throw and some guys who can pitch," Bryant Coach Kirk Bock said. "These guys know how to pitch. And it helps that they both have some [velocity] behind it."
Bryant, which faces Conway in today's Class 7A baseball state championship game at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, cruised through the quarterfinals and semifinals of the state tournament, thanks to their two pitching standouts.
Jackson pitched a three-hitter in the Hornets' 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Cabot. He struck out eight and allowed only one hit through the first six innings. Lee gave up a hit in each of the first three innings against Springdale Har-Ber, but he also finished with eight strikeouts in a five-inning 10-0 victory in the semifinals.
"I've haven't been surprised by anything we've done," Lee said. "We've put in as much work as we possibly can. We do a lot of reps, whether it's pitching or hitting. We do it over and over again until it becomes instinct. I believe we've got the best coaching and if we go out and do what we're supposed to do, we'll be successful."
Lee, a left-hander, is 9-0 with a 0.54 ERA. He has 80 strikeouts, 16 walks and has given up only 18 hits in 52 innings. Batting in the No. 3 position, Lee has also been a solid batter for the Hornets. He tripled in two runs in each of the Hornets' state tournament games.
Jackson is strictly a pitcher. After coming off Tommy John surgery a year ago, the right-hander has thrown a team-high 63 innings, has a 0.44 ERA while allowing only 14 walks. Jackson will start on the mound for today's championship game.
"We're staying in our rotation," Bock said. "That's what we're going to do."
Bock, who has been the Hornets' coach since 2009 and has a 213-44 record at the school, said he's coached better pitchers prior to this season, but that this year's pitching roster has been by far his best staff.
Senior Alex Shurtleff (7-0, 1.60) and junior left-hander Beaux Bonvillain (4-0, 0.93) have also thrown well this season.
"Last year's was good, and if we would have had Zach in that rotation, it would have made it better," Bock said. "That's two righties and two lefties that have done a tremendous job for us. I'm not afraid to flip any of those guys out there against anybody. In 25 years, I've haven't had a better staff."
And while the arms have been great, Lee and Jackson claim the Hornets' team chemistry has been even better.
"We spend more hours together than we do our own families," Jackson said. "We have a strong bond together. We enjoy every moment we have together."
"We work as a team, we play as a team," Lee said. "Everything we do, we're all in."
Sports on 05/20/2016