Putnam County’s baseball season began this week under new coach Stephen Phillips, who took over from Mike Phiel last summer.
Phillips stepped into a good situation, as Putnam County returned a lot of talent this year. The War Eagles graduated only three players from last season when they reached the Class 2A state postseason but lost in the first round. They returned two seniors this year, Jamarion Robertson and Tanner Lukens, as well as a loaded junior class.
“It’s a junior-heavy team. We have two seniors, a couple of sophomores, and the rest are juniors,” Phillips said. “Their game experience from the last couple of years will be a big part of our success. It’s just they know that they’re capable of doing it. They’ve just got to buy into what I'm preaching, but their experience and knowledge of the game have put us forward a couple of steps.”
The first-year coach also highlighted that juniors Branan Griffin, Gates Lanzarone, Wyatt Sims, Ethan Whatley, Jackson Dodd, and Wade Johnston played often as sophomores in 2024.
“I’ve been extremely impressed with these kids’ desire to get better and their love for the game,” Phillips said. “If you have those two aspects, where they want to be coached and get better, and they have a passion for the game, I think that’s a pretty solid foundation to build on.”
Phillips added he thought the team's strength would be its bats, led by Dodd, Lanzarone, and Lukens. Those three — among others — were instrumental in getting on base and driving in runs last year.
“Offensively, we want to put the ball in play, put pressure on the defense, and try to take extra bases when given the opportunity,” Phillips said. “We’ve got some kids that can swing it pretty well.”
However, he added that due to not having many arms, he thinks the team’s most glaring vulnerability is its pitching. Putnam County’s pitching will be by committee, with Johnston and Lukens leading the charge.
“I think in Class 1A for any school, the weakness is going to be pitching,” Phillips said. “It’s just because of the lack of numbers. You’ll have to count on guys to be able to play positions and pitch, but the thing that we’re trying to focus on right now is not necessarily velocity. It’s throwing strikes, giving our defense a chance to work, and letting the game play out the way our defense plays.”
Another aspect of the game that Phillips wants his players to excel in is properly executing the small things. To prepare for this year, Phillips had his players work on the fundamentals throughout the offseason. He has a keen eye for detail and said making simple plays is how teams win games.
“The key to winning baseball games is to be the team that makes the least mistakes,” Phillips declared. “So, we try to focus on making the routine plays, throwing strikes, and allowing our defense to make those plays. It goes back to pitching and defense to win games.”
Phillips hopes to lead his new team back to the postseason in his first season as head coach. He believes this group of War Eagles can do just that as they began on a new journey together this week.
“From top to bottom, I’m impressed with these young men and their desire to get better,” Phillips said. “I’m excited.”