The Pillow Academy Mustangs believe they're ready to break loose in the postseason.
Pillow has been swept out of the playoffs in two games the last two seasons and haven't advanced out of the first round of the playoffs since 2000.
The Mustangs will try to buck that disturbing trend this week when Pillow and Parklane square off in the opening round of the State AAA Division I playoffs. The first game is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday at Parklane in McComb. The second game of the best-of-three series is at 4 p.m. Friday at Pillow. If a third game is necessary, the two teams will play a doubleheader Friday.
"Our guys have been knocking on the door in the postseason, and I think they're ready for this opportunity," said second-year PA head coach Bart Jenkins, whose team lost a pair of 4-2 playoff games to Jackson Prep last year. "We've got a lot of experience, and I think our guys are up for the challenge."
Mustang third baseman Tyler Cannon says the team will not be haunted by postseasons past.
"We know how it feels to not finish what you started, and we don't want any part of that again," said Cannon, who is hitting .340 with five home runs and 28 RBIs. "We're focused on fighting to the end and not getting down if we fall behind. We've come close in other sports, too, so we feel like this our time."
The Mustangs wrapped up their first North AAA Conference title since 2001 last week by sweeping a three-game series with Washington School. Senior center fielder Pate Shackelford says the Mustangs want more.
"Anything less than a state championship will be a disappointment for us," he explained. "I feel like we've got the pitching, the hitting and the defense to get it done."
Pillow, 22-4 and the top seed from the North, comes into the postseason riding an eight-game win streak and has won 14 of its last 15 contests. Parklane, the No. 2 seed from the South, is 22-9 after losing four of its final six regular-season games to Prep and Hillcrest.
"Parklane is a good team, a well-coached team," Jenkins said. "They have good pitching, a good infield and a real good center fielder, and they swing the bats well.
"It's going to be a challenge. It's tough to win at their place. It's always been that way."
Veteran Parklane coach Ken Jackson was on hand Thursday in Greenville to watch the Mustangs beat the Generals 4-2 and 6-1. He walked away quite impressed.
"The biggest thing that jumped out at me was how athletic they are. Their athleticism makes them good baseball players," said the 23-year Parklane coach, who guided the school to state titles in 2000 and 2001. "The bottom line is that we have to keep them off the bases because of their speed and make them earn everything they get."
The Mustangs have stolen 109 bases - an average of 4.2 per contest. The team is led in that department by senior leadoff hitter Michael Gant, who has been thrown out just once in 29 attempts. Batting in the two hole, Shackelford has stolen 20 bases, and infielder Spencer White has 19 in 20 attempts.
"Coming into the season I thought that was going to be a big question mark, but we've done a good job in the running game. It's a big part of what we do," Jenkins said.
Jackson said he expects to throw senior right-hander Eric Boyd (6-3) in Game 1.
Jenkins says the Mustangs will have to be on top of their game to have success against Boyd.
"He throws in the low 80s and has three different pitches he throws for strikes. He's a lot like the Brozovich kid we faced at Washington but probably a little better," the PA coach explained.
Jenkins isn't sure who he will go with on the mound Tuesday, saying it will be a "game-day decision."
"A week ago I would have no doubt said Daniel Allen, but as well as the other two guys (Jay Mitchell and Bo Craig) pitched against Washington, I am not sure. We have a lot of options to consider with the Tuesday-Friday setup," Jenkins said.
Allen, a junior right-hander, is 9-1 with a 1.05 ERA and has piled up nearly 100 strikeouts.
Mitchell, a senior right-hander, is 6-2 with a 3.2 ERA and struck out nearly 70 batters. Craig (5-1), a senior right-hander, is coming off his best outing of the year - a complete-game five-hitter with nine strikeouts.
Offensively, the Mustangs are led by Shackelford, Allen and senior right fielder Ross Homolik, who leads the team with a .455 batting average, 36 RBIs and five home runs.
Shackelford is hitting .441 with 19 RBIs, and Allen is at .412 with 24 RBIs.
Boyd is Parklane's top hitter with a .460 average.
The winner of this playoff series will advance to the state championship series next week against the winner of the Prep-Jackson Academy matchup.
