Because of damage from Hurricane Helene, the Coffee Trojans’ home baseball field, Charles Wilson Field, remains unplayable for games. Until the damage is repaired (which should be by next week), home games will be played on Crider Field at George Cook Stadium on the campus of South Georgia State College.
As such, for most of the Trojans, Wednesday afternoon’s home opener probably didn’t feel much like a home game. Unless your name was Jimmy Timothy.
Coffee’s freshman second baseman’s father, Jeff Timothy, came to the SGSC campus 22 years ago as an assistant baseball coach. Now Jeff is the head baseball coach and athletic director, and the Timothy family has spent as much time at Crider Field as they have at home. Literally ever since Jimmy could walk, he has been following his father around that stadium. So when he took the field against the Toombs County Bulldogs Wednesday, he felt no jitters, no nerves, no trepidation. He was more relaxed and comfortable than he would have been if he was on Coffee’s field five miles north.
And his performance in the Trojans’ 10-4 win reflected just how at ease he was. Jimmy collected his first varsity hit, his first varsity extra base hit, and scored his first varsity run – all on his father’s home field. Jimmy walked in his first at-bat then, in the bottom of the third, collected his first hit on a bunt single down the third base line that also advanced Gavin McElroy to second. After Ben Fussell walked, Brax Carson got into a 2-2 pitch and launched a towering shot to left center. Had the game been played at Coffee’s stadium, the ball would have been a no-doubt home run. However, thanks to the cavernous outfield at Crider Field, the ball fell on the warning track, some 370 feet from home plate. Carson drove in Timothy, Fussell, and McElroy, and cruised into second with a double. At this point, the Trojans had a comfortable 8-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Timothy doubled with 2 outs for his first extra base hit. The hit drove in Jadon Register, who was pinch running for Carter McMillan. The run increased Coffee’s lead to 9-4. Timothy drove in the Trojans’ final run on his second double of the night, a shot to center on a 3-1 pitch in the sixth that drove in McMillan.
Timothy was 3-3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Carson (2-2 with 2 runs and 3 RBI), Michael Strickland (2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored), and Barrett Harrell (2-3 with an RBI) joined Timothy in the hit parade. McElroy and Fussell each scored twice as well.
McElroy was the pitcher of record. He threw three innings and gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits. He struck out 6 and walked one. McMillan and Fussell also threw a pair of innings.
The Trojans are now 1-1 on the season. They return to action Saturday with a pair of games in Cordele. Game one is at 2 p.m. against North Forsyth. Game two follows at 5 p.m. against Crisp County.