The Gilbert baseball team wasn’t one of the favorites across the state when the playoffs began last month.
But on Saturday, the Indians were hoisting the Class 3A championship trophy following their 12-3 win over West-Oak in the deciding game of the best-of-three series at a rainy USC Upstate’s Harley Park.
It is the fifth baseball championship for the Indians but first in Class 3A. Gilbert won a title in Class A and three in Class 2A. Four of the five championships have come under coach Ashley Burnett, who is in his 25th season at Gilbert and has won more than 500 games.
Gilbert entered the playoffs unranked in the final regular-season Class 3A Baseball coaches poll. The Indians had to win a tiebreaker game against Strom Thurmond to win the No. 1 seed from Region 5-3A.
But in the playoffs, Gilbert lost just once, a 6-0 defeat in Game 2 to West Oak. The Indians put up 25 runs in the two other games of the title series.
“All of a sudden we started to swing the bats a little better, pitch a little and it all came together. I’m tickled to death for them,” Burnett said. “… We struggled a little bit early in the season, and the pieces come together and then you just hold on to the ride.
“I didn’t expect the year we had with COVID and everything else. We talked at the beginning of the year about mental toughness and resilience with everything going on. I’m extremely proud of them and the effort they put forth today.”
Gilbert’s mental toughness was tested after West-Oak cut Gilbert’s lead to 6-3 after the first inning. Then, the game was delayed for two hours and 11 minutes with Gilbert leading 6-3. Catcher Ashby Vining said players stayed relaxed and they were brought food to break up the time.
During the delay, Burnett reminded them of J.J. Watt’s “Rent is due” slogan that the team used much of the season and had printed on T-shirts.
“When we came back on the field, I told them rent is due today. I am just so proud of them,” Burnett said.
After the delay, the Indians scored twice in the fifth on RBI singles by Dylan Massey and Joey Parker. Gilbert scored three more in the sixth, the last final run coming on Vining’s solo homer.
Vining, the Coker signee, was 2 for 3 with a pair of home runs and three RBI.
“Last year with COVID, we thought we had a pretty good year to compete for it and the season got called,” Vining said. “This year, it is a new set of guys and we are best friends. We don’t have all these big-name guys, but we come out and compete. And find ways to win for sure.”
Eight of Gilbert’s nine starters had at least one hit in the game. Parker and Preston Price each had two hits and Cooper Burkett drove in two runs.
Senior Edwin Amerson pitched a complete-game to win his final high school start. The left-hander didn’t have much experience starting on the varsity level until this year.
The Montreat signee was the winning pitcher in both of the Indians’ wins during the series. Amerson allowed three runs, all in the first, on eight hits while walking two and striking out three.
Burnett thought about pulling his ace during the delay, but Amerson convinced his coach he was OK to go back out there.
“This year has been crazy,” Amerson said. “I always dreamed about getting on the mound and pitching in a state championship. This has been amazing.”
The Indians jumped on West-Oak starter Austin Rogers in the first inning, scoring six runs and sending 10 batters to the plate.
Vining started the scoring with a two-run homer that traveled more than 400 feet to make it 2-0.
Burkett also had a two-run single and Austin Waters had an RBI bunt single.
West Oak answered with three runs in the bottom of the first, two coming on Austin Stephens’ two-run double.