“You just kind of had to catch in the bullpen all the time,” he said.
But these days, Cofield is pretty happy with the way things have worked out.
The former Ranburne standout took home co-MVP honors in the Alabama Community College Conference state tournament going 5-for-10 with four RBIs and catching all three games. He shared the honor with teammate Chad Grant.
While the co-MVP honor was nice, there’s another perk to the whole deal. With the tournament title, the Bison were one of 10 teams to qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association in Grand Junction, Colo.
Even while he was sitting in the bullpen as a redshirt freshman, Cofield said he never doubted whether what he was doing was the right thing.
“Coach (Jabo) Jordan told me it would work out,” he said. “You have to believe him because of the winning tradition he’s had.”
Cofield said he’s never been to Colorado and is looking forward to the trip to put a special end to his extended junior college career. But it will be far from the end of his baseball-playing days.
He said he plans to attend South Alabama, where he is going to walk-on to the baseball team. He’ll study civil engineering.
• YOU AGAIN?!?!?: If the softball teams of White Plains and Saks are sick of seeing each other, you can’t really blame them.
Saturday’s pair of games represented the eighth and ninth times the two times had played this season. White Plains won both, but the subplot to that game was an intriguing one.
With two teams from each classification in each regional qualifying for the state tournament, Saks qualified despite the losses. And in doing so, the Lady Wildcats have pulled off something no one else can currently lay claim to.
This will mark the third consecutive appearance for Lady Wildcats, who spent the past two seasons in Class 4A.
A tip of the pitching facemask has to be given to Taylor West. After being hit by a batted ball in the day’s first meeting with White Plains and already battling lingering elbow issues, she gutted up and pitched the Lady Wildcats past a powerful Glencoe team.
Heading into the game, the Lady Yellow Jackets had combined to outscore their opponents 35-1. West put an end to that allowing just two hits and striking out four.
Rebecca Bowen gave West all the run support she’d need with the game’s first RBI. West then got on base to help with the insurance runs as senior Kyla Goedde blasted a home run to set the final.
Saks plays Handley at noon on Friday.
Bran Strickland is the sports editor for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3570, bstrickland@annistonstar.com or follow him on Twitter @bran_strickland.
