BY MILES LAYTON
The Aces’ baseball team won its season opener against North Pitt – 12-2 – Wednesday at Hicks Field, a perfect evening for a ball game.
JAHHS scored three runs in the first inning, 3 runs in the third inning, 5 runs in the fourth inning and one last run in the fifth inning. To see a short video of Myles Cobb hitting a single, hit me up at Miles Layton on Facebook – my avatar (picture) is a Christian cross in the marsh that says “Christ is life.”
Worth noting, thanks to local leadership, Hicks Field is undergoing renovations, including a new roof for the grandstand and many other improvements.
Anyway, the Albemarle Observer interviewed Aces’ Coach Delton Stallings about Chowan County’s favorite varsity baseball team. Last season, the Aces finished the season 10-13 overall, 6-8 in the Northeastern Coastal Conference.
“Our goal this season – get back in the playoffs,” he said. “Last year we didn’t make the playoffs for the first time in a while, so our goal is to get back into the playoffs.”
Aces have several returning starters who are poised to make the big plays.
“Well, you got some key names like Maddox Bass, who led to conference strikeouts last year,” Stallings said. “We also have Daniel Hare, another starter catcher behind the plate. And all four of our pitchers are back. You know, Darius Oliver probably will be the number two, Myles Cobb and then Fisher Bobbitt. So we have four returning pitchers that threw a lot on varsity last year. So we got some experience, a lot of varsity experience. So I’m looking forward to a pretty competitive season or formidable season anyway.”
Aces’ Landon Morgan #2 swings a pitch from North Pitt at Hicks Field.
What do you think your biggest game looking ahead is gonna be?
“That’s hard to tell,” Stallings said. “I don’t try to pick a big game. I try to play ’em one at a time. You can’t overlook any opponent. I mean, hey, I look at it as the New York Yankees are always good, but they can get beat by the last place team in the league also.”
JAHHS baseball is usually pretty good – a long tradition of success and considered by many a shining example of Aces’ athletics with players who are role models as student-athletes. When the Aces won the 2A NCHSAA State Championship in 2017 at Five County Stadium, Chowan County traveled to cheer for the home team at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
“There’s a tradition of success, so obviously there’s a little bit of pressure to win when you’re in a town that has a tradition of success,” Stallings said. “You know, so the main thing is, we try to live up to the expectations every year and keep moving forward.”
Aces travel to Hertford to play the Perquimans Pirates (1-1) on Friday — game starts at 7 p.m.
Coaches, no matter what the sport or school, please send any stats and story suggestions to mileslayton1969@gmail.com
Aces Roster
Zach Walston Sr. CF
Landon Morgan Sr. OF
Darius Oliver Sr. SS, P
Daniel Hare Sr. C, OF
Myles Cobb Jr. Sr. INF, P
Kaden Parker Jr. C, OF
Taylor Overton Jr. OF, P
Fisher Bobbitt Jr. INF, P
Ashton Stallings Jr. 1B
Maddox Bass Sr. INF, P
Hunter Williams Sr. OF
