Armorel's 10-0 defeat of Taylor in the 1A state championship game Friday afternoon at Baum Stadium capped a incredibly successful spring season.
Not just for the Tigers but for all three area schools and especially their seniors.
Between Armorel, Gosnell and Blytheville, both baseball and softball, there will be as many as nine graduating seniors playing college level baseball or softball next season.
From Armorel, Zack Gray, Ashton Kennedy, Payton Lannon and Abigail McCauley. From Blytheville, Jamal Washington. From Gosnell, Will Camp, Justin Mann, Michael Miller and Brista Hinklin.
These nine seniors finished off successful careers with their teams.
At Armorel, the three senior baseball players finished with a 32-3 mark in the postseason. That included three trips to the state finals and a title in this, their senior year.
Lannon batted over .500 (7-13) in the state tournament, Kennedy tossed two two-hit shutouts over the finals and semifinals and Gray played a near-flawless shortstop in the postseason for the Tigers.
Abigail McCauley helped her Lady Tigers to two consecutive state tournaments.
Camp, Mann and Miller got the Pirates back to the state tournament the past two years and were a win away from playing for the title as juniors.
Brista Hinklin helped keep the Lady Pirates competitive over the past few seasons in the tough, 3-4A, conference. Jamal Washington helped lay the foundation for a Blytheville program that should see mass improvement over the next few years. Washington finished with a .492 batting average playing against some of the toughest competition in the state.
The success won't end in 2015.
Looking down the rosters at all of these schools, there will be plenty to cheer for in the coming seasons.
For those who feel that Mississippi County, and especially the Blytheville area, doesn't have the talent to compete with others in the state, that number is a pretty tough stat to argue against.
It's one thing to have one or two players in the area to go on to the college ranks but nine players isn't a fluke. Nine players means there's something good going out here on the diamonds.
This area has provided opportunities for kids to learn the skills of baseball and softball and practice their craft. From local leagues at the Sportsplex to the new junior high and high school leagues, American Legion ball, high school coaches and all of the dedicated parents who help coach local teams and put together travel teams.
The Blytheville area has opened the door to opportunities that are reaching well beyond the childhood years and into adulthood.
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com