Iron Horses claim Region 6-AA baseball title

The way Philip Simmons High School baseball coach Josh Kubisz talks, the 2021 season was successful, but not 100% satisfying.

 

The Iron Horses won the Region 6-AA championship and finished with a 12-10 record, including 4-0 in league play. But the Iron Horses failed to win the District 4 championship once the Class AA state playoffs commenced.

 

“We set a goal at our first practice, and we accomplished it: region championship or bust,” Kubisz said. “We stuck together, bonded together and won together after 2020.”

 

Still, the Iron Horses hoped to take the next step, win the district and reach the Class AA Lower State Championship Series. The Iron Horses opened the playoffs with a 10-1 victory over Edisto. But Latta sent the Iron Horses to the consolation bracket and then ended the Iron Horses season with a 6-0 victory in the championship game.

 

“That’s where we stubbed our toe again,” Kubisz said. “We ran into some pitching issues. We have some pitchers who didn’t get to pitch in big innings throughout the season. When you play two or three games in three or four days, pitch counts really matter.”

 

The Iron Horses faced a competitive schedule this year, playing schools with bigger enrollments and more baseball history. Still, it was a great season. The Iron Horses lost to only one Class AA team, and that was to Latta in the playoffs.

 

While Kubisz sees progress, 2022 could be a special season for the Iron Horses. Next year’s roster should include nine juniors. Kubisz said all the players in that talented class will not play at the same time. But it shows just how much depth the Iron Horses will have.

 

The Iron Horses will have some outstanding talent including two players who earned all-state honors this spring. They are catcher Tripp Williams and pitcher Tristan Skipper.

 

Williams, a force on the football field, should be one of the top catchers in the state, regardless of classification. He batted .317 and was a clutch hitter, driving in 24 runs.

 

Skipper posted a 4-2 record with a 2.75 ERA. He averaged a strikeout an inning.

 

But baseball is more than a tag-team effort and the talent pool is deep. Williams was the region player of the year, and was one of four all-region players who will return next year. The others are Skipper, Ty Peterson, Nolan Kiefer and Grayson Mitchell.

 

Drake Nisbett is the only Iron Horse all-region selection who graduated.

 

Mitchell showed great potential as a sophomore whether he was pitching or playing third base. He batted .405.

 

Peterson played shortstop and continued to develop as a pitcher. He batted .341 with three doubles and 10 RBI.

 

Keifer, an outfielder, batted .333 with a homer and 10 RBI.

 

“One of the keys next year is to have two consistent starting pitchers,” Kubisz said. “This year was huge. We lost to only one Class AA team, and that was to Latta twice in the playoffs. This season still was a gigantic success.”