How Sumrall's Cooper McCoy used fastballs to beat Pontotoc for MHSAA title
· Yahoo Sports
PEARL — If ain't broken, don't fix it. That was Sumrall baseball coach Andy Davis' philosophy during Game 2 of the MHSAA 5A championship series.
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Starting pitcher Cooper McCoy threw a total of 97 pitches, and according to Davis, 90 were fastballs.
McCoy's pitching plan helped Sumrall (34-6) to a 3-0 win over Pontotoc (21-15-1) to claim the 5A title in a 2-0 sweep on May 22 at Trustmark Park. The Bobcats won Game 1, 7-4, on May 19. The title marked Sumrall's third in five years and first since 2024.
"We go into the season with one goal, and that's to win a state championship," Davis said. "It takes a lot of hard work. We start in July, lifting weights and things like that. This team, man, like I said, they exemplify grit."
McCoy said he has never been in a situation like it before where basically one pitch was used the entire game. The sophomore said his off-speed pitches were inefficient early on and that he didn't want to risk throwing them often.
"It was definitely something different," McCoy said. "My slider wasn't the best tonight and my fastball was getting ground balls and I just had a good feeling."
That decision led to seven innings pitched, allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts, zero walks and no runs.
"We were just pounding the zone, you know," Davis said. "Outside fastball, inside fastball. I mean, that was what the plan was."
McCoy was awarded series MVP.
"Cooper's a kid that always throws strikes, and he's a quiet kid," Davis said. "But you put him on the mound and something flips. Even his granddad had said, 'I like to see that fire under him.' And when he's on that mound, that fire comes out."
Alabama commitment Drew Davis said Sumrall wasn't concerned when McCoy stepped on the mound despite the switch in game plan.
"I mean, he's done great all season," Davis, the MHSAA 5A Mr. Baseball, said. "He's just an awesome player. He has grit. He has confidence in himself, and it's just really fun to watch him out there, and he has confidence in us to make the plays."
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Sumrall baseball wins MHSAA 5A state championship behind Cooper McCoy