Voyager Academy baseball ready for the back stretch of NCAC play

Voyager Academy’s baseball team went 1-3 at the Forest Acres Classic in Columbia, S.C., the latest in a string of tough nonconference games.

The Vikings (8-5) have gone up against a mix of perennial 3A, 2A and 1A playoff teams like Lee County, Southern Lee, Jordan-Matthews and Oxford Prep. And it’s paid off with a 4-0 start in North Central Athletic Conference play.

“We always try to play a tough schedule to get us used to the type of pitching we know we’re going to see,” coach Pete Shankle said. “We know we’re going to see everybody’s No. 1, and when you see everybody’s No. 1, and we know that, we’ve got to play a tough schedule to get ready for it.”

Junior Aaron Beasley is confident in the team’s hitting ability. In its five wins against 1A teams, it has scored eight or more runs four times.

“We’re all set up in the right positions,” Beasley said. “There are a lot of people who can score runs, who can get on base, and especially with a lot of the bigger hitters now, we protect each other so we don’t get walked a lot.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Voyager Academy baseball ready for the back stretch of NCAC play."