Enka building for big finish in baseball

CANDLER – It may or may not be proper. But this is one case where a coach does not mind putting all future opponents on notice that his team’s record is deceiving.

Enka improved to 6-10 overall and 2-6 in Mountain Athletic Conference baseball with Wednesday’s 8-4 home win over Erwin.

“We’re better than our record is,” Jets coach Dan Taylor said.

“We’ve lost the lead in the last inning of some games. But the way I’ve always been as a coach is that we keep pounding home the fundamentals. We want to be playing our best baseball at the right time, and there is a plan in place. We’re building to that. Right now, I don’t think we’re at the level of a North Buncombe or Roberson, but we’re building to it.”

Cody Stoss was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in Wednesday’s neighborhood rivalry game.

Swarthmore (Pa.) recruit Matt Palmer went 1-1 with three RBIs, UNC Greensboro recruit Matt Frisbee was 2-4 with two RBIs, Will Fryar went 1-2 with a double and two runs scored and Matt Smart was 1-2 with an RBI and three runs scored.

Seth George got the job done on the mound — the Piedmont (Ga.) recruit scattered one earned run, five hits and five walks in five innings. He also had eight strikeouts. Frisbee came on for the save. The UNCG recruit pitched a scoreless seventh inning with one hit and one strikeout.

Taylor is the winningest coach in Mars Hill University history (232 career victories). He was the South Atlantic Conference coach of the year in 2005 and 2010.

The Jets went 10-16 last spring and punched their ticket to the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs by beating Erwin in a play-in game.

This group scored its first MAC win over Reynolds (3-2 on March 28 in Candler). Enka is tied for fourth place in the MAC 3-A division with Asheville High and is scheduled to host North Buncombe (16-1, 7-1) at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

The Jets seniors are a three-man group that consists of George, Palmer and J.J. Johnson.

Frisbee (.392), George (.365) and Palmer (.346) are the team’s top hitters, followed by Will Fryar (.344). George has the most wins of any Enka pitcher (three) after Wednesday’s game.

The NCHSAA baseball playoffs begin May 14.