Oak Mountain pitcher Jake Hubbard has a 2-1 record with a 2.47 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. He’s also batting .390 with a home run, eight RBIs and 17 runs scored. (The Birmingham News/Mark Almond)
Jake Hubbard looks back on the 2010 Oak Mountain baseball season with disappointment.
Despite having a squad that included a number of players who would garner the attention of college recruiters, the Eagles finished with a 12-17 record.
"Everybody was just down on ourselves because we felt like we weren't winning like we needed to," Hubbard said. "Some of the games our pitching wasn't as good as it should have been. We got through it."
Hubbard and his teammates are working on making the 2011 season one they would like to remember. The Eagles were 8-5 Monday after splitting a weekend doubleheader with Pell City and then opening Hoover's Beef O'Brady Classic with a 4-2 win over Hillcrest of Tuscaloosa.
Hubbard is one of the Shelby County Pitchers to Watch, as selected by The Birmingham News. Additionally, senior catcher J.D.
Crowe and junior center fielder David Dahl are among the Hitters to Watch and Oak Mountain is among the Shelby County Teams to Watch.
The Eagles are doing some things differently this season. They have a new coach in Brian Breeze; he is familiar with some of this year's seniors since he coached them at Oak Mountain Middle School.
"I really believe in the senior leadership of these guys," Breeze said. "When I came in, from Day 1, they were just great kids, just really open to trying new things and buying into what us as a coaching staff wants to do.
"Granted, I was able to coach these guys when they were in the seventh grade," Breeze said. "They knew me and I knew them. I think we had bond there when I came in. They've played for me before so they sort of knew what I wanted and what I expected."
Breeze established routines for his pitchers, which Hubbard said has helped reduce the arm fatigue that pitchers experienced last year.
"We've got rotations this year," said Hubbard, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior. "We do bullpens and we'll have a run day and a long toss day, then we'll have a bullpen day and you're ready for your start. Your get a lot more rest for your arm.
(Last year) we were all tired when we started playing."
So far, Hubbard, who is set to play baseball at the University of Alabama, has a 2-1 record with a 2.47 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. He's also batting .390 with a home run, eight RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Breeze said Hubbard has always taken a lead in training.
"He's always in the front," the coach said. "He's one of the hardest workers on our team. He's a very quiet kid.
He does his talking on the pitcher's mound. He is one of those guys who is basically going to take charge out there and lead that way."
Hubbard is one of three Eagles who have signed or committed to play college baseball. Crowe is set to play at Auburn and Dahl has committed to play for the Tigers. Robby Clements, a right-handed pitcher, has an offer from the University of Montevallo.
"And we have a lot of young kids," Breeze said.
"We've seen a lot of promise from our freshmen and our sophomores. We're just hoping that when they see them (seniors) signing with big SEC schools or any college, you hope it inspires them."
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