Editor’s Note: The following preview ran online in advance of Monday’s first game of the Class A regional baseball series between James Monroe and Charleston Catholic at Charleston. The second game of the series has been scheduled to be played at Lindside tonight, weather permitting. The preview contains information that remains germane to persons who plan to attend and is also being run again for the benefit of print readers LINDSIDE — The James Monroe Mavericks baseball team remains alive as it enters the Region 3 tournament on Monday against a familiar and solid opponent, Charleston Catholic High School.
With two wins this week, either the Mavs (20-7) or the Irish will move on to the state tournament. This regional is a rematch of last spring, when CCHS won two straight games. This season, the Irish have already won 23 games, including defeats of James Monroe by scores of 12-1 and 14-4.
That doesn’t discourage James Monroe head coach Tom Gardinier. “They’re a good quality program, with high-level baseball players,” Gardinier said on Sunday afternoon. “It’s going to be a challenge to beat them.
(But) if we go in mentally prepared, we can compete with them.” The heart of the challenge is to overcome “a lot of mental things, (and) not be overwhelmed by their players,” the coach said. “Top to bottom, they’re a really good baseball program – but one we can overcome.
” “If we push them, put pressure on them, I think we’ll be OK,” he said. “.
