The Stanhope Elmore faithful are getting one last chance to pack Furlow Field.
Stanhope Elmore baseball is hosting Spanish Fort in the AHSAA Class 6A Final Four this week. Game 1 is set for 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10 at Furlow Field in Millbrook. Game 2 will follow directly with a Game 3 on Thursday if needed.
For Stanhope Elmore’s 10 seniors, this will be their last chance to play at Furlow Field. The winner of this series will hit the road next week to play in the AHSAA Class 6A State Championship in Oxford.
Those 10 seniors have been nothing short of special for the Mustangs’ program. This senior class has an overall record of 84-35 with the varsity squad and has helped lead Stanhope Elmore back to the quarterfinals last season and the semifinals this season for the first time since 2006.
“This senior class has gone above and beyond everything asked of them,” head coach Kaleb Shuman said. “They are a truly special group from top to bottom. For them to get to play one last time at home, it feels like a curtain call for all of their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.”
While the seniors’ overall record is impressive, the Mustangs are even better when playing at Furlow Field. In the last three seasons, Stanhope Elmore has a 36-4 record when playing at home. The Mustangs are nearly unbeatable at Furlow Field.
This season, Stanhope Elmore has only lost one game at home and that came to Class 7A Central Phenix City. That was a one-run loss on April 1.
In the playoffs, Stanhope Elmore is 4-0 at home and has yet to surrender a run. In series wins over Chilton County and Hueytown, Stanhope Elmore has outscored opponents 33-0.
“The success at home comes from two factors,” Shuman said. “First, the fans show up and are loud, supportive, and in the game. Second, the comfort our guys feel playing at home. Between inter squads five days a week during the summers and all the practices, they have played hundreds of times on this field. They can just relax and play, and that’s when we are at our best.”
While the team has played well at home, this week’s series will not be easy for the Mustangs. Spanish Fort enters the playoff series with a 27-15 overall record and has knocked off McAdory, Northridge, and Saraland in the last three weeks in the playoffs.
Spanish Fort enters the series as one of the hottest teams in the entire state. The Toros have won 15 of their last 17 games and have only lost those two games since April began.
Stanhope Elmore has won 18 of its last 19 games with its only loss coming to Central Phenix. Since that loss, the Mustangs have won 12 straight and thrown seven shutouts during that span. They have yet to allow over three runs in a game since the loss.
“This deep into the playoffs, everyone you play is good and everyone is hot,” Shuman said. “For us, the key to success is still going to be the same thing it's been all year: Control what we can control and focus on throwing strikes, catching the baseball, and taking advantage of opportunities at the plate.”
