'Losing stinks': Northpoint Christian baseball comes up short in Division II-A title game

MURFREESBORO — Northpoint Christian’s season wasn’t supposed to end 12-1 in a winner-take-all state championship game.  

Not after what the Trojans (24-9) had to do to force the if-necessary game at Middle Tennessee Christian School. They had to fight their way through the losers bracket after losing their first game of the state tournament to Franklin Grace.  

After the final pitch in Friday's game, the Trojans watched Goodpasture celebrate its eighth state title while they were handed their second-straight runner-up trophy.  

The Northpoint Christian players shed tears, hugged each other in agony as their effort to right last year’s loss came up short.  

It wasn’t fair.  

"Here’s the thing: Today stinks, like it does; losing stinks,” coach Stephen Kirkpatrick said.  

STATE TOURNAMENT:TSSAA baseball state tournament 2022 schedule, scores for Spring Fling

HOUSTON BASEBALL IN THE TITLE GAME:Why a young Houston baseball team is still relying on its seniors

TOP PERFORMERS:TSSAA Spring Fling top performers: Statewide standouts from Day 2

Kirkpatrick tried to keep his team motivated when all hope was lost. Once the Trojans gave up six runs in the top of the fifth inning, the inevitable was looming. He grabbed his team with three outs left to salvage the season and he gave them a simple message: “Just give yourselves a chance.” 

That chance never came. 

The loss wasn’t indicative of the season Northpoint and the eight seniors had this season. They battled through the region and fell one win shy of a region championship. They dominated through the quarterfinals, sweeping Clarksville in a three-game series.  

Even then they hadn’t quite earned the respect they felt they earned.  

“They felt a little disrespectful coming in here,” Kirkpatrick said of his team. “A lot of people said we were the four seed and not picking us to do anything. That was extra motivation.” 

Yet they found a way to be playing on the last day of the Division II-A baseball season.

And next year is promising.

While Northpoint will graduate eight seniors, it will also return a junior class that has more experience than most. The juniors have been to the state championship game twice. They’ve seen the other team celebrating and raising the trophy the last two years. 

"I think being here twice is great because you know what it’s like," Kirkpatrick said. "The biggest thing is knowing what it takes. Knowing what state championship teams look like, knowing what you got to do."  

By now, they know what it takes to be a state champion. This year’s loss to Goodpasture after fighting their way through the loser's bracket will sting. It will also prove the Trojans aren’t far off from raising the trophy themselves.  

“If you look back over the season,” Kirkpatrick said, “there’s no reason to hang your head.” 

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.