Shawnee baseball, led by new head coach, in midst of best season in more than two decades

For Shawnee baseball , it takes a village — coaches, parents and extended family members.

The Golden Eagles — who play on the West End — started the season 5-0, but seven consecutive losses followed those first five wins. Still, it's been one of the team's most successful seasons. This is the first season in more than two decades that Shawnee has won more than two games.

With a new coach and mentality, the Golden Eagles aim to make Shawnee a premier baseball school again.

Coach Timothy Ladd Sr. graduated from Pleasure Ridge Park, but he grew up playing in the West End, attending Shawnee football games and playing in Shawnee Park; it was all he knew.

When assistant athletics director Robert Fleming called with an offer to coach a struggling Shawnee baseball team, Ladd jumped at the opportunity.

"I have a bunch of first-year and second-year players who have never played, and it's hard to get them to play on this level. I have to go back to the basics, like T-ball and machine pitch kids; I have to start at that level. But I have to speed up the pace," said Ladd, who didn't cut anyone at tryouts and has about 20 kids on the roster.

Ladd has more than 20 years' experience coaching travel baseball teams; he was an assistant coach on the 13-and-under West Louisville All-Stars baseball team that competed in the Babe Ruth World Series in 2018.

Despite previous obstacles, including a lack of resources or not enough players to field a team, Shawnee is poised to keep the momentum going under Ladd.

In four of their first five victories this season, the Golden Eagles rallied in the last few innings.

Against Western, they gave up seven runs in the first inning but rallied to win, 10-8.

Against Jeffersontown, Shawnee trailed, 9-5, heading to the bottom of the fourth inning but wound up winning, 12-11.

Against Doss and Valley, the Golden Eagles — dubbed "The Comeback Kids"— scored five or more runs in the final inning to win those games.

"We never give up. We always fight, and we fight the whole game," sophomore Correon Spinks said.

"The area we live in is just like, if you give up, you're not gonna go nowhere. So, that's just something that we were born with, so it's just like hard work pays off."

Another Shawnee leader is sophomore Jeremiah Forrest, whom everybody calls "Puffy."

His nickname fits because on the baseball diamond, as he rounds the bases, all the defenders see is a puff of smoke.

He had 31 steals through 10 games. To put that in perspective, the stolen bases leader on the KHSAA website is Tyler Belt from Crittenden County , who had 39 steals in 21 games.

"I feel like I need to do better," said Forrest, who had 19 stolen bases in the first five games. "No way, I should have had 19. I should have had 20. I should always be one up. Should have been stealing more bases."

Besides having dedicated coaches and players, the Golden Eagles travel with a small-but-loyal group of parents and fans who attend almost every game and support the team through its ups and downs.

One of those supporters is Teresa Smith, freshman pitcher Nizarian Brown's grandmother, who went to Shawnee but graduated from Valley after Jefferson County Public Schools implemented a new busing system in 1975-76 .

"I think if this team stayed together, they are going to be really good in the next two years. If they all stick to it and stick, you know, because they are starting to know each other's personalities, and they know how to build each other up. ... I'm proud of them. I'm proud that they are out of the West End."

Former Shawnee baseball coach Chester King also has traveled to a few games; you can find him sitting behind home plate, wearing a Shawnee cap.

King has been persistent through the years in advocating for better resources and facilities for Shawnee students.

In 2016 , he wrote an opinion piece on why the Shawnee baseball team needed a field on campus. The Golden Eagles also have played home games at Shawnee Park, but King said the fields have received little maintenance.

King and Smith encouraged other parents and extended family members to support the players because the Golden Eagles have something special brewing.

For Ladd, it's about retaining players and bringing in new players with a baseball background so they can begin implementing a more advanced system.

"Trinity and St. X and Male are at the top tier," Ladd said. "Right now, we are at the bottom tier, you know, we've been at the bottom of the bottom tier. So, I'm trying to get to the top of the bottom tier, and then by next season, I am trying to get to that next tier. You know, where we can compete with Trinity's (team), St. X's and PRP's and Male."

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Shawnee baseball, led by new head coach, in midst of best season in more than two decades