Macon Bacon is off to a sizzling start. Here are local players you'll want to cheer for
Everything is better with bacon, and that includes Macon.
The Macon Bacon of the Coastal Plain League made its debut last week, and Macon already appears to be the perfect fit for the baseball team and the summer college league.
The Bacon won its first game on the road Thursday and then returned home to Luther Williams Field for its first two home games Friday and Saturday. Both games were played in front of sellout crowds and with a terrific atmosphere, and the Bacon won the home opener Friday. Other than losing to rival Savannah on Saturday, the opening week went about as well as could be expected for the new team and its new home.
“It's pretty awesome. Everybody around here has been pretty hyped up, and to see the environment (Friday) night, the packed-out crowd and just the aura that they brought, it was pretty amazing,” said former Perry standout Cal Gentry, an infielder for the Bacon. “It's fun because you know they're rooting for you, and they want to see you succeed. Actually, the environment makes you want to play so much better.”
Gentry and his Bacon teammates will get three chances to play in that environment this week with home games Wednesday (Gastonia), Friday (Gastonia) and Saturday (Gastonia). All three games are set for 7 p.m. first pitch.
Gentry, a sophomore at Georgia College, got off to a strong start with the first hit in Bacon history Thursday at Savannah. Former Stratford standout Conner Corbitt had the team’s first hit at home Friday. Those two local stars are joined by Mercer players Alex Crotty, Sean McDermott and Brandon Michie on the Bacon roaster.
“I heard a lot of screaming (Friday) night,” Gentry said with a big smile about the local support. “There were a lot of my friends and family at the game, everybody from Perry. It's awesome.”
The team and the league certainly are off to an awesome start in Macon, and that’s a good thing for our city. Having a couple of local players can’t hurt, but this team is much bigger than that. It’s about giving the people of Macon another option for entertainment, and so far they are taking advantage.
“It can actually bring a lot of talent to Macon and get this area exposed to those kinds of players,” Gentry said. “I know a lot of players who played with Savannah were drafted, and that’s great for this league. I think it will bring good baseball back to Macon.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2018 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Macon Bacon is off to a sizzling start. Here are local players you'll want to cheer for."