Head Coach Riley Fincher’s philosophy on who to put on the mound has always been “find the hot hand.” That philosophy never came up as big as Thursday night as his starter Nathan Hutcheson had some control issues in the 1st inning against Rusk. With runners on the corners, which both reached via walks, Fincher made a pitching change. Coe Blaine came in with a 3-1 count on JD Thompson and got a strikeout to end the frame. From there, the senior baffled Rusk hitters on his way to a 6.1 inning performance. Blaine one-hit the Eagles and led Pleasant Grove to a 2-1 victory to capture the school’s 3rd state championship in 10 trips to the state tournament. Offensively, the Hawks had 7 hits, but it was Blaine that would capture the MVP plaque and etch his name into a rich Pleasant Grove tradition.
