NOTE: Game time for Saturday's contest between Buford and Gainesville at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville has been moved to 4 p.m.
LAWRENCEVILLE -- Jeremy Kemp spent three summers learning the game of baseball from Tony Wolfe -- on Saturday, Kemp hopes to put that knowledge to good use against his former mentor.
Kemp's Gainesville baseball program will battle Wolfe's top-ranked Buford squad at 4 p.m. at the Gwinnett Braves' Coolray Field in Lawrenceville as part of the High School Showcase Series in a highly-anticipated showdown -- and Kemp's first chance to match wits with Wolfe as a head coach.
"It will be nice to see him before the game and catch up, but once the game starts that's all over. He wants to win, and I want to win, so we'll put the friendship on hold for a couple of hours," said Kemp, who played travel baseball for coach Wolfe as a teenager in 1992-93 and '95. "Back then summer ball was 60 games, so you got to know your teammates and coaches real well. Coach Wolfe was that guy who taught you how handle to yourself. He was calm, level-headed in his approach to everything, and he taught kids how to be men."
For his part, Wolfe is not surprised that Kemp became a coach.
"Jeremy was a great kid to coach. He knew the game, worked hard to be the best and took great pride in his game, very competitive and confident," Wolfe said. "He is one of the top young coaches in the state, and I think he has brought all the things that made him a great player to his coaching role. I'm very proud of him."
Wolfe, a former Gainesville baseball standout himself, has also coached a number of champions, including the 2011 Class AA title-winning squad at Buford, and his current team is amongst the early favorites for the Class AAAA crown.
"Buford right now is ranked among the best in the state and is even ranked nationally," Kemp said. "They're the best of the best, and I'm glad we're playing them."
Kemp has shown he too knows how coach 'em up, leading the Red Elephants to state semifinal appearances in two of the last three seasons. This year's Gainesville squad also carries a No. 3 ranking in Class AAAAA and has been tested by a tough early season schedule.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to play a great baseball program like Gainesville," Wolfe said. "They are one of the top programs in the state year in and year out. As an old Red Elephant I always look forward to the chance to see old friends and see how the current edition looks."
The current edition -- like Buford's -- fields plenty of high-level talent, some of which could feel very much at home in surroundings such as Coolray.
Gainesville (7-1) features Georgia-bound catcher/pitcher Michael Curry and South Carolina-bound first baseman/pitcher Caleb Whitenton, along with a rising star in junior Jonathan Gettys, while Buford (9-1) is loaded with collegiate-bound talent such as Jake Higginbotham (Clemson), Keyton Gibson (Georgia Tech), Connor Bennett (West Virginia) and Kevin Coulter (Mercer) -- each of whom make up part of the Wolves' four-man pitching rotation.
A non-region battle, the game will have no bearing on postseason play -- but you can bet that both teams are amped about the opportunity to prove a point against a distinguished neighbor.
"Regardless of the outcome of the game, I know we will have a great relationship and the game will help both our clubs improve for the remainder of the season," Wolfe said.
Ticket costs are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Friday
April 26th, 2024
6:53PM
