Parkers Chapel has a long tradition of having freshmen being impact players from the get-go, and T.J. Bale is no exception. Tasked with guiding the Trojans’ offense as their leadoff hitter as well as taking a spot in rotation, Bale thrived in both roles. In his first game as a varsity player, Bale had three hits and drew a walk while also picking up the win on the mound. It was only the beginning for the freshman, who is the News-Times Rookie of the Year. Bale also had three-hit games against Harmony Grove and Rison, and he had two RBIs in the Trojans’ victory at Woodlawn. Overall, Bale posted a .370 average with 18 RBIs. He also had an on-base percentage of .559 and he stole 15 bases for the Trojans. With Bale wreaking havoc out of the leadoff spot, the heart of the Trojans’ lineup was rarely lacking in opportunities to drive in runs, and Reagan Cates and Carson Worthey took advantage, combining to drive in 83 runs between them. But it was on the mound where Bale really became a major contributor for the Trojans. The freshman tied for the lead in wins while ranking second behind Cates in innings pitched. Overall, Bale went 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA. In 47 innings, Bale allowed allowed 46 hits, walked 45 and struck out 57. The 2016 rookie class also signals a start of a new era for local schools. Although Parkers Chapel missed the state tournament for the second straight year, their future looks bright not only because of Bale, but the Trojans lose only three seniors from a squad that won 19 games and handed 2A state champion Woodlawn one of its two losses this year. Among the returnees is Worthey, who made up for lost time after missing the bulk of his freshman season due to injury. The Trojans’ center fielder, Worthey was Parkers Chapel’s cleanup hitter. Worthey was blistering hot early on, collecting nine RBIs and six hits in the first three games of the season, including three hits and five RBIs in a win over Taylor. Worthey never cooled off, finishing second on the team in batting average with a .398 mark. He was also second on the team in RBIs with 39 while stealing 13 bases with one homer. Another sophomore that the Trojans will have back is Reese Griffin. A two-way player, Griffin had 12 RBIs and stole 10 bases while manning first base for Parkers Chapel. On the mound, Griffin settled in as a reliever, and he secured one of the Trojans’ biggest wins by tossing two perfect innings in Parkers Chapel’s conference win at Woodlawn. Overall, Griffin went 2-4 with a 3.46 ERA. In 26 1/3 innings, he allowed 24 hits, walked 18 and struck out 17.