Hutch Sprayberry taking on his last dance

Hutch Sprayberry has had a passion for baseball his entire life. His journey with the sport began in elementary school and now, as a senior, he pitches and plays center fielder for Lee-Scott.

His season has been limited so far, as he was out for three weeks with an illness, but his excitement to be back on the field has never been greater.

In Aug. 2022, Lee-Scott introduced former MLB all-star pitcher Tim Hudson as its head coach. Hudson has instilled the necessary intangibles into his players and it has done “wonders” for the team.

“One thing he always says is it doesn’t matter how good or talented you are,” Sprayberry said. “If you’re not confident, then at the end of the day, you’re not going to be a good baseball player.”

Hudson has instilled a new level of belief into his team, and it has them believing that the sky is the limit.

“I’d like to win a state championship,” Sprayberry said. “And I know we can with the team we’ve got this year.”

Heading into his final season, Sprayberry feels he has improved significantly and he credits a lot of that to Lee-Scott’s new staff. Sprayberry batted .348 last season, but he's looking forward to being more than a contact hitter this year.

“I definitely have a lot more power this year,” Sprayberry said. “I used to just hit it on the ground and run, but now being at the plate is a lot more fun.”

Sprayberry will look to use this new ability to accomplish his personal goal of hitting a home run in a live game. It hasn't happened yet, but his contributions will continue to help in Lee Scott's pursuit of a state title.

— By Jake Haston, The Auburn Advance