The sight of major league scouts huddled behind home plate when he’s on the mound doesn’t spook Cody Greenhill. He’s used to it by now.
“This summer, they were all over the place,” said Greenhill, a senior at Russellville High School and an Auburn University signee. “I just got accustomed to it, I guess.”
Last February, roughly 30 scouts showed up at Russellville Baseball Stadium for Opening Day—but the primary object of their attention was Florence left-hander Brax Garrett, who would ultimately be chosen seventh overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2016 amateur draft. Greenhill, then a junior, got the better of Garrett that day, striking out 10 and holding the Falcons to just four hits in a 1-0 win.
Monday was Opening Day of the 2017 season, and Greenhill was back on the mound for the Golden Tigers in a game against Class 6A Russell County in Oxford, Alabama. There were "only" eight to ten scouts in attendance, but this time they were all there to see Russellville’s hard-throwing ace.
“They watched me warm up in the bullpen,” Greenhill said, “and when I was on the mound they were right behind home plate.”
The 6’4, 210-pound right-hander did not disappoint, striking out eight and walking none in five razor-sharp innings as Russellville opened its season with a 1-0 win over the Warriors. Greenhill (1-0) worked out of trouble spots in the second and fourth innings and threw 55 of his 71 pitches for strikes, an impressive rate of 77 percent.
“The first inning, I got into a groove,” said Greenhill, who allowed just five hits and threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 19 batters he faced. “The second inning, they got a couple guys on and I had to bear down. Then I got back into that bulldog mentality—‘You’re not gonna hit me, and if you do, I'm coming right back at you.’ I was just pounding the strike zone, and everything felt great.”
Greenhill, who improved to 28-7 in his varsity career, struck out two batters in a one-two-three top of the first. He struck out two more in the second, stranding a pair of runners, and then retired the side in order in the third, recording two more Ks.
“My curveball wasn’t working at first,” he said, “but I started staying on it more and releasing it out front so it would have a little more break. I didn’t throw my changeup as much, but when I did throw it, it was running pretty hard. I just tried to keep them off-balance. I’m still working on pounding the strike zone with the fastball and getting ahead in the count.”
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Russell County loaded the bases with one out. Greenhill recorded a strikeout for the second out, but his two-strike pitch to the next batter sailed high and went to the screen. Senior catcher Russ Carpenter tracked down the ball and fired it back to Greenhill, who had rushed in to cover home plate and then tagged the runner attempting to score the tying run for the third out.
Greenhill, who hit 90-91 on the radar gun, retired the side in order in the fifth and then gave way to fellow senior Skylar Holland, who was just as sharp. Holland earned the save with two perfect innings, striking out three and throwing 17 of his 24 pitches for strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to five of the six men he faced.
“He looked really good,” Greenhill of Holland. “He pounded the strike zone with his fastball, and he threw his curveball for strikes. He was hitting his spots with his changeup, just doing what he’s always done, what he’s been working on. I could tell he’s gotten better this offseason. He’s gonna play a big role for us this year.”
The Golden Tigers scored the game’s lone run in the bottom of the second inning. Carpenter drew a leadoff walk, and then courtesy runner Devin Buckhalter scored when the Warriors committed a throwing error on a bunt single by Rudy Fernandez.
Russellville finished with just four hits in the game, but Greenhill and Holland made the one run stand up. Senior centerfielder Judd Ward, another Auburn signee, went 1-for-4, and Holland was 1-for-2 with a walk. Houston Kitterman was 1-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. Noah Gist reached base three times, drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch twice.
In other action on Monday:
Oxford 4 Russellville 2
The Golden Tigers tied Monday’s second game 2-2 in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Noah Gist, but Oxford came right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning and held on for the win.
Senior righty Chad Wray started for the Golden Tigers and went four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out five and walked three, throwing 45 of his 70 pitches for strikes. Wray threw first-pitch strikes to 13 of the 17 batters he faced before giving way to Skylar Holland in the bottom of the fifth. Holland (0-1) needed 28 pitches to get through the fifth, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks.
Brody Sycr broke up the 2-2 tie with an RBI triple in the bottom of the fifth and then scored on a passed ball to make it 4-2. Sycr also earned the win for Oxford, allowing just one earned run on four hits in a complete game. He struck out two and walked two, recording eight groundball outs and 10 flyball outs.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the third, Russellville (1-1) got a run off Sycr when junior shortstop Landon Ezzell singled home Devin Buckhalter. Then, in the top of the fifth, Buckhalter drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Judd Ward and scored the tying run on Gist’s two-out double.
Oxford quickly reclaimed the lead in the bottom half, and then Sycr retired the Golden Tigers in order in the sixth and the seventh.
Gist finished game two 2-for-3, and Ward was 1-for-2. Ezzell had Russellville’s only other hit. Buckhalter walked and scored twice. Jaret Ward pitched a one-two-three bottom of the sixth for the Golden Tigers, striking out one.
Russellville is scheduled to return to action with a doubleheader at Class 4A Madison Academy on Saturday. The Mustangs won their third consecutive Class 3A state title last season, while Russellville is seeking a third straight Class 5A state title this year.
Saturday’s games are scheduled for noon and 2 p.m., and both can be heard live on WGOL.
