‘The perfect teammate’
Patient Kimmons eager to contribute to the 2024 Airedales baseball squad
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
Colby Kimmons didn’t fret over a lack of playing time last season. He wasn’t worried the season before that, either.
‘Trusting the process’ is as much a part of baseball as rainouts, unassisted double plays, and sunflower seeds.
“He’s the perfect teammate and he paid his dues,” Alma coach Fry said. “He’s worked hard since he’s been here.”
“I think I had to learn from the seniors in front of me,” Kimmons said. “I had to develop myself so I could one day fill those roles. You have to do your job, but you have to work on yourself, too, and be comfortable with where they put you.”
Kimmons and Branson Brogan are the Airedales’ lone seniors, which is a good thing considering how many underclassmen will have another year’s experience by the time 2025 rolls around.
“Being out there, it’s as much fulfilling to you as it is to your teammates,” Kimmons said. “Competing and winning is important, but losing, you have to learn how to do that, too.”
“With the two seniors, we’d like for him to have a great year,” Fry said. “He’s improved a lot, he’s gotten stronger, and he’s a great leader, especially with the ninth graders.
“Our goal is to have the six best (players) from each class (contribute as seniors) from here on out.”
Kimmons and the Airedales (3-4) earned a 5A-West split with Harrison this week. The team will host Paris on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. in the first round of Alma’s ‘Wood Bat’ Tournament.
Kimmons will be there front and center as the team’s left fielder.
“He’s kind of played everywhere, but right now he’s kind of settling into left field,” Fry said. “He made a big catch in the seventh inning with nobody out … the ball was cutting toward the (foul) line and he tracks it and catches it. Getting that crucial first out … that was the play of the game. It took all the momentum away from them.”
“It’s all pretty much reading it how it comes off the bat,” Kimmons said of his big play against Harrison. “The bleachers don’t always help either, depending on where you are. (But) I like left field.”
After dropping the opener against the Goblins, Alma took a 2-1 lead after two innings and never trailed. Junior Eli Risley pitched 5 ⅔ innings of solid baseball and Brogan supplied a key two-out RBI single and got the last four outs for the Airedales.
“That second game, we laid it down when we needed to, and we got the two-out hits when we needed to,” Fry said. “Driscoll had a big two-out hit, and Branson came through, and then Branson coming in and getting that four-out save, that was huge.”