Spartans just want a repeat

South Caldwell baseball coach Jeff Parham has been here before.

Back in 1983, on the heels of a state championship, Parham's Spartans entered the North Carolina state playoffs with a repeat performance on their minds. It became such a singular focus, in fact, that when it ultimately didn't happen, the sting of failure stuck. For Parham, it's been 25 years.

“I felt like we should have won, I really did,” he says. “We had a real chance... And it just didn't happen.”

Though his days as a second baseman are long gone, Parham will finally get another shot - albeit from a different vantage point. With Parham in the dugout, the 2008 version of the Spartans begins its own repeat journey. South Caldwell (21-1 overall) hosts Ashbrook in the first round of the 4-A state playoffs tonight.

“This is what we've played the whole year for - right now,” Parham says. “It's do or die.”

For a group that has seemingly lived in the shadow of the 2007 Spartans ever since last June, now is the time to prove itself. The team seems to be embracing the challenge.

“At the beginning of the season, I was iffy about how far this team could go,” slugger Brad Chavis says. “But now that we've made it this far, I know we can do it. The door was open last year, and it's open again.”

Chavis and pitching ace Jimmy Messer are the only remnants that saw significant playing time during last year's title run (second baseman Lucas Jackson also contributed when Brett Parham went down with an injury).

For the most part, though, the newest incarnation is an entirely different entity than its predecessor.

“Last year, we may have had more talent,” Messer says. “But this year we've just got a ton of fight... We're scrappier, and we win games by doing all the little things right.”

Gone are the big bats of Madison Bumgarner, Brad Craig and Daniel Coffey, but the consistent contact hitters left behind say they are more than capable of filling the void.

“I think we have everything last year's team had, if not a little bit more,” Jackson says. “This group has really come together.”

Since the lone loss of the season on March 17 to Watauga, the Spartans have won 15 straight. They are currently ranked as the No. 7 team in the country by Baseball America.

It goes without saying, then, that the team has high hopes for this playoff season.

“We have one goal and that is a state championship,” shortstop Dalton Hall says. “Anything below that is going to be a disappointment.”

The Spartans can't reach that goal without overcoming several hurdles along the way. The first one comes tonight.

“It's time to take care of business,” pitcher Cody Penny says.