Top 10 Sports Stories of 2022: #3 James Wood makes run to Class 4 baseball finals

The 1985 baseball team at James Wood has been spoken about with reverence for many years after getting a chance to play for a state title.

Last season, that 1985 squad got some company. A record-setting Colonels team strung together a fantastic stretch run that culminated in reaching the Class 4 title game before falling against a powerhouse Hanover squad.

After getting off to a modest 9-4 start, the Colonels would rattle off 15 wins in their next 16 games to reach the title game. Adrian Pullen’s squad would break the school record with 22 wins with many of them thrillers.

The Colonels, who lost three times to Millbrook (twice in the regular season and in the Class 4 Northwestern District Tournament title game), would finally break through against the Pioneers in the Region 4C title game. James Wood rallied from a 4-3 deficit to win 7-5 for the school’s first regional title since 1985.

After a win in the state quarterfinals, the Colonels needed special magic in the semifinals against Monacan. Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, James Wood would string together four straight hits, including John Copenhaver’s game-winning two-run single, to win 6-5.

Hanover, who did not lose a game against a state team, would later beat the Colonels 11-0 in the title clash.

The Colonels also had several players break school records during the season. Nick Bell broke school marks with 11 wins and 123 strikeouts. Bodie Pullen broke his father’s record by stealing 35 bases and Brody Bower set a mark with 24 RBIs.

Millbrook also record a fantastic season, going 21-4 overall. The Pioneers, led by Division I Dallas Baptist recruit Jerrod Jenkins and First Team All-State third baseman Nate Brookshire, won the district regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the Class 4 quarterfinals before falling 8-0 against Jefferson Forest.