By: Jared Darwish

As the Danville High School baseball team prepared for its second consecutive trip to the Kentucky State Baseball Championship at the University of Kentucky, players were greeted with a pep rally and a first-class sendoff.

Before the players said their goodbyes, head coach Paul Morse spoke briefly to the crowd and his team about how much they have accomplished and what it takes to win a state championship.

Danville was eliminated from the tournament on Thursday, dropping a 3-0 decision to Boyd County.

Although their season ended in similar fashion last year, the lessons learned and experience gained have helped make them stronger this year.

K.J. Stanfield said going to state a season ago has given the team the confidence and pride they have carried with them throughout the season.

“We’ve been here before, so we knew we could get back again, but this time we want to go finish the job,” Stanfield said.

Many of the players for Danville have played together for years, which has helped build trust between everyone on the roster.

“I know I can trust the guy to the right and left of me on the field because we’ve played together throughout every level,” Smothers said.