Blackstone talks baseball to Lions
By LESTER MURRAY news2@kilgorenewsherald.com

Jeff Blackstone, head coach for the Kilgore High School Bulldog baseball team talked about the team to Kilgore Lions Club members.

With spring in the air, it's time to turn our attention to the fair-haired boys with bats in hand, headed out to their field of dreams. Baseball season is well underway.

Jeff Blackstone, head baseball coach at Kilgore High School was at the Lions Club Thursday to talk about KHS baseball.

Blackstone, who grew up in East Texas, said he felt very lucky to get the job at KHS after spending his early coaching years at Harmony Independent School District.

The Bulldogs were 19-4-1 last year with a trip to the playoffs. "This year we want to keep our playoff streak intact," said Blackstone.

Blackstone has an overall coaching record of 101-40-1 and 11 of his players have gone on to play collegiate baseball.

"I believe every team has to earn respect. It is not a given just because you put on the uniform and take the field," said Blackstone. "My team works hard and I want them not to be just physically prepared, but mentally prepared also."

Blackstone said the team is off to a 7-4 start this year. "We have a lot of juniors on the team this year, so we will be even stronger next year," said Blackstone.

A lot of these players have grown up playing baseball together, it is almost like a group of brothers playing together, said Blackstone. "Sometimes I have to worry more about those brotherly arguments than their playing."

"These guys love to play baseball and I tell them there is a difference in losing a game and getting beat," he said. "You lose a game if you come out not prepared to play and doen't give 100 percent. But if a team gets beat the team came prepared both mentally and physically and gave 100 percent in both," said Blackstone. "When we take the field we should expect to win every game."

Blackstone said he loves coaching at Driller Park and all of the tradition it brings to baseball and that he received a lot of calls from other coaches telling him how lucky he was to get to coach there.