Whenever and wherever Amari Jefferson sees the color blue in the athletic arena, the Baylor senior takes things personal.
The cleanup hitter drove in 10 runs over three games in two days against McCallie in a TSSAA Division II-AA quarterfinal series, with the Red Raiders' 8-6 comeback win at home on Thursday clinching their spot at next week's Spring Fling state tournament in Murfreesboro.
Baylor — which also hosted Wednesday's doubleheader to start the best-of-three series, winning the opener 8-4 before the Blue Tornado bounced back with a 4-3 victory — is back in the state semifinals after missing last year's Spring Fling and going 0-2 at the event in 2022, which included a loss to McCallie as the Blue Tornado went on to win the championship.
Baylor's 2021 team won the program's third consecutive state title and fifth overall, and now Jefferson's final week of prep baseball will be a quest to help the Red Raiders get No. 6.
"Just to be one of the seniors to help lead this group back to Murfreesboro is awesome," said Jefferson, who committed to play baseball for Tennessee as a sophomore before signing instead with Alabama's football program after his senior prep season in that sport. "I don't like McCallie. This is a special experience. These are my best friends, and we are going to lock back in and focus on winning a state title next week."
He drove in Baylor's first run Thursday with a double to right field. He later drew a pair of bases-loaded walks, including one in a four-run sixth to spark the victory.
Jefferson, who had 17 catches for 348 yards and four touchdowns in two football games against McCallie this past fall — the Blue Tornado won both of them, including in the DII-AAA BlueCross Bowl at Finley Stadium to deny the Red Raiders repeating as state champs — went 6-for-7 with three home runs, four walks, four extra-base hits, a stolen base and outfield assist in this week's playoff series. Jefferson's only out came on a scorching line drive to third base.
"Amari came in and told me, 'Coach, I am not playing baseball today. I am playing volleyball.' That is how well he is seeing the ball," Baylor co-head coach Mike Kinney said. "Amari is one of the best athletes we have had in the city in a long time. He played as good of baseball as he has ever played and probably as good as we have ever seen from a center fielder and leader. What an incredible competitor he is."
Baylor (24-6), the East Region's regular-season and tournament champion, took the lead for good in the sixth on sophomore pinch-hitter Graham King's sacrifice fly to score senior Nelson McKnight.
After 1 2/3 innings of solid relief from Foy Hamaker, it was McKnight who came in with two runners and one out in the top of the seventh. On his first pitch, he got a harmless flyout to left field, then struck out the last McCallie batter looking on a full count to begin the celebration.
State Mr. Baseball finalist Tomas Valincius went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice for Baylor.
"Pressure is a privilege, and we were going to fight with all we had," McKnight said. "This rivalry is insane and as good as it gets. Like Amari, I hate McCallie, too."
McCallie (26-14) was led by Bryce Sanders, whose pair of hits included a two-run double down the right-field line in the fifth for a 6-4 lead. Chandler Jones cleared the bases when he doubled as part of McCallie's four-run second inning.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Boyd Buchanan senior star and Vanderbilt signee Brodie Johnston hits a grand slam in Thursday's TSSAA Division II-A state quarterfinal game against Friendship Christian in ChattanoogaDII-A quarterfinal series
Boyd Buchanan 7, Friendship Christian 2
Senior stars Brodie Johnston and Cooper Jones provided all the electricity needed with back-to-back home runs in the third inning as the host Buccaneers won the rubber match of a best-of-three series at home, securing the program's first trip to the Spring Fling since 2015.
After a pair of singles to right field by Brodie Lowe and Caden Henry, leadoff hitter Haden Griffith followed with a perfectly placed bunt down the third-base line to load the bases with no outs. Johnston then hit a 2-0 pitch well over the fence in left field, with the grand slam his eighth homer of the season and the 30th of his Boyd Buchanan career.
"All I have ever wanted to do as a high school baseball player is win state," said Johnston, a Vanderbilt signee who is batting .537 with 63 runs scored, 46 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 29 extra-base hits, 33 walks and just 11 strikeouts in 2024. "This year I really feel like we have a good shot to do that. It would be a dream come true. As long as we keep playing as a team, we should be able to win a championship."
Jones drove in his 58th RBI with his solo shot, while Henry had an RBI double and Lowe scored twice in the decisive third game. In Wednesday's doubleheader, Boyd Buchanan won 7-2 before losing 8-6.
Boyd Buchanan (33-5) made zero errors Thursday to back up winning pitcher Carter Hinsley, who gave up two runs in five innings. Liam Cooper and Griffith closed the game in relief.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.