Unflappable Beck leads Dragons to playoffs

North Oconee's baseball team might consider taking donations to buy a graduation gift for Jefferson pitcher Chris Beck, because it's likely the Titans never want to see the senior right-hander on the mound against them again.

Beck started all four games the Dragons (20-3, 15-1) played against their Region 8-AA South rivals this season, posting three wins, including a one-hitter in mid-April and a no-hitter last Thursday in an 11-0 victory in the region tournament finals.

When asked if he thought Beck might have had something extraordinary up his sleeve for his final appearance against Titans, Jefferson coach Tommy Knight said, "Every time Chris throws, it's special. Every time he goes out to the mound, he has the potential to do what he did against North Oconee."

"The last time we played North Oconee, I took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, then Taylor Hicks got a blooper off me," said Beck, who sports a 7-2 record with an 0.77 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 531/3 innings pitched. "I had 11 strikeouts that day. This time, I got the no-hitter and had 12 strikeouts. ... I guess they will be happy to see me gone."

One of Beck's two losses this season came against the Titans, however, a 3-1 decision on March 24 that was also the Dragons' only region loss of the spring.

"It was early in the season," said Beck, who last November signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Georgia Southern. "I'm glad that loss came when it did. I'll gladly trade that loss for the success we had against them in the region championship (game)."

A four-year starter for Jefferson, which opens the Class AA state tournament hosting Model in a doubleheader that begins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Beck has been a top producer for the Dragons on the mound and at the plate.

In addition to his pitching performance against the Titans, Beck had two hits - including a home run - and five RBIs earlier in the day in a 9-5 semifinal win over Banks County. In the cleanup spot, Beck is batting .340 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. He's hit more than 20 home runs and driven in more than 100 runs at Jefferson.

Beck has steadily improved throughout his career, but Knight said he's taken his attack to a new level this season by being a more complete pitcher.

"Obviously, he's improved this year," Knight said of Beck, who was the Region 8-A pitcher of the year and a member of the Banner-Herald's All-Northeast Georgia baseball team in 2008. "He's always had great potential, but this year he's really made some big mental strides. He's always had the big arm, but now he's got a mental toughness that's hard to beat.

"He's great at dealing with adversity and working out of trouble. ... You can't rattle him or get under his skin. He's always able to move forward, which is a sign of how much he's matured."

With a fastball in the 90-92 mph range and a changeup Knight characterizes as "nasty," Beck agreed that he has improved this year.

"I let my emotions get the better part of me as a junior," Beck said. "This year, before every game, I get off to a dark, quiet place and do a visualization. I go through the game - I pre-pitch it. It helps me to slow the game down and pitch at my speed. I just try to stay in the moment."

Knight pointed out that Beck and Chris Swancey, Jefferson's other primary pitcher, are the team's only seniors, so the team leans heavily on their leadership.

"He's the team leader, no doubt," Knight said of Beck, who has played every position but catcher and center field for the Dragons. "He's respected by his teammates because they know what he's done and what he can do. The kids follow him and they listen to him."

Jefferson has won 74 games in the past three seasons while advancing to the quarterfinals (2008) and semifinals (2007) of the Class A state tournament. But this year, the Dragons are in a whole new world in Class AA.

As he enters his final state playoff opportunity, Beck is anxious for another grab for the golden ring.

"We have high expectations," he said. "We've worked really hard this year. We had a lot of question marks at the beginning of the season, and we wanted to see what we could do. It's been a great season, but anything less than a state championship would be a disappointment. I think we could have won state the last two years, too."

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