By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell Sports Editor
SLIDELL — The No. 29 Northshore baseball team had a tough road ahead of them?Tuesday night when they played No. 4 Ruston in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, the local team lost 10-0 in five innings.
“They hit everything we threw up there, and their pitcher was very good. That’s the hardest anyone has thrown to us all year,”?Northshore Head Coach Rick Mauldin said.
Northshore finished the season 15-18 overall and 4-8 in District 6-5A play. NHS had four hits against Ruston.
Last week, Mauldin announced he would be resigning at the end of the season, which would conclude 38 years of coaching. However, on Tuesday, he said he had a change of heart.
“The administration convinced me to stay,”?Mauldin said.
NHS?Principal Dr. Michael Peterson and Athletic Director Tom Gainey, along with friends and family, told Mauldin they didn’t think he should stop coaching just yet.
Mauldin said he has had a bad back for years now, and it was the worst it has ever been this season.
“I’ve been in a lot of pain, and I?didn’t think I could continue with it like this. I’m 50 years old now, not 16,”?Mauldin said.
But both Peterson and Gainey told Mauldin to take off the summer and winter to rest his back. Mauldin said he will likely have surgery this summer to repair it.
Northshore is graduating six seniors and two senior managers from this year’s squad.