It's about to get real.
            The Wallace Govs have a record of 12-6 and are ranked #12 in the latest NJCAA DI Baseball Poll. But the Govs have yet to play a conference game. That's about to change.
            This week the Govs open conference play against Coast Alabama South. Statistically, the Sun Chiefs are the worst junior college team in Alabama, having only won two games. But don't tell that to Wallace coach Ryan Ihle.
            "They've played a bunch of good teams early in the season and they've lost a lot of games," Ihle said. "So their record doesn't really reflect how good they are. We're not taking them lightly. We've played a bunch of good teams as well. Fortunately, we've won most of ours."
            Ihle said this says a lot about his team as he gets ready for what he calls the "business" part of the season.
            "I've learned that we give ourselves a chance to win on a regular basis, whether that's hitting helping out our pitching, or pitching helping out our hitting. We've found ways to win and we've been in every single game we've played."
            When the season began, Ihle said he didn't really have a set rotation yet. Now, headed into conference play, three of the four slots have been claimed.
            "Kade (Snell) is our number one, Dylan Dickert is our number two, and Christian Ford finding himself in the rotation somewhere. That fourth job is still up in the air a little bit. Jayce James is throwing the ball well, but he's also good out of the bullpen. A veteran arm like that is really valuable to come in especially if there's a close game or if we need somebody to eat up some innings."
            Ihle said his Govs have played really good defense all season and the pitching has gotten better the last few games. He said if there is something the team needs to work on is  finding more ways to get on base, particularly since some guys are struggling at the plate.
            When asked who he thought might have an edge in the conference, "Ihle said "It's tough because the teams that were expected to be solid haven't played their best baseball yet, and some of the teams that weren't picked to be some of the favorites have really played good baseball. It's anybody's conference right now. Nobody has really stood out to say they're the team to beat."
            Ihle said he hopes the Govs are one of those teams that everybody is talking about. But whether there's a favorite or not, he says the Govs are not going to take anybody lightly. That's because the goal remains the same.
            "The goal is to get to the (state} tournament," he said. "If you make it there, then it's anybody tournament."
            This year the tournament will once again be played in Oxford. The Govs open conference play Thursday afternoon at home on the Wallace campus against Coastal Alabama - South. First pitch of the doubleheader is at noon. The back half of the four-game series will be on the road in Bay Minette on Saturday. Stay tuned to wallacegovs.com/baseball for the latest scores and updates.