The first third of the season for the Knoxville Baseball Squad was quite possibly the most trying the Panthers have had in recent memory. For starters, they were playing several young an inexperienced players who were seeing their first ever varsity innings. Add to that a challenging non-conference schedule and Coach Joel Johnson away going through Prostate Cancer treatment, the Panthers had a challenging time. Johnson tells KNIA/KRLS Sports his assistants stepped up in his absence and steered the boat well. The Panthers season may have taken a turn for the better when they swept Albia in a double header. It gave the Panthers the inside track to the conference title and gave Joel Johnson his 600th career win. Knoxville would put together a four game winning streak.