EDENTON — It’s a regular morning-after ritual.

No matter how late the Edenton Steamers played or arrived home from an away game the night before, Dirk Kinney can be found in the dank, disheveled, claustrophobic locker room at John A. Holmes High by 9 a.m. soaking and hand-scrubbing Steamers uniforms.

“We don’t have a clubbie to do this, it’s just part of being on a team in the smallest town in the league,” said Kinney, the coach who has led the Steamers into the championship round of the Petitt Cup playoffs. “That’s fine. I love it. I’m a grinder and the kids are grinders.”

With that, Kinney pulled a jersey from the sink it had been soaking in, flopped it on a table and used a brush to try to scrub away big splotches of reddish-brown dirt. Then came a couple of squirts from a bottle of Simple Green cleaning solution and even more scrubbing.

“Actually, the dirtier the uniforms are, the more I like it,” he said, holding up the jersey to inspect his handiwork. “That means they have played really hard.”

And for Kinney’s team, which will bring a 1-0 lead over the Gastonia Grizzlies in the best-of-3 championship series into Game 2 at Hicks Field Saturday at  5 p.m., that’s what it’s all about.

His “Dirk-bags” run hard, slide hard, swing hard and throw hard. That’s how they set a franchise record for regular-season victories (44) and won 10 more games than any other team in the Coastal Plain League.

“Coach is very competitive,” said second baseman Joe Wendle. “He keeps a high energy in every game, every inning.

“He’s got two rules: Play hard and don’t do anything to embarrass the town. He made that clear from Day One.”

“ ‘Play hard,’ that’s what it says on the back of our T-shirts,” added closer Ethan Cole. “That’s the motto and that’s what everyone does.”

And he does mean everyone.

Some players didn’t accept Kinney’s philosophy of team ball and aggressive style of play and now they are gone. The exodus included at least three starting position players and a starting pitcher.

“They weeded themselves out,” Kinney said. “If they don’t want to play hard or be willing to platoon so we can put our best team on the field, that situation usually takes care of itself.

“We had some guys leave over the summer, but I think it was to our benefit. The guys who have stayed have really bought in and now they are playing for a championship.

“I don’t think I could criticize our effort in any of our 60 games this year.”

The Steamers are the tightest, happiest, hustlingest team in the CPL. It’s no accident, either. While Kinney is quick to give credit to assistants Steve Moritz and Rob Vessell and the players, the tall, gangly guy with the receding hairline and goatee deserves kudos, too.

“Coach is a great guy and he’s the one that put this group together,” Cole said. “But he didn’t just bring in arms and bats. He brought in people and personalities that have really clicked. I think he’s done a one-of-a-kind job for a summer team.”

After recruiting the players, Kinney knew how to treat them, too.

“He’s not an in-your-face kind of guy,” said outfielder Brett Christopher. “A lot of times, when you have a coach like that, players will start playing for themselves and play in spite of the coach.

“Here, everybody works together. We don’t care if we get pulled out of a game for another guy. It’s all part of the team. We know what we have to do.

“Coach is the one who sets that environment. He keeps us loose and confident. You can goof around with him in the locker room, but at the same time, he expects a lot from us.”

“When you bond the way this team has, the coach has a lot to do with it,” Cole said. “We trust him, knowing if we do what he says, he’ll get us there one way or the other.”

Indeed, the faith factor in Kinney is high.

“I’ve never been on a team that has been better prepared,” Wendle said. “He really knows the other team and what we have on our own team. That gives us more confidence and makes it a lot of fun to play for him.”

While the Steamers are clearly enjoying the ride, they aren’t feeling any better than the 34-year-old Kinney, who has been an assistant coach at Ouachita Baptist University and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, a head coach in high school and a head coach on three summer college teams.

“It’s priceless here,” he said. “You can’t ask for any more than these kids have given. And I’ve learned as much from them as they’ve learned from me.

“They’ve taught me to relax a little more. I’m such a structure fanatic. One bad call, I’m crazy, intense, light the world on fire. But they tell me, ‘Coach, we’re going to be OK. Don’t sweat.’ And you know, I am more relaxed since I came here.”

Kinney is also at peace with a decision to give up coaching. When the season is over, he will pursue a job as a professional scout. It’s not that he doesn’t want to coach anymore. It’s a family decision.

This is the third summer Kinney has spent away from his wife of four years, Angela, and he thinks it’s about time to start putting family first.

“My wife and I want to start having kids,” Kinney said. “I don’t want to short my kids someday because I’m traveling the world to coach baseball teams. When you coach, you often have to live apart from your wife and family.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a wife who understands, but this is probably my last time coaching.

“If this is it, it’s a great way to finish. It’s been awesome, a heckuva ride.”