Official Draft Pick Thread -- Do Not Reply

[batman]

Round 25: Taylor Green - 2B

5'11", 190 lbs - Cypress College - California

 

http://www.bcpbl.com/04rosters/04images/2004248.jpg

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- He was a freshman this past season at Cypress and was the team's starting shortstop.

 

- He was named to the Orange Empire Conference 20205 All-Star first team.

 

- He's a Canuck... he attended high school at Mark Isfeld in British Columbia.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

B.C. Premier Baseball League Player Profile:

http://www.bcpbl.com/04players/player.php?key=2004248

[batman]

Round 26: Jake Arrieta - RHP

6'3", 210 lbs - Weatherford College - Texas

 

http://www.wc.edu/athletics/baseball/images/leaguesite/players/JakeArrietasm.jpg

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- His name is alternately spelled "Arietta" - we are not sure which is the correct version.

 

- He was a freshman this past season at Weatherford.

 

- He was a 31st round selection of the Cincinnati Reds in 2004 out of Plano East HS in Plano, Texas.

 

- He was recruited and signed by Oklahoma State University before his freshman season but elected to attend a two-year college instead.

 

- He went 5-2 with a 4.81 ERA at Weatherford this season. In 13 games (12 starts), he compiled 63 strikeouts and 41 walks in 63 and two-thirds innings. He ranked sixth in the league in Ks.

 

- He has a commitment to Texas Christian University for the 2006 season.

 

- He is currently pitching for the McKinney Marshals in the Texas Collegiate League along with Brent Allar. In six games (all starts), he is 2-2 with a 1.46 ERA and 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 37 innings. He was named to the League's All-Star Team and started the game for the Speaker Division club.

 

- He is listed in other places as being 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

Weatherford College Player Profile:

tinyurl.com/c52qv

 

From an OSU fan site (prior to his freshman season):

 

Jake is a hard-throwing right hander who has worked with former Oklahoma State pitcher Mike Henneman. He has a good slider and live arm, and throws around 91 miles per hour. He was also recruited by TCU and Texas-Arlington.

 

From his Player Profile on the McKinney Marshals site:

 

Favorite Team: Texas Rangers

Favorite Player: Roger Clemens

Favorite Musician/ Musical Group: Trapt

Favorite Food: Tuna

Favorite Car: Ford Mustang

Role Model: Dad

Favorite Vacation Spot: Daytona Beach

Hobbies: Working out, friends, X-Box

 

From the McKinney Marshals Website, 06-29-2005:

 

Jake Arietta didn?t allow an earned run in eight innings and Logan Parker drove in five runs as McKinney beat Weatherford 6-1 on Tuesday at Gabe Nesbitt Field to increase their winning streak to 7 games.

 

Arietta (2-1) struck out six, walked four and allowed four hits. Parker belted a two-run homer in the fourth to give McKinney the lead and ripped a three-run triple in the eighth inning.

The Wranglers scored their only run on Travis Reagan?s RBI groundout in the fourth.

McKinney answered immediately with Parker?s blast off Donald Furrow (2-2) in the bottom of the fourth.

 

The first four hitters in the Marshals? order ? Jose Salazar, Louie Alamia, Trey Rachal and Parker ? were a combined 9-for-14.

 

Marshals coach Kyle Hope was impressed with Arietta?s outing. ?Jake pitched one of his better games tonight. With the draft behind him and his recent signing with TCU, I think he has relaxed a little and it showed tonight."

 

The Marshals set the Texas Collegiate League record for longest winning streak last summer winning 7 straight games between June 17 to June 24.

 

The Marshals will attempt to break their 2004 season record tonight and win 8 straight tonight when they take on the Denton Outlaws in Denton.

 

The Marshals next home game will be on Thursday at 7:35. They will take on the Mineral Wells Steam at The Gabe Nesbitt Field.

 

From Weatherford's Baseball Website, 06-10-2005:

 

Four Weatherford College baseball players and two WC signees were selected in the First-Year Player Draft conducted by Major League Baseball June 7-8. German Duran, Brent Allar, Chase Phillips, Jake Arrieta, Gibbs Wilson and Gary Poynter were all selected by MLB franchises in the 50-round draft.

 

?It?s been an exciting two days,? said Jeff Lightfoot, WC head coach. ?I think it says a little bit about the direction of our program, and where we?re heading. Plus, it?s just an exciting time in the lives of these young men.?

 

Duran, an infielder from Ft. Worth, was a sixth-round selection of the Texas Rangers and the 189th pick overall. He became the highest draft pick in the three-year history of the WC program.

 

Allar, a pitcher from Aledo, was chosen in the 11th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cleveland Indians picked Phillips, a WC signee from Lubbock Monterey, in the 15th round.

 

On the second day of the draft, Plano native Jake Arrieta was chosen by the Brewers in the 26th round. WC closer Gibbs Wilson, an Abilene High School graduate, was a 36th-round pick for the Detroit Tigers. Gary Poynter, a WC signee from Flower Mound Marcus, went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 48th round.

 

?The fact that four current players and two draftees were drafted means a lot for our baseball program,? Lightfoot said. ?It shows we have a lot to draw top talent here?our community, our facilities and our college in general. It was a good couple of days for us.?

 

Duran and Allar were both sophomores in the most recent college baseball season. Lightfoot said Poynter will play at WC next year. Phillips and Arrieta have yet to announce whether they will play at WC or enter the professional ranks.

[batman]

Round 27: Brad Willcutt - C

6'1", 220 lbs - Southern Mississippi University - Mississippi

 

http://www.southernmiss.com/uploads/images/Brad-Willcutt.jpg

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- He was a Senior this past year at Southern Miss.

 

- Played his prep ball at Heritage Academy in Columbus, Mississippi.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

Southern Mississippi Player Profile:

http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/baseball/rosters/displayPlayer.asp?PLAYER_ID=2765

 

From the Hattiesburg American, 05-22-2005:

 

The University of Southern Mississippi ended a season full of peaks and valleys on top.

 

Now the Golden Eagles just hope they can avoid falling off the mountain in next week's Conference USA Tournament.

 

Sophomore starting pitcher Patrick Ezell gave Southern Miss a much-needed strong starting pitching performance, becoming the first Eagle starter to last six innings in almost a month, as the Eagles beat Houston 11-7.

 

"I wasn't going to be satisfied with anything less," said Ezell (7-2). "I kept telling myself, 18 outs. Just get it to the sixth. When you have a plan like that, it works out a lot better than if you just hope for the best."

 

And senior first baseman Brad Willcutt ended his final regular-season at Southern miss with perhaps the best day of his grand career.

 

Willcutt tied a school and Conference USA record with four doubles Saturday, and also had a two-run home run in the third inning. He was 5-for-6 with four RBIs and four runs scored.

 

"It was decent," Willcutt dead-panned after the game.

 

"I had one game at South Alabama, I think I had four extra-base hits, but this tops it. Especially being a conference game and the last regular-season game I'll play. This is a good way to go out, but we've got some games left."

 

It hasn't been an easy season for Southern Miss. The Eagles expected this to be something of a rebuilding year after losing a number of key players from last year's team. Their 39-17 record to end the regular season (20-10 in C-USA play) is likely an overachievement, especially considering the number of injuries the team has faced.

 

At the same time, the team has had some weaknesses exposed, especially in the latter half of the regular season, and over the last two months has often followed up a good performance with a sub-par game.

 

Going into the C-USA Tournament, which starts Wednesday at Pete Taylor Park, the Eagles' offense and bullpen have been strong, but starting pitching is the concern.

 

Southern Miss head coach Corky Palmer hopes Ezell's Saturday performance against Houston (27-28, 16-13 C-USA) is a sign that's starting to change.

 

Ezell gave up two runs on three hits in the first inning and a three-run home run to Brad Lincoln in the third, but retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced. His six-inning stint was the longest for Southern Miss since Brad Owen lasted six against UAB on May 6.

 

"Other than the home run, Patrick Ezell was really tough," Palmer said. "The first inning it was all kind of chintzy hits. They never hit a ball hard off him; they all found some eyes. Other than that three-run home run, he just got after it. If he can bottle that, it will be tremendous."

 

Ezell said the home run was to Lincoln's credit.

 

"I don't know how he hit that pitch out," Ezell said. "It was a good pitch."

 

Ezell has been one of the case studies in Southern Miss' starting pitching struggles this season.

 

The preseason C-USA pitcher of the year, he had a 6.39 ERA going into Saturday's game. He and the other starters have been inconsistent, especially late in the season.

 

"It's tough to sit there and watch it," Ezell said. "Those are your brothers, they're your teammates. But that's the great thing about baseball, you get another chance. I've struggled this year, but I got another chance."

 

The Southern Miss offense also struggled in late April and early May, but is hot right now, and Willcutt was on fire Saturday.

 

"It's been a roller-coaster ride this year, ups and downs," Willcutt said. "We've done a little bit of this, little bit of that. But this offense is rolling like I haven't seen all year."

 

Willcutt broke yet another Southern Miss career record, passing Jeff Cook on the all-time runs scored list. He now holds the school records for at-bats, runs, doubles, RBIs and walks, and is likely to break the records for hits, total bases, games played and possibly home runs.

 

"Willcutt, what a day," Palmer said. "It couldn't happen better to end the regular season. He'll go down as one of the better players to ever play here."

 

The Eagles were hoping to earn at least the No. 3 seed in the C-USA tournament. They found out they'd done so in about the seventh inning Saturday when they learned that East Carolina lost to Saint Louis, meaning Southern Miss will largely avoid No. 1 seed Tulane in the tournament.

 

"We didn't want to get the three-seed by a loss; we wanted to do it ourselves," Willcutt said. "We did that, and hopefully gained some momentum."

 

Southern Miss opens the tournament against No. 6 seed USF at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Palmer said freshman Barry Bowden will start on the mound for the Eagles.

 

Bowden warmed up in the bullpen after Ezell gave up the three-run home run, but wasn't needed in the Houston series.

 

"Really, in my thinking, that's who I wanted to go with, so it couldn't have worked out better," Palmer said.

 

From the Hattiesburg American, 05-22-2005:

 

Southern Miss senior catcher Brad Willcutt holds or has a chance to break a number of school career records. On Saturday, he moved into the lead on the all-time runs list. Willcutt has at least two games left in the upcoming Conference USA tournament and the postseason to add to his totals. Where he ranks on the university's all-time baseball lists:

 

Runs batted in

1. Brad Willcutt, 234

2. Tommy Davis (1992-94), 204

 

Doubles

1. Brad Willcutt, 72

2. Tommy Davis, 58

 

Walks

1. Brad Willcutt, 135

2. Andy Woodard (1990-93), 133

 

At Bats

1. Brad Willcutt, 920

2. Kyle Logan (1994-97), 902

 

Runs

1. Brad Willcutt, 202

2. Jeff Cook (2000-03), 200

 

Hits

1. Jeff Cook, 292

2. Brad Willcutt, 287

 

Total bases

1. Jeff Cook, 505

2. Brad Willcutt, 499

 

Home runs

1. Jeff Cook, 50

2. Brad Willcutt, 46

 

Games played

1. Chad Hebert (1989-92), 239

2. Brad Willcutt, 237

 

From the Sun Herald, 06-02-2005:

 

Southern Miss senior catcher Brad Willcutt has been named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honors Team.

 

Willcutt was honored two times by the College Baseball Foundation for his performance this season and helped Southern Miss to a 41-19 season. The Columbus native led Southern Miss with 16 home runs, 21 doubles, 82 RBIs and 149 total bases this season.

 

The College Baseball Foundation is dedicated to preserving college baseball history and to recognizing standout teams and people who have influenced the collegiate game.

 

Willcutt and Southern Miss will compete in the school's third-consecutive NCAA Regional this weekend as the No. 2 seed in Oxford against No. 3 seed Oklahoma at 3 p.m. on Friday.

 

Ole Miss standout Brian Pettway along with Brian Bogusevic, Micah Owings and Ryan Patterson of LSU were also named to the team.

 

Tulane's Rick Jones, Oregon State's Pat Casey and Pat McMahon of Florida were named the College Baseball Foundation Coaches of the Year.

 

From the Hattiesburg American, 06-09-2005 (Byline Daimon Eklund):

 

The wait finally ended for Brad Willcutt Wednesday afternoon.

 

Four days after his University of Southern Mississippi baseball career ended, Willcutt found out how his professional career will begin - in the minor-league system of the Milwaukee Brewers.

 

Willcutt was taken in the 27th round of the Major League Baseball Draft, with the 805th overall pick.

 

"It was tough," Willcutt said. "We watched it all day (Tuesday) and after it stopped, it was a tough night waiting to find out where I'd go. There was a lot of relief (Wednesday).

 

Willcutt monitored the draft with his family in his hometown of Columbus. The 50-round draft started Tuesday afternoon, and resumed Wednesday.

 

Willcutt said he expected to be drafted sometime between the 15th and 25th rounds. He expects the Brewers to send him to their rookie-level team in Helena, Mont.

 

Willcutt led Southern Miss with 16 home runs and 82 RBIs this past season.

 

"He had a super year," Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer said. "I'm very happy he got drafted. He deserved it."

 

Willcutt was the only Southern Miss player drafted this year. The Golden Eagles had five players drafted last season, and three after the 2003 campaign.

 

Willcutt entered his junior year with hopes of being drafted a year early, but he struggled at the plate early in the year and was passed over as a junior.

 

"This year, I just went out and had fun," Willcutt said Wednesday. "I went out and knew professional baseball was a good possibility for me. I'm happy to be picked by the Brewers today."

 

Palmer said he expects Willcutt to hold his own in the minor leagues.

 

"Brad has a good, level swing and he's throwing better than he has since he was a freshman," Palmer said. "I think he'll do fine, I really do."

[batman]

Round 28: Scotty McKnight - SS

6'1", 155 lbs - Saddleback CC - California

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- Former Saddleback Gauchos include Mark Grace, Tim Wallach, and Nick Punto.

 

- He was a freshman this past season. He hails from Temecula Valley, California.

 

- He was named to the 2005 Orange Empire All-Conference Second Team.

 

- In 144 at-bats, he hit .354/.411/.493 with 7 2B, 3 HR, and a 9:31 K:BB ratio.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

[batman]

Round 29: Dane Renkert - RHP

6'1", 210 lbs - Washington State University - Washington

 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wast/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/109233.jpeg

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- An ace reliever, Renkert went 1-3 with 5 saves and a 4.89 ERA in 30 appearances (one start). He fanned 41 and walked 19 in 57 innings and opponents batted .295 against him. He allowed three home runs and led his team in ERA, appearances, saves, and games finished.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

Washington State Player Profile:

http://wsucougars.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/renkert_dane00.html

 

Bellingham Herald, 6-9-05

 

Sehome graduate and former Bellingham Bell Dane Renkert was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 29th round of Major League Baseball's draft on Wednesday.

 

"He's had a couple good years with us with the Bells and he's proven himself at Lower Columbia and Washington State," said Brandon Newell, Bells co-head coach and Northwest Scouting Supervisor for the Brewers.

 

"He's a strong kid who's durable and throws strikes."

 

Newell said Renkert will report on Sunday to the Helena (Mont.) Brewers of the Pioneer League.

 

Renkert was honorable mention all-Pac-10 and led the Cougars in ERA (4.89) and set a record for appearances (30) in a single-season by a pitcher.

[batman]

Round 30: Omar Aguilar - RHP

6'0", 220 lbs - Merced College - California

 

http://www.mercedsun-star.com/images/xtq_pictures/20050504-images/175983-68671.jpg

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- He has a commitment to the University of Oklahoma.

 

- He hails from Livingston, CA.

 

- He was selected in the eighth round of the 2004 draft by the San Francisco Giants.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

From the Merced Sun-Star, 05-04-2005:

 

Despite a scandal surrounding racial slurs made by the head coach who recruited him, Merced College pitcher Omar Aguilar said he still intends to honor his letter of intent to attend Oklahoma.

 

Aguilar, who signed with the Sooners in the fall, said he won't rule out going to Oklahoma as long as pitching coach Fred Corral is retained on the coaching staff.

 

"I talked to (Corral) and he said everything was going to be all right," Aguilar said. "He's the reason I want to go there."

 

Fourteen-year Sooners head coach Larry Cochell resigned Sunday night, five days after using a racial slur in an off-camera interview with ESPN.

 

The network said Friday that Cochell, who is white, used a slur after praising one of his players, a freshman outfielder who's black.

 

Aguilar said he was shocked by the story.

 

"That's not at all the type of person he is," said Aguilar, who made an official visit to Norman in the fall and signed shortly after. "He's a good coach and he's been there a while."

 

Cochell was 511-336-1 in his career at Oklahoma, which included a College World Series title in 1994.

 

Blue Devils coach Chris Pedretti, whose son Joel is redshirting for the Sooners this year, echoed Aguilar's sentiment.

 

"I'm not surprised that he resigned," Pedretti said, "but in my dealings with him and his reputation over the years, he has been outstanding."

 

Aguilar has sat out much of the year for MC because of soreness in his throwing elbow, and Oklahoma is not his only option. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the eighth round in 2004.

 

Even though he has not seen much action this season, Aguilar said he will have the chance to sign with the Giants before the 2005 draft, but probably for less money than if had he pitched the entire year.

 

For now, he's keeping his options open. As is Joel Pedretti, according to Chris Pedretti.

 

Joel, a former All-Central Valley Conference second baseman at MC, may or may not stay at Oklahoma depending on the coaching situation, Chris said.

 

"He's very disappointed," said Chris. "He was looking forward to playing for coach Cochell."

 

From the Merced Sun-Star, 06-01-2005:

 

Things got a lot clearer for one Blue Devil this week, but for pitcher Omar Aguilar, it's back to the draft board.

 

Merced College sophomore shortstop A.J. Pinocchio signed a letter of intent to play at Long Beach State shortly after being named a junior college All-American.

 

Pinocchio was second on the team with 50 hits and a .370 batting average and led MC in runs and walks. He was one of three Central Valley Conference infielders to be named to the All-America team along with Modesto Junior College's Aaron Reza and Porterville's Juan Verdejo.

 

"It's one of the best honors I've had in my baseball career," said Pinocchio, a Sonora native, on being named to the team. "I know the other two guys and those guys are great players. It's a great category to be put in."

 

Long Beach State will host an NCAA regional this weekend, but Pinocchio said it was not only the team's current success that clinched his signing after going on a recruiting visit last week.

 

"I think it's all coaching," he said. "I got to watch them practice instead of playing in games. I got to see more of a hands-on aspect and how the coaches deal with the players."

 

Pinocchio will head to Long Beach in the fall, where he hopes to replace All-Big West shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is expected to be drafted early in the June 7 amateur draft.

 

Although secure in his decision, Pinocchio said if he is drafted, he may have to re-weigh his own options -- which is exactly what Aguilar will be doing.

 

The hard-throwing right-hander declined to sign with the San Francisco Giants, the team that took him in the eighth round in last year's draft.

 

Aguilar said the Giants offered him a $50,000 signing bonus, but he's hoping to raise his stock after an injury-plagued 2005 campaign and enter this year's draft with the hopes of being offered more.

 

Aguilar also signed with Oklahoma this past fall and is confident he will attend despite head coach Larry Cochell resigning midway through the season after using a racial slur in an off-camera interview with ESPN.

 

"I'm still pretty strong about it," Aguilar said. "If the pitching coach (Fred Corral) ends up leaving, maybe I'll change my mind."

 

For now, Aguilar is focused on rebuilding his reputation as a hot prospect after elbow tendonitis problems limited him to just 20 1/3 innings pitched this season.

 

"I've been throwing bullpens at 100 percent, and my fastball is back up to where it used to be," Aguilar said. "I stayed positive, and my arm came back with just a little bit of rest."

 

Aguilar said he will participate in as many pre-draft workouts as he can to show he is back at full strength, and Pedretti secured a spot for him in the Cape Cod wood bat league this summer.

 

Although going to Oklahoma and appealing for a chance at coming back to MC remain options, Aguilar is trained on the draft.

 

"I'm just waiting, seeing what teams call," he said. "So we'll see."

 

From the Merced Sun-Star, 06-09-2005 (Byline Shawn Jansen):

 

Omar Aguilar knew his arm problems this spring would scare off many major league teams from drafting him. The Milwaukee Brewers weren't afraid.

 

The Brewers selected the former Merced College right-hander with the fifth pick in the 30th round in the second day of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft Wednesday.

 

Merced High pitcher Curtis Partch was the only other local player drafted Wednesday. Partch was picked by the San Francisco Giants in the 49th round. Former Golden Valley and Merced College pitcher Doug Fister was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Yankees Tuesday.

 

Elbow tendonitis sidelined Aguilar for most of the spring. The Blue Devils ace made just six appearances for Merced College this past season. Aguilar finished with two saves and a 2.66 ERA in 201/3 innings pitched.

 

"The injury did scare some teams," said Aguilar, who was selected with the 895th pick. "I wasn't too worried about being drafted or not. I was happy someone drafted me, but I knew it would be late."

 

Getting drafted never gets old for Aguilar. It's the third straight year Aguilar has been picked in the draft. The Giants selected Aguilar out of Livingston High in the 27th round in 2003. The Giants then picked Aguilar in the eighth round last year.

 

Aguilar will wait to see what the Brewers offer before he decides to sign or head to the University of Oklahoma to play baseball next year.

 

"One of things coach (Chris) Pedretti always said was to make sure you have a backup plan," said Aguilar, who plans to play in a summer league in Yuba City. "It's going to depend what the Brewers think of me. We'll see if they want to sign me or if they think I'm a draft and follow."

 

Like Aguilar, Partch pitched sparingly for the Bears this spring. The senior right-hander finished with a 1-3 record with a 5.25 ERA in just 22 and2/3 innings. However, the Giants like the potential of the hard-throwing 6-foot-5, 200-pound Partch.

 

"It surprised me at first," said Partch, who's currently in Colorado with the Merced Volunteers. "It's really exciting. I don't know how to explain it."

 

Partch drove to San Francisco last week to work out for the Giants at SBC Park. The Giants then used the 1,468th pick to select Partch, who plans to play at Merced College next season.

 

"I've been a Giants fan my whole life," Partch said. "It makes it extra special to get drafted by my team."

 

From the Appeal Democrat, 06-26-2005 (Byline Justin Miller):

 

The Gold Sox have lost another player to a major league organization with pitcher Omar Aguilar signing with the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Aguilar, a Merced College product, was drafted by the Brewers in the 30th round earlier this month in the amateur draft and had a scholarship offer from University of Oklahoma. He made just one appearance with the team after arriving a week ago and looked promising, hitting in the mid 90s while working one spotless inning in the Gold Sox 2-1 win over the Sacramento Legends.

[batman]

Round 31: Patrick Murray - 1B

6'2", 230 lbs - Marina High School - California

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 32: William Pennington - LF

6'4", 225 lbs - University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa - Alabama

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 33: Jorge Core - RHP

6'2", ? lbs - Puerto Rico Baseball Academy - Puerto Rico

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 34: Riley (Brock) Kjeldgaard - RHP

6'5", 215 lbs - Indian Hills CC - Iowa

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

He goes by the name Brock but his given name is Riley.

 

He was named to the Region XI All-Academic first-team thanks to his perfect 4.0 grade point average.

 

Predictably, he hails from London, Ontario, Canada.

 

This was his freshman season at Indian Hills.

 

He played in the Premier Baseball League of Ontario on the London Badgers. (LINK)

 

From the London Badgers' website, 03-26-2005:

 

Ex London Badgers A.J. Reed of Lambeth and Brock Kjeldgaard of London recently participated in the Pima Community College Wood Bat Tournament in Tucson Arizona over Spring Break. A.J. and Brock, good friends at home and roommates at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville Iowa, were instrumental in the Falcons 3rd place finish at this yearís tournament. Brock turned in a stellar performance on the mound in the bronze medal game against Cochise Community College of Douglas, Arizona scattering five hits over six innings. He struck out two and didnít walk a single batter. A.J.ís contributions were with the bat and the leather compiling a .611 batting average (11 for 18) including a home run, two triples and two doubles during his ten-day stay as well as providing solid defence at second base. For his efforts A.J. was named to the tournament all-star team along with fellow team-mate, third baseman Brian Joynt of Knoxville, Iowa.

 

A.J. is fresh off a 2004 season at Indian Hills that saw him compile a .353 batting average. This included going 25 for 53 in the post season helping to lead his team to a 4th place finish at the Division I Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. Brock, a year younger, enjoyed similar success playing for the Badgers last summer as the perennial local baseball powerhouse won the bronze medal at the Canadian Midget Baseball Championships held in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Speaking of Western Canada, the ìboys of summerî have signed on to play for the Medicine Hat Mavericks of the Western Major Baseball League this summer where, amongst others, they will be competing against good friend and ex-Badger Ron Oneson of Ashland University who will be playing first base for the Calgary Dawgs!

 

From the London Free Press, 01-28-2003:

 

There are certain givens when it comes to baseball in London.

 

Minor league professional baseball will come and go with someone always willing to give London yet another chance.

 

The London Majors will be around forever with Arden Eddie owning them.

 

And the London Badgers minor baseball organization will be one of the most successful in Canada, developing at least one outstanding prospect professional organizations would like to have in their systems.

 

This year is no different. Mike Lumley, midget coach and technical co-ordinator for the Badger program, has his teams working out three or four times a week. There are regular conditioning sessions as well as weight training. He has what is becoming an annual trip to North and South Carolina planned for March.

 

He has a core of returning players from a midget team that won the Ontario Baseball Association midget title.

 

Every team needs a centrepiece and in this case, Lumley has several. He always tries to be understated because he knows that in just about any sport, fame can be fleeting. A kid who can hit a baseball now might never be able to hit it once he gets to another level.

 

But Lumley is succinct when it comes to describing third baseman Jamie Romak.

 

"He might be the best we've had," Lumley said.

 

Now that's saying a mouthful, especially when one looks at Badgers alumni.

 

"You look at his size, his projectability and he has unlimited potential," Lumley said.

 

Romak was named the OBA senior player of the year last season. A year earlier, Badger Chris Robinson won the award. Robinson and Romak played on Canada's national junior team.

 

Robinson is playing on a baseball scholarship at the University of Illinois, while Romak has signed a letter of intent to play at NCAA Division 1 South Alabama University. Romak has indicated he'll probably sign if he is offered a professional contract after the major league draft in June.

 

The only player ranked ahead of him is Adam Loewen, a left-handed pitcher from Surrey, B.C., who was the highest Canadian ever drafted by major league baseball. He was taken fourth overall by the Baltimore Orioles, but has not signed a contract with them. If he doesn't sign, he'll go back into the draft.

 

He'll be taken early. At six-foot-one and 215 pounds, he's a powerful player. He's rated the No. 2 Canadian player and is listed in the top 175 high school players by Baseball America.

 

Lumley also has catcher Brian Blackburn in his lineup. Blackburn is a top prospect who hasn't made a decision on what school he will attend. Blackburn, who attended a camp at Western Michigan University recently, threw the ball to second base in 1.88 seconds.

 

"Phenomenal," Lumley said.

 

So the list goes on.

 

It's an impressive list. Other players who are at university on scholarships besides Robinson are John Boom and Jeff Loveys at the University of Buffalo; Kevin Martin and Sean Latimer at Barton College; Chuck Roberts at Tuscalum College; Kevin Macdonald at St. Cloud University and Will Stewardson at Eastern Michigan. All are starters.

 

And don't think the list stops there. Lumley is high on pitcher Brock Kjeldgaard, just turned 17. He's six-foot-four and has been timed at 85 miles an hour.

 

Several of Lumley's players are doing tours at university baseball clinics.

 

"It's the universities' way of recruiting without really recruiting for 17- and 18-year-olds. Kids aren't stupid. They know what's going on. They know the university coach is going to be there. They go down and the coach gets a look at them. We like them to go down because not only do they get exposure but they always learn a few things."

 

As well as offering a good advertisement for the program, providing the other given in London baseball every year: the Badgers guarantee several youngsters the opportunity to obtain a quality education on and off the field.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 35: Sebastien Vendette - RHP

6'0", 165 lbs - Northeastern Oklahoma A&M - Oklahoma

 

http://www.neoam.edu/~baseball/Sebastin_Vendette-w.jpg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

He was selected in the 36th round of the 2004 draft by the Florida Marlins.

 

He hails from Laval, Quebec and went to Ahuntsic College High School.

 

This was his freshman season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (home of the Horsemen).

 

From SLAM Sports, 05-26-2004:

 

RP Sebastien Vendette was brilliant.

 

RHP Nicolas Bleau (Mercier, Que.) and RP Morgan Carlile (Charlottetown, PEI) weren't bad either.

 

If Team Canada's pitchers hold the opposition to two earned runs, it should be good enough right.

 

Well, it may be early and the pitchers may be ahead of the hitters, or however, that old spring training saying goes.

 

Yet, the Canadian National Junior Team stranded a total of 10 runners in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies Rookie-Class Dominican summer league team at Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic.

 

(Boca Chica of course is the where former Blue Jays MVP George Bell, in 1987, has his orange groves.)

 

So, Team Canada won its first game against the Blue Jays and then dropped its next two. Both were winnable games, as they stranded 21 runners in its previous two contests.

 

Vendette (Laval, Que.) pitched three scoreless innings for coach Greg Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont.) The righty had one blemish on his outing -- a base hit -- while striking out four.

 

Vendette impressed with Academie du Baseball Canada on their March trip:

 

Worked two scoreless innings, fanning four, in a game which ended in a 9-9 tie against the Ontario Blue Jays 18s at Cocoa Beach, Fla.

 

Pitching two scoreless, striking out a pair, in a 4-0 ABC win over Team Ontario.

 

Pitching two scoreless innings against the Single-A New York Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla. Vendette faced only seven hitters, walking one, allowing one hit and striking out a pair.

 

Working two innings in a 20-3 loss to the Single-A Atlanta Braves at Kissimmee, Fla. He allowed three hits, including a homer, while walking one and striking out three.

 

Bleau started and allowed a run in each of the first two innings, one earned, one unearned, as he walked one and struck out two.

 

Carlile allowed two hits in the seventh, a lead-off triple and a one-out single, and one run, while fanning three in his two innings.

 

With the score 3-1 entering the top of the ninth, Steve Hornastaj (Waterloo, Ont.) walked and Tim Smith (Toronto, Ont.) singled, putting the tying run at first.

 

Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC), the home-run hero against the Jays, lined a hard-hit ball which was turned into a 4-6-3 double play, as Hornastaj moved to third.

 

Issael Gonzalez (Montreal, Que.) singled to score Hornastaj and put the tying run on first, but Carl Moniz (Laval, Que.) grounded out to end the game.

 

Canada cut the 2-0 deficit in half with a run in the fifth when Marc-Olivier Mimeault (St-Constant, Que.) walked and Andrew MacDonald (Charlottetown, PEI) hit a run-scoring double.

 

Team Canada next plays the Cleveland Indians in team in Boca Chica.

 

This eight-game tour was planned Canada in preparation for the XXII World yunior championships, Sept. 3-13 in Taipei, Taiwan.

 

The team is facing Latin American players on minor-league teams of five MLB clubs.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 37: Stephen Barnes - RHP

6'3", 215 lbs - Lake City CC - Florida

 

http://img117.echo.cx/img117/5681/barnes5cm.jpg

 

(Full-Size Photo)

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Was selected by the Brewers last season in the 36th round (remarkable coincidence).

 

From Patrick Ebert's Draft and Follow Article:

 

Barnes is a good sized righty (6'3", 215) that has shown a powerful arm, but has struggled to consistently pitch in the 90s. His curveball also flashes plus potential, but he needs to tighten his mechanics to become a more consistent pitcher. From his Head Coach at Lake City CC, Tom Clark: "Barnes was shut down for most of the fall with some tenderness in his forearm, so we decided to not take any chances with him. He should be fine for the spring though and hopefully will grab one of our starting rotation spots. When I saw him in the spring he was 89-91 with a curve, slider and a change up. Had excellent control. If he is healthy he should play a large role on our team." Like Johnson, Barnes needs to show consistency, and if he does while staying healthy, there's a good chance he'll be added to the farm system by June.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 37: Christopher Hopkins - CF

5'11", 170 lbs - Sierra JC - California

 

http://www.sierracollege.edu/ed_programs/physical_education_and_athletics/bb/bbimages/whopkins.jpg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

From the Sierra College website:

 

Year: Freshman

High School: Bishop O'Dowd

High School Coach: Joel Kaufman

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 160

Bats: R

Throws: R

Major: Undecided

Parents: Asha & Jerry McDowell

Sports Acheivements: 1st team HAAL 2004 baseball: team captain 2004: offensive MVP and 2nd team all HAAL 2003 Football: 2nd team All ANG baseball: went to China when I was 13 to play baseball: voted MVP at Dusty Baker school of baseball at 13.

 

Favorites:

Pro Team: Atlanta Braves

Pro Athlete: Ken Griffey, Jr.

TV Show: MTV Cribs

Music:Rap

Role Model: My brother

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 38: Christopher Jean - RHP

6'4", 175 lbs - Texas State University - Texas

 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/txst/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/119802.jpeg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Texas State Player Profile:

http://txstatebobcats.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/jean_chris00.html

 

He played his prep ball at Burleson High School in Texas.

 

He went 7-5 with a 4.24 ERA in 16 games, all starts. In 91 and a third innings, he struck-out 75 and walked 32 while holding opponents to a .262 batting average and just four homers.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 39: Bradley Miller - SS

6'0", 185 lbs - Cowley County CC - Kansas

 

http://www.cowleytigers.com/images/baseballimages/bradmiller.jpg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

This was his freshman season at Cowley County and he was named the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division First-Team at shortstop and to the All Region VI Team.

 

From Cowley County's Player Profile:

 

Dual player with great potential. Will pitch in the starting rotation and play shortstop when he is not scheduled to pitch. Named to the Oklahoma Sunbelt Team and Oklahoma All-State Team as a senior at Latta High School.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 40: Ryan Crew - SS

6'0", 175 lbs - University of Texas-San Antonio - Texas

 

http://www.goutsa.com/images/baseball/2005mugs/crew_ryan_mugw.jpg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

UT-San Antonio Player Profile:

http://www.goutsa.com/baseball/bios/crew.asp

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 41: Jordan Lennerton - 1B

6'2", 215 lbs - El Paso CC - Texas

 

http://langleyblaze.com/04roster/images/1.jpg

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Another Canadian, Lennerton hails from Langley, British Columbia where he starred on the Langley Blaze in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League.

 

Langley Blaze Player Profile:

http://langleyblaze.com/04roster/04_rosterview.php?key=1

 

From Team One:

 

Pure left hitter with power to both fields. Works counts, appreciates balls and strikes.

 

He was rated as a Team One Top-50 HS First-Baseman in 2004 (7th) and a Team One Top-200 High School Senior (110th).

 

He was a teammate of Venndette's on the Canadian National Team.

 

From SLAM Sports, 04-20-2004:

 

The toughest state to hit a home run in is Florida.

 

Why? Because the winds are always blowing, seldom out, and all the minor-league parks are built to hold the home run sluggers who spent six weeks there each spring.

 

The fences at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. held Jordan Lennerton. But just barely as the Single-A Houston Astros edged Team Canada 4-2.

 

Lennerton (Langley, BC) hit three doubles as the Canadian Junior National Team fell to 1-2 on its Florida trip.

 

With the Astros farmhands leading 2-0, Lennerton doubled to right in the third, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a ground ball by catcher Joel Collins (Richmond, Hill, Ont.).

 

Lennerton hit his third double of the game with out out in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate with none out. Two strikeouts and a ground ball to first ended the Team Canada threat.

 

Canada scored its second run earlier in the ninth when Mike Saunders (Victoria, BC) led off with a triple and scored on a balk.

 

Lefty Dan Zehr (Guelph, Ont.) pitched three innings, being touched for a pair of runs in the second inning. Zehr hit a batter and after a bunt single a fly ball out and a stolen base, put runners on second and third. The next hitter delivered the only hit to the outfield -- a two-run single to centre.

 

Right-hander David Clark pitched a scoreless fourth and then the Astros farmhands scored in the fifth against lefty Morgan Carlile (Summerside, PEI). He allowed a one-out double to Alvaro Ezponisa, who stole third and scored on a fly ball.

 

Working in his second inning Sebastien Vendette (Laval, Que.) allowed three-straight singles in the eighth.

 

At the plate, Issael Gonzalez (Montreal, Que.) had a 2-for-3 days, while Cory Wiltshire (Bowen Island, BC) also had a pair of hits.

 

Next, Team Canada plays the Detroit Tigers farmhands.

 

He was selected in the 50th round of the 2004 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

 

He received Honorable Mention honors for the Western Junior College Athletic All-Conference Team.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 42: Chris Copot - C

6'2", 175 lbs - Lethbridge CC - Canada

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Copot was selected by the Brewers in the 35th round of the 2004 draft and was D&F eligible.

 

From Patrick Ebert's DFE Article:

 

Copot, like Patterson, plays for the Prairie Baseball Academy in Lethbridge, Alberta. The first of two draft and follow catching candidates, Copot is a similar prospect to Clay Blevins, a draft and follow candidate from a year ago, in that he bats left-handed and is more refined at the plate offensively than he is behind it defensively. He has good size and athleticism at 6'3", 185, and starred in hockey as a hard-hitting defenseman as a Calgary prepster. Copot has the perfect no-nonsense demeanor to don the tools of ignorance.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 43: Kyle Eveland - 2B

5'10", 175 lbs - Palmdale HS - California

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

He is the younger brother of Dana Eveland.

 

Diamond King Baseball Player Profile:

dkings.com/players/report...ayerID=804

 

Strong, medium frame, middle infielder with broad shoulders and powerful legs. Runs well and is aggressive on the bases, applies pressure to the defense. Offensively, Kyle, is a contact hitter who hits a lot of line drives, has the ability to drive the ball into the gaps. Bat speed was above average with good balance and quick hands. Very consistent defensively, shows above average lateral movement, can get to balls up the middle and in the hole. Arm strength was very good during the combine workout, consistent release point, makes throws that are easy to handle. Stays low and balanced on ground balls with his hands out front. Confident player who competes very hard and is not afraid to make the difficult play.

 

Baseball Resource Player Profile:

www.baseballresource.com/...M2Pwhr0D43

 

(Includes his email address... leave him alone! )

 

He was named to the All Southern California 2nd Team (Classes 2005-2006).

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 44: G.W. Washington - RF

6'2", 175 lbs - Demopolis HS - Alabama

 

NOTES & INFO:

 

- His given name is George Washington.

 

- He also starred on his high school's basketball team.

 

NEWSPAPER AND WEB COVERAGE:

 

From the Alabama Prospects site:

 

(2005 Top Outfielders) GW is a fast, smooth outfielder who flashes nice arm strength. He covers ground in the outfield and can run balls down in the gap. He lacks good power at the plate and needs to improve his plate discipline. Nice small college player. Good athlete.

 

From the Demopolis Times, 06-11-2005 (Byline Jerry Hinnen):

 

There were a lot of ballplayers selected in this week's Major League Baseball draft before the Milwaukee Brewers picked DHS All-State right fielder G.W. Washington in the draft's 44th round. But there are thousands more out there who'd give just about anything to have the shot Washington received when his name was called out Wednesday.

 

"He's a tools guy. He can run, he can catch, he's got great arm strength," says Brewers scout Joe Mason, who lives in Montgomery and has watched Washington develop for years. "We felt maybe he could really come on with more [physical] maturity. ...He has a chance at being a real player."

 

But Washington, a left-handed batter who finished DHS's title season with 4 homers, 30 RBIs, and a .394 average won't be skipping off to play minor league ball just yet. He signed a scholarship offer with Alexander City's Central Alabama Community College last January 20, and Mason says the Brewers plan on letting him develop at C.A.C.C. for a season before considering signing him. A knee injury that hampered Washington in the latter part of DHS's championship run makes the Brewers' decision to wait even more likely.

 

"We're going to watch him for a year," Mason says. "We think once he gets his knee fixed, he'll be an even better player."

 

The Brewers retain his draft rights for a calendar year, leaving a window between the end of C.A.C.C.'s season and the 2006 draft in which Washington could be signed. If not, he will be eligible to be drafted again. DHS head baseball coach James Moody says that if Washington continues improving the way he has the previous two seasons, a professional contract will become a real possibility.

 

"The last two years he's made great strides to get to this point," Moody says. "He's in good position. If he has a great year next year it'll really open the door for him."

 

Although not necessarily expecting Washington's selection, Moody says it makes sense to draft a player with the kind of potential Washington carries.

 

"I think it's an indication of the talent he possesses," Moody says. "The thing they're looking at is, he's 6' 2" and weighs 175, so he can probably carry 30, 35, 40 more pounds on his frame. And with the talent and skills he has...those are hard to teach."

 

Washington is the third DHS player drafted during Moody's tenure with the team, following Justin Barnes and Jason Smith, who was also drafted straight out of Demopolis and has spent most of the 2005 season with the Detroit Tigers. Moody says he's proud of Washington and glad for the further recognition his selection will give his team.

 

"It's not everyday you get somebody drafted out of Demopolis High School," Moody says. "It's a good time for our program."

 

It's a sentiment Mason, who has worked alongside Moody at baseball camps and has followed Washington since he was 14, might agree with, though he says there's enough eyes out there that any player who shines the way Washington has will draw attention.

 

"If you can play, " he says, "somebody's going to find you."

 

Attempts to reach Washington for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

 

From the Demopolis Times, 05-27-2005 (Byline Jerry Hinnen):

 

Some of them have been playing baseball together as long as they can remember. Some of them have been teammates since they were in the second grade. Some of them didn't join up until high school.

 

But that doesn't mean the bond between any two of Demopolis's 2005 senior class of baseball players, the school's most successful ever, is weaker than any other. At a collective interview with all 10 of DHS's champion seniors, the players agreed that that kind of one-for-all-and-all-for-one spirit that they'll remember long after the cheering has stopped.

 

"The thing I'll remember most is how much fun we had," says second baseman Bart Pettus. "We all got along so well, even practice was fun. We'd cut up the whole time."

 

"For me, it's the friendship," says Clarke Kerby. "Even when we're not out on the field, we're going to be together somewhere."

 

"The unity we've had," says outfielder Darrel Kent, "is something I'll never forget."

 

That kind of connection, the players say, doesn't just make winning the state championship more meaningful--it made the championship possible in the first place.

 

"I think it comes down to trust," says outfielder Chris Wasson. "When you know each other this well, you trust that other people are going to do their job. And that lets you just focus on your job and not worry about anyone else. You also know that even if you do make a mistake, your teammates are going to be right there to pick you up."

 

Outfielder G.W. Washington says that when a team is tied together that strongly, one teammate performing at a higher level means that before long, the entire team will be performing at that level.

 

"When one person on this team hits," he says, "then everybody's hitting."

 

A great example of that, the players say, is their amazing rally against Thomasville in the bottom of the sixth inning during the state semifinals. After a strikeout and a pop-up took DHS down to their final four outs of the game, a three-run homer by Seth Basinger jump-started an inning in which the Tigers would send 16 batters to the plate and score 12 runs.

 

Pitcher Devin Goodwin says what when he looks back on this season and his career at DHS, that memory will be the first thing he thinks of.

 

"When everybody's hitting like that, you just kind of stop thinking. I got on second before Seth hit his second home run, and I remember looking over at Thomasville and seeing the looks on their faces," he says. "What I'll remember is that we found a way to win when it counted the most...all the key games where we came back and won."

 

The seniors recounted various experiences that they expect will stay with them through the years: watching Basinger's winning home run claim the state title; the groups first state regional youth league titles; Coach Moody celebrating the championship with what a few players called "the donkey dance." Washington said "the first thing he remembers" about the 2005 seniors was how, in youth league baseball, "they welcomed me onto their local team with open arms, even though they'd never seen me."

 

It's that kind of friendliness that helped create the unity that has carried the 2005 champions. It's a unity that, has, however, also led to a very unique memory for Basinger.

 

"I'll never forget the feeling," he says, "of bring dogpiled on home plate."

 

The 2005 Demopolis senior baseball players are Chris Wasson, Chad Schroeder, Bart Pettus, G.W. Washington, Seth Basinger, Clarke Kerby, Devin Goodwin, Darrell Kent, Colby Roberts, and William Meador.

 

From the Demopolis Times, 05-28-2005 (Byline Jerry Hinnen):

 

Years from now, when the conversation on Demopolis's back porches and kitchen tables turns to the 2005 Demopolis High baseball team, it'll turn first to that one capital-M Moment. The Moment in the bottom of the eighth, in the first extra inning of the deciding game of the state championship series, with the scoreboard deadlocked 9-9. The Moment when senior catcher Seth Basinger got the pitch he wanted, turned on it, and launched a moon shot over the left field fence to bring home the state title in one swing.

 

Quite a Moment, yes. But if that's all that conversation turns to, it won't do the 2005 Demopolis Tigers justice. The championship may have been won in Montgomery's RiverWalk stadium, at that particular Moment, but it was won by hundreds of practice grounders fielded on dusty infields, countless hours in the batting cage, years spent forging team chemistry and baseball instinct.

 

Basinger's home run is, in fact, only one small piece of the many that have combined to make up Demopolis's championship season. The Wednesday following their climactic victory over Jacksonville High, the Demopolis baseball coaching staff sat down to discuss the many factors that led up to that one Moment in Montgomery.

 

Team Chemistry

 

If there's one characteristic of the 2005 team that the Demopolis coaching staff returns to again and again as the catalyst for the title run, it's the team's togetherness and senior leadership. The Tigers fielded a whopping 10 seniors on this year's roster, every one of them, the staff says, a high-character player willing to do whatever it takes to help the team succeed.

 

"This group's played together, in a lot of cases, since third or fourth grade," says assistant coach Danny Wasson, whose son, Chris, is one of those seniors. "You could tell, even when they were eight or nine, that this was an unusual group, not only of athletes, but of young men."

 

Freddie Lawrence, also an assistant on head coach James Moody's staff, wholeheartedly agrees.

 

"It certainly makes a difference when you have guys that have played together for so long and know each other that well," he says. "It's the same way with the football team. When people ask what we're losing, I say 'character.'"

 

That character manifested itself in countless ways during the season, Moody says, whether it's picking each other up after a bad play, keeping the team focused when ahead or behind, or accepting a role that might not be what the player had in mind. Moody pointed out the example of senior William Meador, who willingly filled the designated hitter position despite his desire to play regularly in the field

 

"We DH'd William and he never said a word," Moody says. "He took it in stride, was very unselfish about it and did a great job. Those things make a big difference. If he didn't respond that way, we'd have had a hard time. It's a tribute to him and to him believing in what we're trying to do. And then he took the mound and was a big part of the finals for us."

 

The team's readiness to help at whatever position they were needed created some much-welcomed depth, especially on the mound.

 

"We had 9 different pitchers win a game for us this season," Moody said. "Sometimes we don't have more than 4 or 5."

 

Another example of the team's unity has been the players' willingness to put everything on the line for the team, even after suffering an injury. Senior outfielder G.W. Washington suffered a knee cartilage injury during the season and was told he would require surgery when the regular season ended. But Washington worked with the team trainer "an hour and a half a day," Moody says, to ensure he could compete with the team during the playoffs.

 

"Everybody knows what he did for us," Moody says. "It's just unselfish."

 

That kind of senior leadership can inspire the rest of the team, as shown by junior third baseman Hunter Hawley, coming off a rough season of DHS football that had left him recovering from several injuries.

 

"His ACL, his MCL, his patella tendon...he hurt them playing football and we didn't know how much we'd be able to get from him," Moody said. "He ended up hitting .327 and had a great state tournament. And early in the year he didn't even start."

 

Moody says teams just don't become that tight-knit very often, and for that he can thank his remarkable 2005 senior class.

 

"My wide told me, you might win another state championship some day, but you'll never have a group of seniors, top-to-bottom, like this again," he says. "And I think that's true."

 

Intelligence

 

Another factor that set the 2005 team apart from its predecessors was its collective intelligence, both off the field and on.

 

"Something that certainly needs to be addressed is that all 10 seniors are going to school on either an athletic or academic scholarship," Moody says. "All 10. That's crazy. That just doesn't happen."

 

Wasson says one of his fondest memories of the group is a good example of how they have managed to stay both mentally and physically fit.

 

"The biggest memory I have, and I guess this is a bit strange, but they were 10 or 11 and we were going to the All-Star finals," he said. "And the game was the day after the new Harry Potter book came out. So we've got this group of boys going to play in a baseball tourney and on the way there they're all quiet, reading Harry Potter. And that shows that they're that good as students as well as being that competitive. They've stayed together and they've won together."

 

Wasson says that intelligence has always translated itself onto the field, and played a big role in the championship-deciding game against Jacksonville.

 

"Two different times during the championship game, we had fly balls with either the bases loaded or runners on second and third. And both times, instead of just the runner on third tagging, the runner on second tagged too, he said. "That brought us an extra run in both cases. It made a huge difference. You're not going to see many players who are smart enough to know how to react in that situation."

 

Another example occurred in the eighth inning of the title game, when senior infielder Bart Pettus fielded a grounder with a runner advancing from first. Pettus couldn't make the play at first to get the batter, but rather than routinely tossing the ball back to the pitcher, Pettus kept his head up and threw the Jacksonville baserunner out as he tried to sneak his way to third.

 

"Those are things you can't teach them," Wasson says. "They just have great instincts."

 

That instinct extends to their base-running, Moody says, an underappreciated skill that can earn the team extra outs over the course of the game--and eventually, extra runs as well.

 

"This group is the best one I've had," he says, "when it comes to sliding and being able to avoid the tag... They have a great feel and a flow for the game. There are times where I could just look at a kid and not say anything, and he'd know what we needed him to do. We talk about them being academically smart, but they're athletically smart, too."

 

Moody jokes that maybe sometimes, they're even a little too academically smart.

 

"Baseball-wise, we do fine," he says. "Conversation-wise, I can't even talk to them."

 

Coaching

 

As great as their instincts might be, the Demopolis players say they still wouldn't be anywhere near where they are without their coaching staff.

 

"I don't think we could have had a better coaching staff," Basinger says.

 

The players said that they appreciated, in particular, Moody's (normally) relaxed coaching style and his dedication to keeping his players encouraged and positive.

 

"Coach Moody's usually pretty laid-back," says senior catcher/pitcher Clarke Kerby. "We could talk to him. It helps keep off some of the pressure."

 

"Coach Moody never gave up on us," says senior outfielder Darrel Kent, "even if we fell behind a little bit."

 

For their part, the coaches gave credit to the players for being coach-able and were grateful for the coaching assistance they received during the season from Justin Barnes, a former Demopolis slugger who recently spent time in the Detroit Tiger organization.

 

"When Justin Barnes came to help us, I think that played a big part, Moody said. "Like it or not, some times they'll talk to him when sometimes they won't talk to us. There's definitely some things they'll tell him that I won't hear."

 

That comes partially from the age difference between himself and his players, Moody says, but also from the admiration Barnes's eye-popping career numbers continue to earn amongst current DHS players.

 

"He's able to relate to them more on their age level," Moody says. "They know what he had done while he was here. The kids know that. They respect that. His being around helped us a lot."

 

"Something he said [about the team] just killed me," Moody added. "He said they're like the Lakers: when the lights come on, they play. When it matters, they play. That's the way it is."

 

The Injury

 

Virtually any coach at any level will tell you: No matter how well you prepare, no matter how talented your players, to win a championship you have to have a little luck, too.

 

For Demopolis, that came in the form of something that at first appeared to be a sizable hindrance rather than a help: an injury to starting catcher Clarke Kerby's throwing arm.

 

"We'd gotten back [from a road game] and they were unloading the bus, and Clarke walked around to the front of the bus and tried to grab his bag with his right arm. And he couldn't pick it up," Moody says. "I thought to myself 'What are we doing?' I told them the next day we were going to have to rest Clarke for a while."

 

The upshot of Kerby's injury was that Basinger, who had been starting at third base, was moved to catcher. According to Lawrence, the move to switch Basinger behind the plate was the one that ultimately brought the team out of some early-season doldrums and sent it on the championship path.

 

"What people don't realize is that in sports, a lot of time, injuries can be good for you. Injuries have actually been a blessing for us," he says. "I think the turning point was when Basinger started catching."

 

The coaches emphasized that they don't mean any disrespect to Kerby. But the position change resulted in an immediate difference in Basinger's ability to connect with breaking pitches, making Demopolis's biggest bat even more dangerous.

 

"He could see the ball better. He was hitting it pretty good before, but when he moved behind the plate he started just killing it," Moody says. "It's because he was seeing so many breaking balls. When you're not catching, the only time you see them is during a game. You don't see them at practice. So he went from seeing maybe a handful a game to seeing 40 or 50 breaking balls a game at the plate. Any time anyone does that, they'll pick up the spin a lot better."

 

It wasn't a coincidence that DHS followed Basinger's switch with some of the their best baseball of the year the following weekend, going 5-1 at the Alexander City Lake Martin Classic. The Tigers' performance during that Tournament, going against some of the state's best teams and most intimidating pitchers on a rain-shortened schedule, was what convinced Wasson that the team had the potential to return to the state finals.

 

"We beat the Swann kid from [Montgomery Academy]. We beat the Wheeler kid from Childersburg. Because of the weather and the schedule, we faced everyone else's number-one, played six games in three days, and still won five of them," he said. "We just stayed out in the hotel, got away from everything and just focused on baseball, and from then on we won 80 percent of our games."

 

The Turning Point

 

Despite Basinger's renaissance at the plate, with only a week remaining in the regular season Moody was concerned that his team might end its season in disappointment again. The Tigers played an April 16 double-header against Prattville and Enterprise and dropped both games, 5-2 against Prattville and 3-1 to Enterprise in the nightcap.

 

More troubling than the losses to Moody was the Tigers' inconsistent, sloppy play. The Tigers committed eight errors total on the day, six alone in the Prattville contest, and had given up a number of unearned runs that played a vital role in the games' outcomes.

 

"I would say that was the low point," Moody says. "We're a week away from the playoffs and we lose 5-2 and 3-1 in games where he have more errors than we do hits."

 

Moody responded with a tongue-lasing he hoped would wake the team from its doldrums.

 

"We came home and I talked to them on the bus. I told them I was as disappointed as I had ever been in a group. I told them I didn't think they took it seriously enough. I'll be honest, I was really worried at that point," he said. "But from then on we went 13-2... If you ask about defining moments, that's one for me."

 

That's not to say Moody didn't--and doesn't--feel that he might have come on a little too strong.

 

"I met with them Monday and told them, Listen, I'm still disappointed, but I'm not going to holler at you anymore," he said. "You're seniors. You know what you need to do. Now let's go out and find a way to get done what we need to get done."

 

Senior pitcher Devin Goodwin agrees that the fallout from the April 16 double-header set the tone for the rest of the season.

 

"I think we were all trying as hard as we could, but things just weren't going our way," he says. "Coach got frustrated and said some things. He told us later that he'd overreacted, that he realized we were giving 100 percent and that we should go back to having fun. That was a big turning point. After that we started rolling again."

 

"That took a lot of the pressure off," says Kent. "Coach said it doesn't matter, just go out and play the way we know how to play."

 

Re-energized, the Tigers won three of their next four games, including big victories over archrival Thomasville and Hillcrest, a team that had handed DHS a loss in their first meeting. But there was still work to be done.

 

"One thing people don't realize," Moody says, "is that this was the worst defensive team we've ever had. But it's also the best offensive team we ever had."

 

The Big Inning

 

For the most part, Demopolis rolled through the early rounds of the playoffs, posting a 5-0 record in their first five games and sweeping both best-of-three series. The Tigers smoked the homestanding Daleville Warhawks in the playoffs' third round, posting a five-inning 10-run-rule victory in game two after walloping the Warhawks 9-2 in game one.

 

But there was one hiccup on the Tigers' path to the state semifinals. Despite being at home, Demopolis trailed the Opp Bobcats 5-2 entering the bottom of the seventh in game one of their second-round series. A Washington single was followed by a pair of quick outs, leaving the Tigers with only one baserunner and one out to work with.

 

But that was enough. A two-run Basinger shot was followed by singles from Kerby and Meador and a walk to Hawley. Kent then stepped up and drilled a single up the middle to plate Kerby and Meador and steal an emotional 6-5 win for the Tigers.

 

But Demopolis had an even more amazing rally in store.

 

"I don't think anybody," says Lawrence, "will forget that night against Thomasville."

 

The Tigers has taken game one of the state semifinal series 5-1, but had fallen behind their archrivals to the south 4-2 and had two outs in the bottom of the sixth. That's when something occurred that, in Moody's words, was "about as crazy a thing as I've seen."

 

Basinger connected with a three-run blast to give DHS a sudden 5-4 lead. But the Tigers weren't done yet by a longshot. Eleven consecutive Tigers proceeded to reach base, nine of whom crossed the plate to give DHS an amazing 14-4 lead before the shellshocked visitors could register the third out. The biggest blow was the inning's second bases-clearing three-run homer by Basinger.

 

"We went from down two to up one to up ten," said Moody. "These kids are connected that way. They feed off of each other. When we're hot we're hot, and when we're not, we're not."

 

The victory was especially sweet considering the rivalry that has sprung up between the two teams. After a long stretch of failure against Thomasville, Moody's teams have now won 8 of their last 10 against them, a fact that sits very well with DHS manager Albert "CannedGood" Thomas, who says the explosion against Thomasville was the highlight of the season for him.

 

"They think they're the only Tigers in the world," he says.

 

The Moment

 

DHS would need one more stirring comeback before claiming Moody's first state crown, though. Meador had come on in relief to preserve an 8-7 victory over the Jacksonville Golden Eagles in game one of the state championship series, but Jacksonville won the second game 6-3 to force a winner-take-all game for the title.

 

Entering the bottom of the sixth, Jacksonville looked like that winner. A big six-run fifth inning had opened up an 8-5 lead for the Golden Eagles, and an RBI single in the top of the sixth had stretched the lead to four.

 

But as they had against Opp, and as they had against Thomasville, the Tigers' big bats and rowdy fans refused to let their seniors graduate without that elusive championship.

 

"We had the best fan support," says Pettus. "If no one had been there, I think we would have lost. But every time we got down, they were there for us. Every time we left the field, they were standing and cheering. We didn't want to let them down."

 

"We knew this was our last shot," said Kent. "We just didn't want to lose."

 

They didn't. Solid work by Washington and senior outfielder Chad Schroeder helped load the bases for a Basinger walk to bring Demopolis within three. Kerby was hit by a pitch to cut it to two. Meador launched a sacrifice fly to cut it to one. And Hawley singled to drive in pinch-runner Chris Wasson and tie the game.

 

After Pettus's smart defensive play in the eighth preserved the tie, DHS recorded a pair of quiet outs to begin the bottom of the inning.

 

But that brought Basinger to the plate.

 

"I felt like I needed to do something," the big catcher says. "I'd been kind of quiet."

 

The coaches agreed that with Basinger having yet to launch a home run in the series, he might be due. As Basinger worked the count to 3-1, the tension became even more palpable.

 

"I just did what I'd always been taught," Basinger says. "He threw me a fastball, and I was sitting on it."

 

The next thing anyone knew, the game, the season, these seniors' brilliant careers--it was all over.

 

"I just felt an unbelievable amount of joy," Basinger said of his emotions as he circled the bases. "I don't know if I'll ever feel like that again."

 

"I didn't know what to do," said Lawrence. "It was just unbelievable."

 

"I went to my knees," said Wasson, coaching in his final game after a career that's spanned more than 25 seasons. "I just couldn't believe it was over."

 

But it was. The ending--players swarming Basinger at home, families crying for joy, the celebration lasting long after the lights had gone out--was what the team had imagined when they went to Montgomery last season. Both teams had plenty of talent and coaching. What was it that made the difference between this year and last?

 

"I think it was experience," Wasson says. "The difference the year before, when we played Hokes Bluff, was that they'd been there already. They knew the pressure and they didn't panic when they fell behind. This year we had that experience. When we were down 9 to 5, they knew somebody would step up and get it done. They didn't try to get it all back at once."

 

Lawrence says it's as simple as the players understanding, in the back of their minds, they'll never get another chance at a championship like this one.

 

"These kids knew," he says, "that this was it."

 

For Moody, the advantage was his team's refusal to quit hitting, even with two outs and the outlook bleak.

 

"I didn't really think we played well at all," he said. "But going into the finals, we'd scored 73 runs this season with two outs. Any time that you have that capability of treading on water, you have to think, 'Do we just have that magic one more time?'"

 

They did. Moody sat back in his office chair Wednesday, twenty-some-odd photographs of previous successful players on his wall, and talked about what separated this team, this group of seniors, from all those that had come before. He said that whenever he'd ask this team to do an odd job or two around the practice field or the school, they might cut up a little. They might do it slowly. They might have more fun doing it than was really necessary. But just as they would when faced with a four-run deficit in a championship game, just as they would when two outs and two strikes were staring them in the face, they always managed to get their work completed.

 

"It would've gotten done, period," Moody says, and pauses. "There's something about them. They don't come along very often."

[batman]

Round 45: Ulrich Snijders - C

6'1", 210 lbs - St. Petersburg JC - Florida

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Snijders was a 40th round pick in the 2004 draft by the Diamondbacks. He played his prep ball at Trinity Christian Academy in West Palm Beach, FL.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 46: Alex Lowrey - LF

6'1", 205 lbs - Monsignor Edward Pace HS - Florida

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 47: Matthew Broughton - RHP

6'1", 185 lbs - Triton Central HS - Indiana

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 48: Frederick Lewis - LHP

6'2", 190 lbs - Buchholz HS - Florida

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill

[batman]

Round 49: Cory Large - LHP

6'3", 175 lbs - LD Bell HS - Texas

 

Newspaper and web coverage:

 

Coming soon.

 

~Bill