EMERSON,
Ga. – The popping of mitts, the crack of the bat, and the absence
of that school bell that so many students dread day in and day out;
yup, it is that time of the year again.
Summer
baseball season has arrived, and not a minute to soon for the
ballplayers of the Georgia Legends. Comprised of top prospects from
all areas in the state of Georgia, the Legends hope to make a splash
this summer, and the WWBA Memorial Day Classic tournament at
LakePoint is their first stop. Many of these players just got out of
school and are coming off the heels of their state high school
baseball tournaments, and after today’s display in their 2-0 win
over the East Cobb Braves 17u squad, the transition from high school
ball to summer ball looks to be going quite smoothly.
Almost
every player on the Legends has committed to their respective schools
and are looking forward to starting their college baseball careers,
but as of right now, the only thing on their minds is winning this
tournament; and they have a good chance with the likes of South
Carolina commit Christopher Cullen and Georgia College commit Matthew
Heard.
There
was not much offense produced in this game, but the solo blast by
Cullen in the first inning got the run scoring started and provided
momentum in their victory. Aside from the scorching ball that Cullen
rocketed over the left field fence, he was also superb behind the
dish. Cullen put on a show with his spectacular pop time and his
ability to block everything and anything coming his way from behind
the plate.
Fortunately for the Legends,
the small amount of runs that they produced was all that was
required behind the arm of Matthew Heard, who had a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings. Heard was nothing short of dominant on the mound with
the command of his fastball and knee-buckling curveball, but much of
the credit can be given to the fielders behind him who provided
stellar defense to ensure the zeroes on the scoreboard.
The
most impressive part about the Legends’ first performance of the
summer is that most of the players barely learned each other’s
names, yet they meshed as a team and communicated extremely well.
They have only had one practice so far as a team and according to a
few players on the team, only half of them could even make it to the
practice.
“A
lot of us just got eliminated in our state playoffs, and a lot of us
aren’t familiar with each other,” said infielder and San Jacinto
CC commit Jake Ferentinos. “We’ve only had one practice so far
but I’d say we’re all pretty confident going into this
tournament.”
The
confidence is not misplaced considering the amount of talent that
this team has. The Legends consists of players who are committed to
big southeast schools in the SEC and ACC such as Alabama, Auburn,
Georgia Tech and South Carolina, so you can see why the minimal time
spent together as a team is a nonissue.
Regardless
of the fact that many of the players are somewhat strangers to each
other, they still get along as a team very well. From the moment that
they stepped on the field, they looked as if they had been playing
together all spring. They made double plays, put-outs, and leaping
catches look like a casual walk in the park. There was not a lot of
chatter from the dugout but the aura of their calm, cool and
collected attitude was easy to sense. One could tell that, between
the lines, this group of ball players from all corners of Georgia is
poised to make a successful run this summer because of how loose they
seemed.
“At
the end of the day, the love of the game and the desire to win is
something that we all have in common,” said outfielder Robert Knox.
“There is a sense of mutual respect amongst everyone, so people are
getting along pretty easily. We just want to win this tournament,
and keep on producing wins. I’d be lying if I said that we don’t
feel like we have the ability to do so.”
Heard
and Cullen seemed to be on the same page for the entire game, and
even the mound meetings between the two made it seem as if they had
been playing together for years. Despite the score being very close
for the duration of the game and many exciting plays, there was
little to no emotion shown by any player on the Legends. No matter
the intensity, this team handled their business in a manner that
professionals would respect; not to mention, they’re pretty fun to
watch too.
From
the looks of their first game, this Georgia Legends 18u squad should
be considered a force to be reckoned with. Only time will tell if
this team lives up to the expectations that they have set for
themselves, but know this, the Georgia Legends are not losing sleep
over the prospect of possibly losing a game. They believe they are
going to win, and they let their talent and ability take care of the
rest.