EMERSON,
Ga. – Monday's round of ballgames was to be played in what could
possibly be the hottest day of the summer so far. Temperatures were
nearly reaching triple digits, and not even shade could get you away
from the heat. As the weather heats up so are the Academy Select Sun
Devils out of Dallas, Texas.
The
Sun Devils have handily beaten each of their first four opponents in
pool play by a combined score of 33-1. The Sun Devils picked up
competition today at the LakePoint complex in Emerson, Ga., against
the Grand Slam Blue Rocks. The Blue Rocks did not have much luck in
this contest, as the game was cut short by a run rule after the
fourth inning. The game ended with a final score of 14-0.
The
Blue Rocks faced the ever-so-challenging task of trying to keep these
Sun Devil hitters at bay, and the game got off to a promising start
as they were able to hold the offense to only one run. The next
inning would not go as well for the Blue Rocks, as the Sun Devils got
off to a hot start and immediately started rocking the Blue Rocks’
starter.
It
seemed as if everything that the Sun Devils hit was hit hard,
regardless of whether it was fair or foul. And it's a team that you
do not want to give extra bases to because they will make you pay.
They put an extreme amount of pressure on a pitcher when they are
occupying the basepaths, and it seems as if almost everyone in the
line-up has the speed to beat out a routine ground ball.
The
second inning was the turning point in this game, seeing as though
they put up a surprising 10 runs and hit through the order almost
twice. Almost every hitter in the lineup contributed to this monster
inning, but possibly none had more of an impact in this inning and
game than third baseman Kade Clemens.
Early
in the inning, Kade showed that he could pull the ball a long way if
you miss up in the zone against him and had a towering base hit that
bounced off the wall. The Blue Rocks had their fair share of wild
throws and errors that helped the Sun Devils pile up runs, but that
is not to take away from the outstanding hitting performance that
they showed as a team today.
Clemens
wasn't finished in the second inning after his base hit that almost
left the park. However, during his next time up he did go yard. After
the Sun Devils lineup batted all the way through, Clemens stepped up
to the plate and took a ferocious swing that connected with a
belt-high fastball. This ball was crushed, but he still was not done,
adding a base hit up the middle later in the game leaving him 3-for-3
on the day.
“Today
I was seeing the pitches real well,” exclaimed a vibrant Clemens.
“I saw a fastball out his hand, got my foot down early, and it
really paid off. In the cages I was just sticking with the same
routine I always have. I wanted to make sure I stayed within myself.”
Clemens
hasn’t received much attention from college recruiters yet, but if
he keeps up his hot hitting and defensive prowess, then he is sure to
garner some attention.
The
pitching in this game played a relatively small role, seeing as they
only played four innings, but the pitchers who did throw did a very
good job of putting zeros on the board. There were three different
pitchers for the Sun Devils in this game, which shows they have the
pitching to go deep into this year’s 16u WWBA National Championship
Qualifier.
“Our
team mindset going into this tournament was to do the best that we
could do and to control the things that we can control,” said
Clemens. “Over the course of a ballgame there are a lot of things
that are out of your control, but if you stay within yourself and
play the way you’ve been taught to play, then things will be
alright. It would be big for us to win this tournament so we can earn
our spot in the WWBA at Lakepoint in the upcoming weeks.”
Today’s
game was a Pennsylvania vs. Texas matchup, which is always intriguing
considering a lot of the teams that have competed in tournaments thus
far are from the Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee areas. This
team from Texas showed spectators that they mean business, and are
poised to make a run at the championship trophy. Last year they came
close to winning a WWBA National Championship, coming in third, but
this year they look to have a great chance to win it all.
Head
Coach Linty Ingram has had a few of the core guys on this team with
him for about six years and all of the Sun Devils are from areas
around the Dallas area. The Sun Devils have experienced much success
in Texas tournaments and they are pleased with the start that they
have had in the 2015 16u WWBA National Championship Qualifier. Coach
Ingram was very satisfied with his boys’ performance on Monday and
looks to them to raise their level of play as they enter the
playoffs.
“Pitching
will be huge for us moving forward,” Ingram said after the game.
“We usually swing it pretty good, but we fall short on pitching.
This summer we went out and got some more pitchers and we feel good
about the staff and bullpen that we have put together. I try to teach
these guys to take care of what they can control; to take care of the
little things and show maturity on the field.
“We
expect that from them and demand that from them, and they're
dedicated to playing winning baseball.”