EMERSON,
Ga. – The 2015 17u WWBA National Championship Qualifier has had an
exciting round of pool play games and for some teams it all came down
to Tuesday's final set of games. The pressure rose as these deciding
games meant the difference between advancing to the playoffs and
simply playing a consolation game. Once in the playoffs, any team has
a chance to make a run at the championship, which guarantees a paid
invitation to the 2015 WWBA National Championship, so the stakes are
high for those eyeing that first place trophy.
There
has been an interesting development in Pool C, as three teams entered
Tuesday tied with the same record. Two of those teams squared off at
the LakePoint complex in Emerson, Ga., and by the end of it, one
would be seeing their championship hopes disappear. The 643 DP
Jaguars and the Tampa Terror went head-to-head in what was a very
intriguing matchup. Both teams had put up about the same amount of
runs going into this game, and both teams knew that it would take
everything that they had to come out with a win today.
Maximum
effort was needed to come out with a win in today’s game, and
almost every pitch mattered. This game was to be a pitcher’s duel
between the Jaguars starter, Wyatt Hughes, and Tampa Terror’s
starter, Christian James. This pitching matchup included a finesse
style of pitching from Hughes and a power pitching style from James.
Defense played a big role in this game, as there were big plays from
both teams.
Hughes’
performance was quite impressive and he was able to show a bulldog
mentality and get out of multiple jams. In the second inning, the
Terror were threatening with the bases loaded and Hughes was able to
get out of it. In the fourth and fifth innings, Hughes had to deal
with runners in scoring position once again, but found ways to get
out of those jams as well. Hughes flashed a low-80s fastball and kept
it low. He topped out at 84 mph and was painting the corners whenever
he could. He also had good sink on his fastball, as hitters had a
hard time squaring him up.
What
was most impressive was Hughes’ composure on the mound. When he
faced adversity, he did not shy away from continuously pounding the
zone and letting his defense work. Hughes did not have the best stuff
today, but his perseverance was the theme in his five shutout
innings.
Hughes
did well, but he was outdone by Tampa Terror’s Christian James.
James was absolutely dominant in his start today, throwing a complete
game two-hit shutout in a very important game. James’ breaking ball
was very sharp and was fooling hitters left and right, but it was his
fastball that was causing the most trouble for the Jaguars. His
fastball sat in the upper-80s, and he even hit 90 mph once or twice.
He
was pitching very well, and when he wasn’t striking people out, he
was allowing his defense to work behind him when he needed
double-play balls. James has real strikeout stuff, and that was shown
today in his 10 strikeout performance.
“Everything
was working for me today,” James said after the game. “When I was
ahead in the count, I would come with the curveball low in the dirt.
I just wanted to throw strikes and let my defense work. I think our
team really deserves a shot in the WWBA National Championship
considering how we have played so far. I think we showed we deserved
to be in the playoffs today.”
James
did an outstanding job on the mound and his performance is what made
the difference in this very close game. What may be even more
impressive is that James threw this game on very little rest; he
started the first game of the qualifier and stepped up when his team
needed him today. James has verbally committed to a local junior
college, but with his 90 mph velocity, a few Division I schools may
be starting to take notice.
Aside
from James’ performance, the Terror hitters finally started to come
around at the plate whenever Hughes was taken out of the game. They
were able to put up one run in each of the final two innings and came
out with the 2-0 win. And Although James earned the victory for his
performance, they will not advance to the playoffs.
Troy
Post 70, from Troy, Ala., advanced out of their pool because they won
the head-to-head matchup against the Terror, the first tiebreaker
given their identical 4-1 records. However, that does not take away
from the amazing baseball that the Terror played this week and in
Tuesday's game. Head Coach Steve Sharts was proud of the way his boys
played in this year’s 17u WWBA National Championship Qualifier and
expects them to continue their success as the summer progresses.
“We
played well all week, and everybody from top to bottom contributed,”
Sharts said after the win. “Unfortunately, in our third game we
slipped up and now we are in a position in which we may not advance.
Either way, I am still proud of these guys and the way that they have
been stepping up in these Perfect Game tournaments.
“A
lot of our guys have been with me since the beginning and our program
doesn’t hold huge tryouts looking for talent all over the country
like some of these other programs do. With that in mind, I think it’s
a huge accomplishment that these guys can go out and win games like
this against such great competition.”
The
Terror did very well in the Memorial Day at LakePoint tournament
earlier this year and have posted a record of 8-2 in the last two PG
tournaments. They may or may not be receiving a bid into the WWBA
National Championship tournament coming up in the next couple of
weeks, but if they do, be sure to pay attention to this exciting team
from Tarpon Springs, Fla.