TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Brooksville All-Stars' Rule: No Copy Cats Allowed

ADVERTISEMENT

By TONY CASTRO SPORTS EDITOR

Hernando Today

Published: May 31, 2008

On the eve of the Dixie Youth League baseball all-star season, the last thing Hernando Youth League's Brooksville All-Stars want is a duplication of last year's T-Ball Tournament results.

You think?

In 2007, Head Coach Tom Williams' club was shown the door after two games in the double-elimination event.

On the plus side, Williams' 5-6-year-old all-stars scored 39 runs averaging almost 20 runs per game. On the down side, HYL permitted 60 runs allowing 30 runs per game.

A year later, Head Coach Don Whitehead Sr. and three assistant coaches hope their 13-man all-star squad will fare much better in this week's 10-team, District 6 Dixie Youth Baseball T-Ball Tournament.

The HYL squad will trek east bound along State Road 50 to County Road 471. Turn left and continue to CR 478. The field (Sam Harris Memorial Park) is approximately three-fourths of a mile on the left going out of Webster.

HYL's opening round game is at 12 p.m. today versus Wesley Chapel-American.

HYL has captured this tourney twice this decade including Head Coach Bruce Price's 6-1 club in 2005 and Head Coach Tom Bronson's 5-1 2002 team.

Ironically, both of those teams lost their first-round games, but swept the rest.

Now batting

This year's HYL All-Star team consists of: CF Bryson Derryberry, C/1B Jaylon Harris, SS/3B Austin Miller, OF Pierson Miller, P/SS/1B Conner Morgan, INF/OF Chandler Payne, P/1B Keaton Piermatteo, 2B/OF Evan Poole, SS/OF Steve Taylor, OF Alex Priede, C/OF John Wesley Sartor, OF Collin Scozzafara and C/OF Dylan Weigl. Head Coach Don Whitehead Sr. will be assisted by Matt Morgan, Steve Piermatteo and Steve Taylor.

Morgan is lone returning T-Ball all-star from 2007.

After nine practices, how does Coach Whitehead describe his team?

"We've got a good group of hitters, which is what we've practiced the most," he said. "Now, if we can make the routine plays (on defense), we'll be OK."

Offensively, HYL's squad is not loaded with big boppers. In fact, it's almost the opposite.

"So far, the only balls that have left the yard are the ones that have bounced over," smiled Whitehead, who coached the Dodgers during regular-season play." I really haven't seen it (homers) happen this year. As a whole, we're not quite there yet."

Individually, Whitehead calls the right-handed hitting Morgan and left-handed hitting Piermatteo his "two top power hitters."

Whitehead added, "Morgan will turn out to be a power hitter and Piermatteo will eventually turn out to be a good pitcher. The kid's already got a gun for an arm."

And defensively?

"We're pretty strong up the middle," shared Whitehead. "But you've got to remember these kids are only 5-6 years-old. We really have no idea what they can do. We do know the teams that make least amount of mistakes will come out on top. Hopefully, it's us."

Keys to first game

Should HYL win its opening-round game, it'll set up an interesting winner's bracket game at 6 p.m. Monday against Sumter American.

Sumter American's skipper is Tom Valdes. The same Valdes, who played catcher and graduated from Hernando High School. The same Valdes who was once mentored by Coach Whitehead.

"It'll be kinda fun going against one of my former players," chuckled Whitehead.

How big is winning round one?

"It'll instill some confidence," outlined Whitehead. "I'd like to see our kids have some fun and enjoy baseball. We're trying to teach the basics here.

"Really I don't know what to expect (on Saturday), they're only 5-6 year-olds," admitted Whitehead.

COMING ATTRACTIONS
WHO - Brooksville's Hernando Youth League and Ridge Manor's T-Ball All-Stars.
WHAT - The 10-team District 6 Tournament features Hernando Youth League, Ridge Manor, Wesley Chapel American, Wesley Chapel National, South Lake, Sumter National, Sumter American, Bushnell American, Bushnell National and Wildwood.
WHERE - Webster's Sam Harris Memorial Park
WHEN - District 6 Tournament runs May 31-June 7.
AT STAKE - District 6 T-Ball Team Championship.
GOING TO THE GAME - The HYL squad will trek east bound along State Road 50 to County Road 471. Turn left and continue to CR 478. The field (Sam Harris Memorial Park) is approximately three-fourths of a mile on the left going out of Webster.

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT