For 135-plus years, baseball has been as common as apple pie.
Baseball success, however, can be directly correlated to feeding any team's palate - pitching and defense. Timely hitting is a close third.
For Springstead High's Dixie Pre-Majors All-Stars (ages 15-16), the Eagles have turned its two biggest strengths - pitching and defense - into a state championship banner and a berth into this weekend's Dixie World Series in Alabama.
Twelve teams will compete in the double elimination format Pre-Majors World Series featuring: Amelia, Va.; Nashville, Ark.; Columbia County, Ga.; North Charleston, S.C.; Springstead, Fla.; Durant, Okla.; Terrebonne Parrish, La.; Auburn, Ala.; Pine Belt, Miss.; Duplin County, N.C.; Collierville, Tenn.; and host Guntersville, Ala. at Ogletree Park on the Bill Moore Complex.
Springstead's Vitale: First trip to series
Springstead High's Head Coach Frank Vitale will be making his initial trip to the Dixie World Series. Across four seasons, Vitale has guided his Dixie baseball teams to a combined 11-7 won-lost slate, highlighted by last week's 5-1 run in Polk County.
The 2010 Springstead Pre-Majors All-Star team features: INF Christian Arroyo, OF Joe Barile, 1B/P Brandon Brosher, 1B/P Drue Brooks, OF/P Jimmy Diven, OF/P Brandon Holmes, OF/P Brandon Lawson, INF/P Ryan Nicoll, INF/P Nic Pasarela, INF/P Julian Perez, C Gerry Scott, OF/P Joe Siegfried, INF/P Kody Stein, OF/P Kevin Walls and C/P Joey Wright.
Walls, knuckleball specialist, who did not play last week in Polk County, will be available this weekend.
Gerry Scott will assist Coach Vitale.
At Winter Haven's Chain O' Lakes facilities, the Spring Hill club dropped its first game to always-tough Lakeland (4-0) before out-scoring its opponents over the next five games 44-13.
In the process, the West Hernando club hit a torrid .337 at the plate with seven players hitting .300 or better.
The club leader was Brosher, who went 11-of-17 (.647) with five extra-base hits and team-best 14 runs batted in.
Arroyo went 9-for-18 to hit .500 while leadoff batter Barile hit .440 and led the club with eight runs scored.
Just as pivotal was Springstead's mound prowess. As a staff, Springstead pitchers handcuffed the opposition to 30 hits across 39 innings pitched for a collective .208 batting average.
Upon closer inspection, Brosher fanned 11 batters in 12 innings going 2-0 with a 1.17 earned run average.
Nicoll, who anchored second base, also hurled 10 frames, registering six strikeouts, while going 3-0 on the hill.
Yet the part of the game that impressed the coaching staff the most was team's near air-tight defense.
According to Coach Vitale, in six games, SHS permitted eight errors, as CF Barile, SS Arroyo and 2B Nicoll clogged the middle and made routine play after routine play.
"We started the tournament last week a little wild," recalled Coach Vitale. "Brandon (Holmes) struggled early with his command, and then he settled down. As a team, we did the same thing.
"What helps us is our core group of kids (Brosher, Lawson, Nicoll and Arroyo) play travel ball year-round," noted Coach Vitale. "Those were the same guys that led the way at states. These guys are used to playing lots of games and playing good, solid competition.
"Now, Brosher carried us," added Vitale. "And Julian (Perez) is a much better hitter (than .176). You'll see Julian do much better at the World Series. He'll adjust. And I can't expect Brosher to continue the hot streak he's been on.
"And I have give credit to Joe (Barile). He led off the game getting on base 5-of-6 games," recalled Vitale. "He helped set the table for us."
"Defensively, we're hoping to get the same kind of effort we received at states," Vitale said. "When you pitch well, your defense plays well and vice-a-versa."
Lessons learned
Coach Vitale talked about the lessons learned at states which should only help his team grow.
"We talk about competing all the time," said Vitale. "You win some, you lose some. But that shouldn't stop you from competing and playing hard every time you step between the lines. That's what this game is all about.
"What we learned from Winter Haven was simple," he noted. "After that first game (a 4-0) loss, we could have easily packed it in. But we kept clawing back. And the doubleheader win over Poinciana put us over the top. It was the big momentum changer."
Series expectations
Springstead opens play against Durant, OK at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
"Durant may have a good group of kids. I really don't know what to expect from a mostly Texas team from Oklahoma," said Vitale. "Oklahoma doesn't play Dixie baseball. So we don't really know what they've got."
Vitale explained his team's key to success.
"Winning the first game would be awesome," said Vitale, comparing how his team started in the loser's bracket after the opening round last week. "For us, it would keep the momentum going. Sure, winning the World Series would be great for Hernando County baseball. But I just want our guys to go there and put up a good show.
"I want people to know we have good baseball in Florida and in Spring Hill," added Coach Vitale.
AT A GLANCE
WHAT - Dixie Youth League Pre-Majors (ages 15-16) World Series.
WHO - Twelve teams in a double elimination format featuring: Amelia, Va.; Nashville, Ark.; Columbia County, Ga.; North Charleston, S.C.; Springstead, Fla.; Durant, Okla.; Terrebonne Parrish, La.; Auburn, Ala.; Pine Belt, Miss.; Duplin County, N.C.; Collierville, Tenn.; and host Guntersville, Ala.
WHERE - Ogletree Park on the Bill Moore Complex, Guntersville, Ala.
WHEN - July 31-Aug. 4 (weather permitting).
AT STAKE - World Series champion.
Springstead Pre-Majors (ages 15-16) All-Stars
PLAYER POSITION(S)
Christian Arroyo INF
Joe Barile OF
Brandon Brosher 1B/P
Drue Brooks 1B/P
Jimmy Diven OF/P
Brandon Holmes OF/P
Brandon Lawson OF/P
Ryan Nicoll INF/P
Nic Pasarela INF/P
Julian Perez INF/P
Gerry Scott C
Joe Siegfried OF/P
Kody Stein INF/P
Kevin Walls OF/P
Joey Wright C/P
Head Coach - Frank Vitale
Asst. Coach - Gerry Scott
2010 Springstead Pre-Majors (ages 15-16) Baseball Recap
Head Coach - Frank Vitale (5-1)
Date Opponent Site Results
07-17 Lakeland# Away L 0-4
07-18 Okeechobee# Away W 19-0 (5 Inns.)
07-19 Sebring# Away W 6-3
07-20 Poinciana# Away W 11-6
07-20 Poinciana# Away W 6-4
07-21 Citrus# Away W 2-0
TOTALS 44-17
# State Championship Tourney @ Winter Haven's Chain O'Lakes Park.
2010 Springstead Pre-Majors Batting Stats (thru 6 games)
PLAYER GP AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI .AVG
Brosher, Brandon 06 17 05 11 3 1 1 14 .647
Arroyo, Christian 06 18 07 09 2 0 0 03 .500
Holmes, Brandon 04 04 00 02 0 0 0 01 .500
Wright, Joey 02 02 01 01 0 0 0 00 .500
Barile, Joe 06 25 08 11 1 0 0 02 .440
Nicoll, Ryan 06 17 02 06 0 0 0 03 .353
Siegfried, Joe 06 13 04 04 1 0 0 03 .308
Lawson, Brandon 05 17 03 04 1 0 0 06 .235
Scott, Trey 05 09 03 02 0 0 0 02 .222
Perez, Julian 06 17 05 03 0 0 0 01 .176
Diven, Jimmy 06 14 03 02 0 0 0 02 .143
Pasarela, Nic 05 08 01 00 0 0 0 01 .000
Stein. Kody 02 02 02 00 0 0 0 00 .000
TOTALS 06 163 44 55 8 1 1 38 .337
2010 Springstead Pre-Majors Pitching Stats (thru 6 games)
PLAYER GP GS CG IP H R ER BB KO SHO W L ERA
Brosher, Brandon 02 02 01 12.0 08 02 02 02 11 1 2 0 1.17
Nicoll, Ryan 03 01 00 10.0 08 03 03 03 06 0 3 0 2.10
Lawson, Brandon 02 02 00 6.00 06 06 00 03 02 0 0 0 0.00
Holmes, Brandon 01 01 00 3.33 02 03 02 06 01 0 0 1 4.20
Perez, Julian 02 00 00 2.67 04 01 01 03 02 0 0 0 2.63
Diven, Jimmy 01 00 00 2.67 02 01 01 00 02 0 0 0 2.63
Pasarela, Nic 02 00 00 2.33 00 01 01 01 01 0 0 0 3.00
TOTALS 13 06 01 39.0 30 17 10 18 25 1 5 0 1.79
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