February Round-Up
By: Austin Alexander–March 1, 2007
The spring is in full swing and Diamond Prospects has been there to cover it like no one else! Today, we’ll run down the highlights of the first month in the 2007 baseball season and hand out our DP accolades.
Diamond Prospects Statistics:
High School teams covered-57
High School games seen-36
College games seen-10
Fields-17
Rainouts-0!
Miles traveled-2,798
DP Accolades:
Quickest game: Sumter at Lexington, 1:29
Best game: Sumter 1 Lexington 0
Weirdest play: The oddest play came in a Lancaster/Lugoff-Elgin game. With the Bruins already leading 1-0, Steven Neff lifted a medium range flyball to centerfield with Derek Parker tagging at third, normal bang-bang play at the plate, right? The centerfielder caught it and threw home as Parker took off and headed in the same direction. About two-thirds of the way toward his destination, Parker tripped and fell. Meanwhile the catcher was battling the short-hop throw from the outfield. Parker crawled, regained his balance and started home again. Lugoff-Elgin’s Josh Phipps corralled the ball in time to lunge at Parker who was leaping over and around him. Phipps just missed the tag and Parker somehow got a hand on the plate to make the score 2-0. It was bang-bang but not in the traditional sense!
Worst call by an umpire: Belton-Honea Path’s lead-off hitter in the first inning swung and hit the TL Hanna’s catchers mitt, knocking it three feet into the left-handed batters box. The TL Hanna catcher picked up his mitt and neither umpire called catchers interference. Dumbfounded, BHP skipper Steve Williams asked for help, neither saw or heard the mitt whacked and driven one yard away from the catcher’s hand. The hitter ended up striking out.
Best home to first time: Jerrod Phillips (Pickens) 3.56 on a bunt
Best home to first time (turn): Adam Matthews (White Knoll) 4.26
Best pop time: Drew Wingo (Mauldin HS) 1.81
Longest homerun: Ross Hanna (Dorman)
Best defensive play: Josh Owens (Barnwell), playing centerfield he made a diving catch in left-center field.
Best pitcher’s duel: Cory Hopper (Easley) and Matt Ramey (Pickens)
Most dominant pitching performance: Matt Price (versus Lexington in the Michelin Classic)
Hardest fastball: Kyle Deese 93 MPH
Best baseball name: Brooks Robinson (Spartanburg Methodist) Asa Still (Barnwell)
Cleanest round of pre-game: White Knoll HS
Top Fungo Guy: Mark Bonnette (White Knoll)
Best Catcher’s Pop-up: Brooks Shumake (Sumter)
Best Argument with an Umpire: A Greenville assistant coach while talking on a cell phone.
Best Dressed Evaluator: Gary Randall (MLB Scouting Bureau)
Attendance Award: Matt Williams (Spartanburg Methodist) and Chad Amidon (Erskine)
Best line from a mom in the bleachers: “Woooooooohh, you gonna get that cell phone back baby!” following her son’s swinging bunt single that traveled about 20 feet.
Best Playing Surface: Mauldin High HS
Best pre-game tunes: Belton-Honea Path HS
Hospitality Award: Waccamaw HS