Parkersburg’s Nick Swisher doing well in the Big Apple

Although he has played for the Oakland A’s, Chicago White Sox and now the New York Yankees in his six years in the Major Leagues, Nick Swisher is definitely proud to be from Parkersburg, WV.

Is there any doubt that Nick Swisher is proud to be from West Virginia?

While doing a TV commercial for the A’s a few years ago, Swisher donned the mullet and mustache look.         [See photo >] 

It is very interesting to see his West Virginia-issued vanity plate on his Camaro that reads “SWISH” – cool, huh?

It seems not long ago that we saw Swisher running the ball for the Parkersburg High School Big Reds as an All-State running back. You know, he may have been a good pro football player too. In fact, he still enjoys the game according to his website and especially loves following the Ohio State-Michigan series. 

Swisher is 28 years old.  In just a little over four full seasons in the big leagues, he has smacked 109 home runs including 36  in 150 games for the A’s in 2007.

Swisher does a lot of great charity work.

Check out his website at  http://nickswisher.net/ to learn more about his worthy causes and follow his baseball career by going to www.yankees.com.

Check out his bio on the Yankees page here: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=430897

Nick Swisher, NY Yankees

DeMeo Clinic draws 160 coaches to Charleston

Tony DeMeo wrapped up springs drills with his University of Charleston football team with a bang on Saturday.

Tony DeMeo

 

Besides sending the Golden Eagles out for the usual Maroon and Gold scrimmage, DeMeo and his coaching staff finished a two-day clinic for 160 high school coaches representing 22 different states and one province in Canada.

 

You can mark Dale Schuring, the head coach at Arthur High School in Arthur, Illinois, as a DeMeo disciple and a believer in his Triple Gun Option offense.

 

“We were here last spring,” said Schuring. “I first heard about Tony DeMeo and his clinic when I attended NIKE clinics and I heard him speak three different times about this. It intrigued me. We didn’t have superior athletes, but his offense was something that I felt we could compete with and have a chance with when the other team had better people.

DeMeo draws up play at the Coaches Clinic

 

“We tried it one year without coming here and we messed it up terribly as coaches. We didn’t have much success with it. One of assistant coaches and I came last year and found out a lot of things we did wrong and we went back and it worked perfectly for us. Now we’re here this year trying to pick up some new things, new options and new variations. We’ve found out that there are a few things that we are still doing a little wrong.

 

The triple gun option found a home at Arthur High. But it took a more personable approach to finally get over the learning curve of installing the offense.

 

“The first year, the triple [option] was probably our worst play and last year it was our best play,” Schuring said. “That’s the basis of the offense. Our coaches just didn’t understand because we had not taken the opportunity to sit down with Tony and his staff for two days at first. It was just an hour at a clinic over three different years. Of course, I had his books and stuff, but you can’t really get all of the ins and outs through just the books and videos.

Drawing up the Triple Gun Option

 

“Coming here was a huge difference from our lack of success to our improved success.”

 

DeMeo’s style of being approachable and accessible to high school coaches has been a key to the success of the clinic.

 

“The thing that is very impressive about Tony and his staff is that if you email them or call them, they actually answer their own phones and they reply to emails,” Schuring said. “Most coaches – and I am talking from Division I all the way down to Division III and everyone in between – you’re going to get a secretary instead and four days later you may get a call back. Tony answers his own phone and he’ll talk to you. He’s probably the most open and giving coach I’ve ever been around.”

 

Visitors from Canada at the DeMeo Coaches Clinic

Arthur’s opponents have certainly taken notice of the triple gun.

 

“One of our new assistant coaches this year was a former coach for an opponent’s staff last year,” Schuring pointed out. “He said that they watched film on us and after being here and listening to all of this, they had no idea of what we were doing. It’s not something that is out there widespread or the ‘in’ thing necessarily. So we’re at a definite advantage over our opponents because it is unique.

 

“A lot of people run options and a lot of people run triple option. But the mechanics are so much different from the old time stuff. Most people know that it is hard to defend because you’re defenders are being assigned to the wrong person. They have no chance of succeeding. It’s a fantastic offense.    

UC's Maroon & Gold game

 

“The best part is that it is so simple [to teach],” Schuring added. “It really is. There are very few plays, but you can get good at what you’re doing. It’s his philosophy and I agree with it totally.”

 

DeMeo launched a personal website at www.tonydemeo.com about a year ago that lends support to coaches year round.

 

“I’ve been to the website many times,” said Schuring. “I go there everyday, sometimes several times a day. I like to check out the forum to see what people are saying. It’s a great idea.”

         

“The website has been really good for us,” said DeMeo. “We started the website with the idea of creating a little fraternity of coaches for this kind of an offense. We don’t charge anything to go on the website It is a pure attempt to develop a community of triple gun option coaches.”

 

a few of the coaches pose for a photo following the Tony DeMeo Coaches Clinic

The website features play diagrams, videos and a forum for coaches to ask questions with DeMeo answering them in detail.

 

“They can keep in touch with me or with each other over the course of the year,” DeMeo explained. “Now it has gotten to the point where they know as much about it as I do. They’re even answering each other’s questions. The feedback has been excellent.”

 

The clinic has grown steadily through unconventional means.

 

“We don’t do any advertising,” DeMeo said. “It’s all word of mouth. It’s just guys that have come to know this offense and want to come out and see it and learn more. We’re really flattered with the response. Here we are, we’re a Division II school.” 

 

UC ended springs drills with a spirited scrimmage on the turf at University of Charleston Stadium on Saturday.

 

“This is our last scrimmage, so our goal is to get through it without any injuries,” DeMeo said. “We’ve seen some good things this spring. We’re developing some good kids. We’re just wrapping it up and having a little fun before we get out.”

Hurricane rallies past Winfield, 12-8

Down by seven runs heading into the sixth inning, Hurricane could have folded.

But that wasn’t really an option.

Jordan Stowers

The Redskins erupted for six runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh to claim a 12-8 come-from-behind victory over host Winfield on Thursday night.

“We wanted to win,” explained senior outfielder Jordan Stowers, who blasted a two-run home run in the sixth to get the Redskins within one run heading into the final inning. “We had enough. It was time to turn it on. “We know we have a chance to be a really good team. Sometimes it just takes us a few innings to get it turned on.” 

Hurricane (16-4) is ranked No. 6 in the Gazette’s Class AAA state rankings.

“It was a crazy one,” said Hurricane coach Brian Sutphin. “Once somebody swung the bat, they just rallied up. When one guy steps up, the others step up. It was fun to watch.

“We were down 8-1 with just five outs to go. The idea is to keep fighting because you never know until the last out is made.”

Winfield starter Tyler Kincaid performed masterfully for five innings, giving up just one hit and one run while striking out five batters. But in the sixth, he ran into trouble and Generals coach Steve Hensley decided to pull him.

“He just ran out of gas,” Hensley said of Kincaid. “We’re not making excuses, but we’ve played every day last week and again this week. We’re running short on arms. We were hoping to ride Tyler as long as we could tonight. He went hard for five innings and threw the ball really well.

“Give Hurricane credit. They knocked the ball all over the place for those last two innings.”

Tyler Bailey came in relief for Winfield in the sixth and was tagged with the loss. Tyler Pate pitched the final two innings for Hurricane, allowing just one hit and no runs to collect the win. 

Noah Blackhurst, Tyler Payne, Stephen Workman and Colin Davis all collected two hits for the Redskins.

Workman’s bases loaded hit in the sixth scored three runs as the ball skipped under the centerfielder’s glove and rolled to the fence. James Eminger’s triple to the gap in left scored two more to close out the scoring for Hurricane in the seventh.

Kincaid helped himself with two hits including a two run single in the fifth. Evan Harmon went 2-for-4 with a two-run double for the Generals.

Winfield (10-10) travels to Chapmanville while Hurricane plays host to Lincoln County today.

END

Hurricane  000 106 5 – 12 12 3
Winfield 200 230 0 – 8 6 1
Lang, Falbo (4), Pate (6) and Payne. Kincaid, Bailey (6), Wright (7) and Isaacs.
Hitting: H – Blackhurst 2-2, RBI; Payne 2-3, 3 RBI; Workman 2-4, 2 RBI; Stowers HR, 2 RBI; Eminger triple, 2 RBI.
W – Kincaid 2-3, 2 RBI; Harmon 2-4, double 2 RBI; Farley double, RBI..

NASCAR Angels and Randy Moss team up to give back

The worlds of NASCAR and the National Football League collided in Rand, W.Va. on Tuesday – all to help local coach Mack Reed who has dedicated over two decades of his life to serving the youth of his community.

DuPont Middle students got involved in the filming of NASCAR Angels

 

 

A crew from the television show NASCAR Angels came to film an episode in the same style of ‘Extreme Makeover’ – but it’s vehicles that get worked on instead of homes. 

 

Goodyear Gemini automotive technicians at the Appalachian Tire store on Clendenin Street in Charleston performed the work on Reed’s vehicle for the NASCAR Angels cameras on Monday and were on hand for the ‘reveal’ portion of the show at DuPont Middle School on Tuesday.

Mack Reed reacts after seeing his new vehicle for the first time

 

 

Reed’s vehicle reported had over 200,000 miles on it and according to NASCAR Angels crew chief Rick Hunter had ‘about 50 things that needed attention’ to get it in top working condition again. In fact, it was deemed beyond repair. So Reed received a 2008 Chevrolet Uplander van instead. The technicians got it in top shape under the hood and placed new Goodyear Gemini tires on it.

 

Randy Moss’ ties through his ownership of a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team had a direct effect on the show’s decision to come to Rand. The New England Patriots wide receiver was back in town for the festivities.

Randy Moss, NASCAR Angels host Shannon Wiseman and Mack Reed

 

“Exide is a sponsor of Randy Moss Motorsports,” explained Lee Qualls, Vice President of Marketing, Exide Technologies. “When they told us of the way Randy reaches out to his hometown community, we felt it would be meaningful to come to Rand and repair a vehicle for someone in his honor. Mack seemed the perfect guy given his compassion and genuine commitment to helping kids reach their potential.” 

 

“Mack’s extraordinary dedication to kids is a perfect complement to Randy’s commitment to youth and his community.  We are honored to play a part in bringing this well-deserved recognition to Mack’s ongoing efforts in Randy’s hometown.”

Randy Moss and Donnie Jones

 

“It’s kind of crazy because we’re out here in the country in Rand, W.Va.,” Moss said. “We don’t get to see this every day. For a big time organization such as NASCAR to come to the Rand community and show some love, that is awesome. The people here will definitely remember this for the rest of their lives.”

 

Hundreds of DuPont students were involved with the filming, cheering and witnessing a taste of Hollywood in their own backyard. 

 

 

 

“It was a wonderful day,” Moss said. “I don’t know if Mack knew how the day was going to go. I was a little nervous for Mack. I took some time out of my schedule to support my community and what Mack Reed does. I think it was a good thing to just see the smile on his face and his kids faces. His wife was crying. That’s what things like this show are really all about – the NASCAR Angels.”

 

NASCAR and Moss both have shown genuine concern for giving back.

 

 

NASCAR Angels crew interviewing Randy Moss at his old high school, DuPont

 

“That is a part of my make-up,” said Moss. “I believe that it starts at home. But once your trickle on down to the community it’s very important for us to have community leaders and neighborhood watch. The grown-ups need to be watching out for the kids. We’re a well-knitted community. It shows in the support that was shown in everyone coming out today to support Mack Reed. They showed a lot of love for what he’s done.”

 

 

 

 

“It’s been very rewarding to be here,” said Shannon Wiseman, co-host of NASCAR Angels and a former Miss Winston Cup. “I feel blessed to be a part of this show that actually gives back and helps people. You don’t really realize how many people are out there like Mack Reed that are constantly doing things for other people. They let things like their own car go neglected because they are putting time and energy into helping other people. That’s why we came to Rand.  Mack is devoted to these kids. It’s been an awesome experience.

  

 

 

“The people here adore Randy. What makes him such a huge start is not only what he does on the football field but the things that he does to give back to the place that he came from.”

 

The episode is scheduled to air the weekend of June 20-21. NASCAR Angels appears on over 200 broadcast stations nationwide including WTAP in Parkersburg and WTOV in Wheeling as well as the Hallmark Channel on various cable and satellite systems representing a potential audience of 95 million homes

 

“I’m anxious to see how it’s going to turn out,” Moss admitted.  “It was a good day. The school showed up and showed great appreciation for Mack Reed and what he has done. It’s a good thing. Everyone was happy.”

 

Moss had a chance to talk with a few of the DuPont Middle students on the football field where he starred as a DuPont High School Panther following the filming. At one point he pointed to the press box at H.B. Douglas Field, emblazoned with the words “1992 State Football Champions” and “1993 State Football Champions” in blue and gold paint.

 

The experience of standing on the turf at DuPont again definitely left Moss feeling nostalgic.

 

“I can’t believe they let the field go like this,” Moss said laughing while looking down at the rain-soaked field. “We won two state titles on this field! That’s really just what time and old age is all about though. As you get old, things do change. I still have my memories here and they will never leave. That’s me.

 

“I was just letting the kids know that they don’t really know how much the community – not just Rand, but their communities where they’re from such as Belle – the community depends on these guys. Not just for sports, but it’s bringing the people out here on a Thursday or Friday night. It doesn’t even have to be a win. It’s just about getting out in the community. There are a couple of things that I might want to come back and bring back to his school. Maybe do some community things that the players can come out and do. We want to make a better community and do things for the people.”

 

For more information on NASCAR Angels, visit www.nascar.com or  http://www.nascarangels.com

 

The crew from NASCAR Angels and Goodyear Gemini technicians from Appalachian Tire in Charleston

Winfield hockey player gets Select 16 invite

They don’t have a hockey team at Winfield High School.

 

But that hasn’t stopped freshman Tanner Withrow from pursuing his passion for a sport that isn’t widely known in West Virginia.

 

Despite the odds of having a hockey prospect from Putnam County, the 15-year old is excelling at the sport by playing on various club teams and leagues. He recently received an invitation to represent the state of West Virginia at the 2009 Mid American District, Select 16 tryouts. He will turn 16 on July 21.

 

Select is a program by USA Hockey that seeks the best talent each year.

 

At the Select camp held May 1-3 in Sylvania, Ohio, a team will be chosen to represent the district to play in a National Developmental Camp at a USA Hockey Festival in Rochester, N.Y.

 

The players at the National Developmental Camp will represent the top one percent of the 16-year olds in the country. 

 

The Mid American district is comprised from five states – West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Coaches from the district sent in their nominations representing the top five percent of the players they’ve seen play.

 

“It was great to get that invitation,” Withrow admitted. “I was real excited when I opened the letter. I was immediately pumped up and ready to go for it. I want to show them what I’ve got.”

 

“It’s a pretty big honor,” said Elgine McArdle, State Vice President of the Mid-American Hockey Association. “It’s commendable because the coaches have to recognize you not only as a player but as a sportsman. To make the cuts is an even greater honor on down the line.”

 

Withrow’s exposure to hockey came at a very early age.

 

“I was about four or five years old,” he said. “My family and I went to Huntington to see the Blizzard games. We were the host family for one of the players – Kevin Paden. He really got me started into playing ice hockey. He played with me at the house. I just got to enjoy it and I’ve always played hockey.”

 

Huntington had a minor league hockey team playing in the East Coast Hockey League from 1993-2000.

 

Unlike traditional sports played locally, hockey in West Virginia requires an extreme amount of commitment – from the participant and from moms and dads.

 

“My parents have been there through thick and thin for me,” Withrow said. “We’ve traveled to Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania – all over. No matter what the score is, they’re there for the whole game.

 

“I’ve played other sports and I thought I would be interested but it just turned out that hockey is the only sport for me.”

 

Withrow took to the ice quite naturally from the get-go.

 

“I had to work at it, especially at first,” he said. “But it didn’t take me very long. You have to have your balance and skate fast. It’s a lot different than just going around free skating.”

 

 

“I play a season and I try to go to some camps. I try to keep playing throughout the year. Any game that you can get is great. You have to play against good competition to get better.”

 

Hockey could open some additional doors down the road for Withrow, who is already an exceptional student at Winfield with straight A’s.

 

“I’m planning on going to college,” he said. “I definitely want to play hockey there. If I don’t get a scholarship, I’ll still try to walk on with the team. Hopefully I’ll make it to the NHL [National Hockey League]. That’s my top goal. We’ll see.

 

“I watch some NHL games because there’s not a lot of college hockey on television. But when the college tournament is on, I watch a couple of games. This year Boston University beat my team, Miami (Oh.) University in the finals.”

Playing for the Miami RedHawks would be a dream come true Withrow claims.

 

“I’ve been to a couple of their games. That’s where I’m planning on going if I can.”

 

Withrow is hoping that hockey will continue to grow in West Virginia, especially among its youth. 

 

“It’s coming around,” he said. “We’re starting to see some more kids sign up. Hopefully it will get going around here more in the near future. The kids that are just starting out are doing great. Hopefully they’ll stick with it until they’re my age.”

 

O.J. Mayo wraps up successful rookie season in NBA

O. J. Mayo wrapped up his first season in the National Basketball Association on Wednesday night. The former Huntington High star had a year that makes him a legitimate candidate for Rookie of the Year honors. 

O. J. Mayo

“It definitely matures you as a player and as a person, the up and downs of the season,” Mayo said. “Looking back I’ve definitely experienced a lot, we’ve learned a lot together, and learned a lot about these guys in the locker room.  I’m looking forward to next year becoming a much better team.”

Although the Grizzlies finished the regular season with a 24-58 record, they ended on a good note defeating playoff-bound Atlanta 98-90 on before a home crowd.
 
Mayo led Memphis with 26 points while setting a new Grizzlies franchise rookie record with 1,516 total points this season, passing Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s old mark of 1,494 points set in 1996-97.

It was a season of many personal accomplishments for Mayo. One staggering feat happened in his first ten games when he scored 210 points, topped only by Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson in their first ten NBA games.

O.J. Mayo

In the past three years, Mayo has steadily risen to new heights suiting up for Huntington High, the University of Southern California and the Grizzlies in successive seasons.

“It’s still basketball,” said Mayo. “As you get older different things about your game change, but as far as strengths, mentally knowing certain situations is important.”

Mayo was a steady force for Memphis, starting and playing in all 82 games. He led the team with a 32 minutes per game average and scored 18.5 points per contest, second to third year pro Rudy Gay’s 18.9.

“I expected that he could play significant minutes as a rookie and shoulder some serious offensive responsibility,” said Chris Wallace, General Manager of the Grizzlies. “He’s been one of the elite players in his age group ever since he was first discovered as a pre-teenager in Huntington. He maintained that ranking all the way through the draft. He was the third pick in the draft and one of the elite freshmen in the country last season at USC. We’re a young team in a developmental mode so there was clearly an opportunity for him this year in Memphis.”

The Grizzlies launched a campaign to establish Mayo as a Rookie of the Year candidate during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix in February.

Three billboards featuring a super-sized photo of Mayo and the words “Welcome to the Show” were unveiled in Phoenix while a website, www.voteoj.com, was launched. The Rookie of the Year award is selected by a panel of media members who cover the NBA on a daily basis.

With all of the heady stuff going on, Mayo seems unfazed. In fact, Wallace recognized Mayo’s ability to adapt to the NBA.

“O.J. is someone who has really been in the spotlight for a number of years,” Wallace pointed out. “The attention he receives at the NBA level is nothing new to him. He is someone who thought of himself as a future NBA player ever since he first started playing. That was his goal and he worked diligently to achieve that goal. He is not someone who is shy in the spotlight.”

Mayo’s teammates have welcomed him with open arms, something that his GM didn’t have any questions about.

“He plays on a young team,” Wallace said. “It’s not like many teams where you have a large number of veterans mixed with rookies that are coming up in the ranks. We start three rookies, Rudy Gay is in his third year and Mike Conley is in his second. We have the age, almost, of a college team. He did not come into a hardened veteran team. Our players have respected him since the day he arrived in Memphis because he could clearly deliver on his lofty reputation. He’s willing to put the time in and spend the extra time in the gym shooting and working on his game.”

It was a trying season for the Grizzlies with Lionel Rollins replacing Marc Iavaroni as head coach in January. It was a bonding experience for the players according to Mayo.

“Along with the coaching change, just being around each other for 82 games almost half a year, we were around each other every day, whether it’s practicing, lifting weights or playing in a game, you get to learn more and more about each other,” he said. “Going on road trips in the month of March really helped us bond a little more and I think it helped
our play.”

Wallace, a Buckhannon native, has been aware of Mayo for some time.

“I can’t remember exactly when I first heard about him. He was probably 12 or 13 years old. He got a tremendous amount of publicity early. I followed him through the time that he played at Rose Hill in Kentucky and North College Hill in the Cincinnati area and finally when he went back to Huntington High. I was very pleased when he came back to Huntington as a West Virginian myself. I selfishly wanted him to come back and finish his high school career in the Mountain State. I followed him from afar – we’re not allowed in the NBA to go out and watch high school players play. It’s not permitted. We see a few things on television when games are broadcast. So we don’t have a first hand vantage point in it.

“He’s a very well known player. Even though he came from Huntington, he received a lot of media coverage early on. It shows you that you don’t need to be from New York, Chicago or Los Angeles to be very well known in this game.”

As far as potential goes, no less than Kobe Bryant was quoted by the Los Angeles Times, saying of Mayo: “I think he has a great overall game that a lot of young players don’t have in terms of skills. He can handle, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s fast, he’s quick, so that’s the whole package.”

“He has the potential to be a terrific player in the NBA,” Wallace agreed. “That will be determined on how much he continues to work on his game and is not satisfied by what he has received. Fate intervenes as well. He has to remain healthy. If he can do that and continue to work and stay grounded – which I am certain that he will – he has a tremendous future ahead of him in the NBA.”

Mayo has exhibited characteristics that many of the great athletes have – determination and an unwavering resolve to be the best.

“He has definite mental toughness and he has the desire to work on his game,” Wallace said. “He is not someone that talks about working on his game. He does work on his game. He puts the extra time in. He goes to his coaches and asks about what he needs to do to improve. He is very concerned about improving himself. That’s a great trait to have, especially as a young player. Because so much is given to young players in this game at an early age, it’s very easy – almost human nature – to get somewhat satisfied. But I don’t detect any satisfaction with where he is with O.J. Instead, I detect someone who is raring to go and get to another level as he works on his game this summer.”

Mayo and Gay have been invited to attend the Olympic camp this summer.

“It will be a great opportunity for both Rudy and me,” Mayo said. “I really was surprised I didn’t expect it; I think the main thing I’m looking forward to is the experience.  I think it will be tremendous experience for both of us.  It will be a good opportunity for us to try out for the national team.  It definitely gives us something to work towards in the off-season.”

Power drop a close one

Despite holding an early 4-1 lead, the West Virginia Power dropped a 5-4 decision to the visiting Bowling Green Hot Rods before a Buck Night crowd of 5,169 at Appalachian Power Park on Thursday.

WV Power

 
It was the final game of a homestand that saw the Power (1-6) only win one game.
 
Power manager Gary Green faulted his pitching for being unable to hold on.
 
“If we put zeros up [on the scoreboard] we win,” he said. “We have to do a better job on the mound. You have to pitch. We’re scoring four or five runs a night. That should be enough. Right now it’s not. We scored four runs in the first couple of innings. We have to do a better job of closing the game.
 
“There’s going to be some growing pains. We’re a young team. We’re going to make some mistakes. We have to get this thing figured out. We’ll take it one day at a time and ride out the growing pains as we move forward.”
 
Bowling Green pitchers did not allow a Power hit in the final six innings. Argentina-born knuckleballer Diego Echeverria got the win, pitching three hitless innings while Josh Satow delivered two blank innings for the save.
 
“You have to give their guys some credit,” Green admitted. “They did a pretty good job too. They slowed the ball down on us. It’s the first time through the league and we haven’t seen some guys before.”
 
The Hot Rods (4-4) plated a run in the first inning due to a Power throwing error. With two outs, Bowling Green’s Tim Beckham crossed the plate as Power third baseman Bobby Spain’s throw drew first baseman Erik Huber off the bag, allowing Henry Wrigley to avoid the swiping tag attempt.
 
 West Virginia took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, thanks to a leadoff double Calvin Anderson, a sacrifice fly by Butch Biela and a wild pitch that allowed Anderson to score.
 
The Power got two more runs in the third to increase the advantage to 4-1. Robbie Grossman nailed a ball that appeared to leave the ballpark in the centerfield, but the umpire ruled it in play. Grossman wound up on second base with a double. He scored on a Erik Huber single, who later crossed the plate on a Bowling Green wild pitch.
 
Jason Tweedy smacked a two-run triple down the right field line in the seventh for the Hot Rods. Mike McCormick followed with a run scoring single to knot it at 4-all.  
 
Beckham delivered a RBI single in the eighth to recapture the lead at 5-4 for Bowling Green.
 
The Power starts a nine-game road trip over the next eight days, beginning at Lexington tonight.

Winfield Middle starts softball program

Despite his demanding job as Detachment Commander with the West Virginia State Police in Winfield, Kevin Dixon has taken on the role of coach for the Winfield Middle School girl’s softball team.

Kevin Dixon

 

This is the first year for the team at Winfield Middle. It is an achievement that will aid with the development of young players.

 

“It’s very important for the girls,” Dixon said. “It’s a chance to play competitive softball. Most have come up through Little League systems. Some have played some travel ball, but most have not at this age. This is something that let’s them gain some softball experience.

 

“When you start a middle school program, it’s going to help the high school. It will just feed into it and keep them going.”

 

Dixon has a daughter on the middle school team and has already seen another daughter go through the high school ranks and is now playing college softball.

 

“The people have been talking about starting a middle school team and the kids wanted to play,” Dixon explained. “We were ecstatic with the number of girls interested in playing. We had to fund raise the money needed to start a program. Some of the parents wanted me to be involved because they knew I had some experience coaching high school softball.”

 

“I have a pretty demanding full-time job already,” Dixon added. “I don’t know from one minute to the next what I’m going to be dealing with. But it works out well. I’m fortunate that I have seven people where I’m stationed. With softball season, it’s all give and take with my job.

 

“There’s times when the other guys have things to do. We cover for each other. It all works out well. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. We’re all one big, happy family.”

 

Winfield High does not have a junior varsity team. So unless a player can make the leap to varsity, there was a gap that needed to be filled.

 

“They still need to have a JV team,” Dixon suggested. “It allows kids to get some extra work in before they’re ready for varsity ball.”

 

Winfield, Hurricane and George Washington are all fielding middle school teams this season.  Winfield also plays Logan, Ripley, Ravenswood, Hamlin and Guyan Valley in a 15-game schedule.

 

“We’ve been competitive in all of our games. The kids have improved so much since we started. It’s been very beneficial to them.”

 

WMS Softball players in pre-game warmups

Power claim first victory of 2009

It wasn’t pretty, but West Virginia Power manager Gary Green will take it.

"Chuck"

 

The Power posted the first victory of the 2009 season with a 5-3 win over Bowling Green in a South Atlantic League game at Appalachian Power Park on Tuesday.

 

“We weren’t ready in the first inning,” said Green. “We weren’t fielding the ball, we weren’t pitching and we weren’t hitting. I’ll address that with them. Fortunately we were able to minimize the damage. You have to be ready to play from the get-go.

 

“It’s good to get a win. It’s good for the players. It will help them with their confidence.”

 

The Power improve to 1-4 while the Hot Rods skid to 2-4.

 

Despite a 40-minute rain delay, Bowling Green wasted no time getting runs on the scoreboard.

 

Power starting pitcher Duke Welker struggled in the first inning, giving up two runs that came as a result of two singles, two walks, an error on a pickoff attempt, three wild pitches and a balk. 

 

Welker settled down and allowed just one hit and no runs in the next three innings before giving way to relief help.

 

The Power got its first run in a most unusual manner in the fourth. Calvin Anderson smacked a standup double down the right field line in the fourth. He advanced to third base on a groundout.

 

Bobby Spain then hit an infield pop up that appeared to be a sure third out. But the Hot Rod catcher, third baseman and pitcher watched the ball land safely between them, allowing Anderson to cross the plate to trim the Bowling Green lead to 2-1.

 

The Power tied it at 2-all in the fifth with a two-out triple off the bat of Quincy Latimore followed by a RBI double by Chase D’Arnaud.

 

Anderson delivered again in the sixth, singling and scoring on a wild pitch by Bowling Green reliever Tyree Hayes for the go-ahead run. Josue Peley pounded a RBI single to up the Power lead to 4-2.   

 

It was Anderson yet again in the seventh, reaching on an infield single that scored another run to lift the Power advantage to 5-2.

 

The Hot Rods plated a run in the eighth on a RBI single from Anthony Scelfo to slice into the Power lead. West Virginia reliever Eddie Pena inherited a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the eighth but got two quick outs to extinguish a Bowling Green rally.

 

West Virginia put up 11 hits for the night.

 

“We’re all right offensively,” Green said. “We’ll do some nice things offensively this year.”

 

The Power and Hot Rods, a Tampa Bay affiliate, meet again tonight for the third game of a four-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

www.wvpower.com

Hapney leads in SA upset win over Midland

Even though he was facing the No. 2 ranked team in Class AAA, St. Albans pitcher Andy Hapney remained calm under pressure.

Hapney used the cool demeanor to pitch a complete game, one-hit shutout for the Red Dragons as St. Albans handed visiting Cabell Midland a 2-0 defeat in a Mountain State Athletic Conference game at Loftis Field on Monday night.

“I don’t really get nervous when I pitch,” Hapney explained. “Even in a situation like this. I just try to stay calm and pitch out of it and do what I do. They’re a good team with a lot of good hitters. I just tried to stay optimistic and throw strikes.”

St. Albans improves to 5-5 while the Knights fall to 9-2. It was the second consecutive loss for Cabell Midland, who fell to Boyd County, Ky. on Saturday.

A win over a ranked opponent will pay big dividends for St. Albans, Hapney predicted.

“This could be a spark to turn around our season,” he said. “We’ve played a lot of close games. This win will boost our confidence a lot.”

St. Albans coach Rick Whitman agreed.

“We have the potential to keep getting better and better,” Whitman said. “When you get a good pitching performance like we did tonight, that really helps. I saw more energy in our team tonight. It’s a shot in the arm for us, confidence-wise. We know we can play with the better quality teams.”

Hapney was 0-2 heading into the contest with close losses to Winfield and Ripley behind him.

“Andy has pitched well all year,” Whitman said. “If we didn’t have confidence in him, we wouldn’t have sent him out there against a team like Cabell Midland. We thought that if he could throw his breaking ball over for strikes and we could make enough plays, it would work out for us.”

“Hapner pitched a good game,” said Cabell Midland pitching coach Jeff Wallace. “He hit his spots and threw the ball real well. He didn’t make many mistakes. You have to take your hat off to somebody that does that.”

“We just had one hit,” Cabell Midland assistant coach Jason Holmes added. “We have to put the ball in play. With one hit, you’re not going to win many games. We didn’t put any pressure on them.”

The Red Dragons have a young club, with only three starters with varsity experience and three freshmen in the lineup.

“It is fun when you see them learn and get better,” Whitman said. “But it can also be frustrating when you see them not doing things that you know they’re capable of doing. It’s just a learning process. “We’re inexperienced, so the more we play, the better we’ll get.”

The Knights had an opportunity to score in the fifth inning with a walk and an error putting a runner on third. But Hapney buckled down and struck out designated hitter Brandon Adkins for the third out looking, stranding two runners on base.

“He keeps an even keel,” Whitman said of Hapney. “He just threw strikes and tried to let his defense make plays. He had confidence in them to do that. He didn’t try to do too much.”

Corey Miller pitched five strong innings for the Knights, allowing just one hit while striking out eight batters.

Cabell Midland inserted Adkins as a reliever in the sixth. He issued a leadoff walk to Marcus Fox. Fox promptly stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. Colin Southern stepped in and delivered a game-winning RBI single and later scored on a Shane Saunders sacrifice fly to give St. Albans a 2-0 lead.

Hapney, a junior, retired the Knights in order in the seventh to seal the win for St. Albans.

St. Albans travels to Nicholas County today while Cabell Midland plays host to Ripley.

Cabell Midland 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
St. Albans 000 002 x – 2 2 3
Miller, Adkins (6) and Ruley. Hapney and Southern.
Hitting: SA – Southern single RBI; Saunders sacrifice RBI.