GingerSnap

The Big Timers played a "wooden bat" double header last Saturday in Sulphur, which was an easy drive from SeTx. The next two weekends in July they will be in Houston. The weekend tournament they played at Lamar in Bmt was a great showcase of talent and fun to watch! Coaches Moore & Chechini work great together and expect 100% from their players at all times.

Tuesday's Games Atlanta Blue Jays 1 Big Timers Baseball 3 WP: Eric Harrington (BT) 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 BB's, 4 K's; LP: Rico Reid (ABJ) 4 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 BB's, 3 K's;RHP Nick Christopher (ABJ) 2 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB's, 4 K's; SS Tim Beckham (ABJ) 1-3, HR, run, Rbi; RF Ryan Mitzel (ABJ) 2-3 SE Texas Sun Devils 6 Summit City Sluggers 6 RHP Josh Thomason (SET) 5 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 2 BB's, 8 K's; SS Tim Ferguson (SET) 1-2, 2B, 3 BB's, 2 runs, 2B; 3B Logan Williams (SET) 1-3, 2 runs, Rbi; RF Bobby Armstrong (SET) 2-3, BB; RHP Brice Shafer (SCS) 5 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 K's; 3B Justin Branock (SCS) 3-3, 2 Rbi's, 2B; C Rhett Goodmiller (SCS) 3-4, Rbi, run; SS Kreigh Williams (SCS) 1-2, 2 BB's, 2 runs Wednesday's Games Big Timers Baseball 5 Syracuse Sports Zone Athletics 8 WP: Mark Dixon (SS) 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs, 6 K's; LP: Phillip Meeks (BT) 1/3 inning; SV: Mike Gianni (SS) 2 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 K; CF Eric Harrington (BT) 2-4, run, Rbi, 2B, SB; DH John Tatum (BT) 2-3, 2 2B's, 2 Rbi's, BB, run; 3B Matt Hicks (BT) 0-0, 3 BB's, SB; DH Mike Gianni (SS) 3-3, 2B, 3 Rbi's; C Tommy Lloyd (SS) 2-3, run; CF Mike Rosenbaum (SS) 2-4, 2B, Rbi, run East Cobb Rebels 2 SE Texas Sun Devils 6 Thursday's Games SE Texas Sun Devils 12 Baseball Mentoring Pgm Red 2 Cincinnati Riverbats 3 Big Timers Baseball 10 Friday's Games Big Timers Baseball 8 Chesapeake Cardinals 0 4:30 SETX SunDevils vs Atlanta Hurricanes Saturday's Games (eastern) 11:30 San Diego Show vs SETX Sun Devils 4:30 Big Timers Baseball vs Baseball Mentoring Program Red Sorry, since their website crashed so I only have final scores without details. GO BIG TIMERS BASEBALL !!!!

The tournament website has the schedule listed and it looks like the scores are updated fairly quickly after the games are played. Over 150 teams from all over the US are in this tourney. The other local team, SE TX Sun Devils, coached by Chip Ferguson, has several recognizable names from our area including: Jeff Stringer, Johnny Dishon, David Murphy, Jake Rowell ... Both rosters are available at the website. Today's Big Timers game is 4:30 (eastern) against the Atlanta Blue Jays. SunDevils play the Summit City Sluggers from Huntington, Indiana, at 11:30 (eastern). Best of Luck to both teams representing our area! [Hidden Content]

Matt has actually been playing with the Big Timers since they first formed their local teams. His back issues kept him from playing in a couple of tournaments since the HS season wrapped up. Best of luck to Phillip on getting noticed and earning a scholarship.

AirPlay June 4, 2007 All-KOGT Baseball Team Announced Although Orange County has been a hotbed for high school baseball players in recent years, if you had to describe the 2007 season in one word it would have to be “surprise!†The Bridge City Cardinals third straight appearance in the Region III Final was a surprise considering the loss of key players last season and the addition of Jasper and Silsbee to the district. Add to that two freshmen on the left side of the infield and they were a long shot but once again proved the road to Round Rock comes through District 21-3A. We’ve talked about the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears and their unbelievable year. Seven out of the starting nine were first year varsity players and all they did was win the district. Vidor made the playoffs for the first time in almost 40 years in a district that was about as competitive from top to almost bottom as its ever been. With the end of the season comes the All-KOGT Team. We have some great players on our team this year but what I like the most is that many of them will be coming back next season. We start with our Most Valuable Player who was also the MVP of the district and that’s Jake Rowell of LCM. Rowell was the senior leader that Coach Steve Griffith needed to help mold the young players and he responded by batting .600 in district and finished with 11 homeruns. And I don’t know if it’s the first time, but certainly the first time I’ve noticed that Rowell may be the only batter to have at least one hit in every game we broadcast this season on KOGT. Our first baseman is Chad Richard of LCM. He gets a little of the credit for Jake’s offensive production because teams learned that it wasn’t always a good idea to pitch around Rowell knowing Richard was coming up to the plate. Richard will be back next season. The toughest selection comes at second base where senior Troy Bolton of BC and junior Jon Gunn of LCM reside. Both players made outstanding defensive plays. Gunn’s catch in the playoff game against Bay City was the second best I saw all season. Bolton, a senior, was the ultimate lead off hitter and both hit around .330. So we’re going with Bolton as our best leadoff second baseman and Gunn as our best number nine hitter and second baseman. Gunn will be back next season. Chris Hearn of LCM earns our All-KOGT honor at shortstop. The move-in from Port Neches-Groves had a lot of pressure on him to produce and he did his job. He also played a great game on both sides of the dugout when LCM traveled to Hearn’s old stomping ground at the Reservation. Joe Robertson is just a freshman but he sure didn’t play like one. Once our All-KOGT third baseman from Cardinal land got a chance to start at third, he didn’t give it up. And he didn’t commit any errors during district play which most can’t claim. Robertson also did a fantastic job playing catcher early in the season when Casey Jackson was injured. Jackson is our catcher and he’s a junior. An intimidating hitter, Casey had eight extra base hits in the playoffs. Against Needville, Jackson hit a HR and they proceeded to walk him the next five times. In Game Three he lead off the second inning so they finally decided to throw to him and boom, he hit another towering shot over the right field fence. Our outfield starts with BC’s Johnny Dishon, who is the complete package with power and speed, and that’s why he’s going to LSU. Dishon walloped 12 HR’s and stole more than 30 bases which is enough to get him on this team. But he was a big factor with his arm and no telling how many runners were held up at third because of JD. He also had a flair for the dramatic. In a key district game against Hardin-Jefferson, Dishon ran down a ball in the left gap with a backhanded catch that was the best I’ve ever seen from that position and maybe ever. He followed that by coming up in the bottom of the sixth with the score tied at zero, and hit a grand slam for the win. He will also never be forgotten by Carthage after hitting two homeruns in a game that gave the Bulldogs their first loss in 28 games. Earl Thomas of WOS is also in our outfield. Although he was on a team that didn’t win many games, many coaches considered him the most dangerous hitter in the district and pitched him accordingly because they could. But Thomas took advantage of his at-bats with a .400 + batting average. He also stole five bases in his first two at-bats during a game this season. Our two other outfielders both come from LCM in sophomores Matt Johnson and Tim Barry. Both were similar in that they had some pop in their bats and they could pitch for the Bears when called upon. On the mound, we start with Jeff Stringer of BC. He was the only pitcher in the area to have more than 100 strikeouts and he finished with 150. It’s amazing how far he’s come since his sophomore season and he has the right stuff to become a starter on the Lamar staff before he graduates. If Orangefield freshman Jace Statum was on the mound for the Bobcats, it didn’t matter who they played, the Bobcats had a chance to win. The little man with the big arm could also swing a bat and along with freshman Jacob Felts the future is bright for the orange and white. LCM’s Adam Leggett could also swing the bat but the Bears relied on his arm. When the Bears went into the season with five guys that were pretty even, it was Leggett that took the lead and became the go to guy. He also had almost a half dozen saves which is a lot in high school. Phillip Meeks of BC may have been the number one reason the Cardinals reached their third straight Region Final. There are few good number two pitchers in Class 3A. Meeks is one who would’ve been the ace on many teams and the senior really stepped it up in the playoffs. Our Clutch Performer of the Year is Jason Clark. The BC pitcher was called upon in Game Three against Needville after all of the fans, players, and guru’s had guessed anyone but the lefty. Clark shot down the Bluejays with five scoreless innings and BC advanced to the next round. The Newcomer of the Year was saved for last and by now probably comes as no surprise after not seeing his name mentioned before. BC freshman Matt Hicks pitched, hit, and played shortstop better than any freshman I’ve seen. He is a straight baller who battled through back problems in the playoffs and stood on the mound in Game Three in front of 3000 people in Vincent-Beck and pitched his tail off, holding the Region III champs from Jasper to just two runs. I’ll be pulling for Jasper this week at the State Tournament and you should too. And don’t be surprised to turn on KOGT Wednesday night and hear the Bulldogs in their semifinal game. We were working on the idea at press time. I’ll also be pulling for Texas City in the 4A bracket as Chuck Young tries to bring home the hardware that he so deserves! Once again it was a pleasure to bring you another baseball season on KOGT. We hope to do it again next year.

Jasper nips Cardinals in 2-1 Game Three nailbiter Gabe Pruett The Orange Leader BEAUMONT — Bridge City Cardinal centerfielder Johnny Dishon was left to wonder what might have been Saturday at Lamar University's Vincent Beck Stadium. With Dishon on deck, Bridge City senior Troy Bolton ripped a double with the Cardinals down 2-1 with freshman Joe Robertson on first. Robertson blazed past second and headed for third with Bridge City Coach Billy Bryant waving him around. Mid-way through Bryant held up his hands and for Robertson it might have been too late as he rounded third and stumbled. Robertson got up but it was too late again as Jasper third baseman's Parker Phillips' tag was in time for the final out. Dishon could only head back to the dugout without getting a shot to tie the game or even win the game in his final game as a Cardinal before heading to Louisiana State University. The 2-1 loss ends the Cardinals two-year reign as Class 3A Region III champions and puts Jasper (32-7) in the State Tournament for the first time since 1985. The Cardinals (28-8-1) loss spoiled an unbelievable performance from freshman Matt Hicks who started the game on the mound and pitched beyond what could have been expected. Hicks went 5 2/3 innings giving up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and just one walk. The final run scored by Jasper in the bottom of the sixth was set up by Travis Reagan's leadoff double to left field. Justin Parsons moved Reagan to third on a ground out and with two down, Blake Weller-Alexander was hit by a pitch. John Bradley then got the game-winning hit with a single to center making the final score of 2-1. "It is always disappointing to end the season on a loss," Bryant said. "The kids had a great year. We just couldn't overcome our mistakes. These are high school kids playing a game and they did the best they could and that is all I could ever ask." Mistakes were a huge part of the series for the Cardinals who had 13 errors in the three-game series. Jasper won Game 1 8-6 Thursday behind six Cardinal errors. Bridge City committed another four errors Friday but held on to win 8-6 to tie the series. "We just were not able to make the plays when we were supposed to," Dishon said. "Our hats go off to Jasper and good luck to them." The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the third as Hicks helped himself while at the plate. Bridge City junior Jaden Dillon led the inning off with a double left field. Bolton pushed Dillon to third with a single before Dishon flew out to the pitcher. Hicks then came up and hit a shot to short and the Bulldogs sacrificed a run for an out as Dillon crossed home plate making it 1-1. Jasper broke out the gates in the bottom of the first as Taylor Hart led off by reaching on an error by Bolton. Hart was then able to move to third when Malcolm Bronson reached on Bolton's second error of the inning. Reagan then ripped a RBI single to right giving Jasper an early 1-0 lead. Bolton quickly made up for the mistakes with a second-to-short-to-first double play to end the Jasper inning. Jasper starting pitcher Justin Parsons did the rest after working 2 2/3 innings Friday night. Parsons went the distance Saturday and only allowed five Cardinal baserunners to reach second base or beyond, including Bolton's double in the seventh. Parsons allowed one run on five hits and struck out four batters with two walks. Hicks also did a nice job working with runners on base as Jasper stranded five runners on the pads, four in scoring position. "I am very glad the team and coaches had the confidence to go to me in this situation," Hicks said. "I just wish it would have turned out in a different way. This is the best team I have ever played on. From Jordan (Lemoine) to Johnny, these guys were great. I will never play with a group of seniors again like we had this year. It was a great experience. Now we tip our hats to Jasper and have to hope for them to go win it all." Dishon was also full of compliments for a Bridge City team who was not expected to make too much noise this season after losing a lot to the 2006 graduation. "We were young this year but we had a lot of faith," Dishon said. "We had a great group of guys but we just fell a little short. I am so proud of everybody and couldn't ask for more. They all did great." Jasper will join Liberty-Eylau, Sinton and Abilene Wylie in the state tournament.