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Division I Talent Leads
Spanish Fort
By PRESS-REGISTER
CORRESPONDENT -
Mobile Press-Register Sports Reporter
Spanish Fort,
AL (February 14, 2010) -- Spanish Fort's baseball team
will try to keep a good thing going this year.
The Toros (25-11 a year ago)
have been a solid playoff team the last few seasons,
advancing to the third round in 2007 and 2008 and the second
round last year. Can Spanish Fort make a deep run again?
Eight seniors, 11 juniors and four sophomores will anchor
this year's squad.
Toros coach Tommy Walker said
the key, as usual for his team, will be pitching and
defense.
"Those two things have been our
strengths for the last three years and we feel good about
both of those areas again this year," he said. "Pitching and
defense feed off each other. We feel we have a good pitching
staff that has the potential to be the best we have had at
Spanish Fort. While our pitching staff has potential, most
have not pitched very many innings on the varsity level."
Several key players return for
the Toros this season including Alabama signee Patrick
McGavin, a senior pitcher/first baseman who went 7-1 with a
2.05 ERA and 72 strikeouts wile hitting. 380 with five home
runs last season. Senior outfielder Wes Runnels, who signed
with Nicholls State, hit .398 and six home runs.
Also back are senior pitcher
Nick Price (4-0, 1.97), junior catcher Jake Brackhan (.417),
junior first baseman Zack Fowler (.361) and junior shortstop
Troy Brown (.323, four home runs).
"We feel that we can put quality
hitters at all nine spots in the lineup," Walker said. "If
we will run the bases well and execute in small ball when we
call it, we could be a very good offensive team."
Walker said his team will be
challenged by the 2010 schedule.
"It's the toughest schedule we
have had in our brief history," he said. "Our pitching staff
has to grow up in a hurry."
The Toros open with the Hank
Aaron Classic at 6 p.m. Monday at the Fairhope site against
the host Pirates. |
