Back on the field

With prep action done, Legion play returns

By Karl Lyles - Karl Lyles

Late spring means high school graduation and ballplayers returning from college. For Rock Hill American Legion Post 34 coach Steve Knight, it's time to wear out his eraser on lineup cards.

"This is the time of year for spring sports banquets and with graduations going on, our lineup will change a lot early in the season," Knight said.

The end of the high school baseball season ushers in summer ball. American Legion baseball is back. The five teams that make up League V have already held tryouts and the season has started.

Interest is high again this year. Knight had 51 players show up for the three-day tryout. That's the most he can remember. The turnout made his job more difficult. He had to trim nearly two-thirds of those players to get to his 18-man roster.

Knight, starting his 10th season, said it was tough.

"We wanted to have good talent, but we were also looking for a team that can mesh together. We have a really young team. Only five players are playing their final year of Legion ball," Knight said.

"Everyone will play. We have good chemistry. We'll be able to pull players in and out like engine parts, but the engine will keep running."

Buck Schwing heads up League V. This is his 33rd year. He's looking forward to another season.

"We've put together a 16-game schedule. The teams will play each other four times each. I think we'll have a good year this year. We're all pretty evenly matched. Chester may have some more experience than the rest of the teams," Schwing said.

Rock Hill will be a young team with some big holes to fill this year. Gone are pitchers Josh Salay, Cam Walters and Tyler Lehman.

Salay threw in the low-90s for Post 34 last year. He is at Spartanburg Methodist. Walters, a Winthrop freshman, will play in a wooden-bat summer league. Lehman just finished his freshman year at Francis Marion.

"Those guys could pitch and they hit well," Knight said.

Graduating seniors Stewart Curry and Wade Ruff will need to anchor the pitching staff. Curry, a Rock Hill High School product, will pitch for Presbyterian next year. Ruff, out of Northwestern, will throw for Newberry.

Casey Seay, Josh Bowers and Seth Rainey will also get work on the mound.

Post 34 had 11 hits in its season-opener. The offense could be the strong point of this team.

Curry, Seay and Bowers can all hit as well as pitch. Knight said it is tough to say who the best hitters are on the team because they can all hit. He likes what he's seen from Ross Lisee, Jeff Bowers and Evan Andert at the plate.

Post 34 had a great opportunity last year. It had the pitching and the city hosted the state tournament.

Knight said his team was playing the best baseball of the season in the playoffs. The team took a few days off prior to the tournament and they lost the momentum.

"Always our goal is working to make the playoffs and get into the state tournament," Knight said.

CHESTER

Chester has two All-State performers and six college kids on the roster. First-year coach Dennis Jensen may have quite a debut with this group.

Great Falls' Kyle Heffner can play all nine positions, Jensen says. He played second base for the Red Devils and hit .413 with 35 RBIs and nine homers. He and Lewisville's Brendon Van Nostrand made the Class A All-State team recently.

Van Nostrand was 5-3 with 54 strikeouts in 54 innings on the mound. He also hit .339.

Another pair of former-Lewisville standouts should be at the top of the rotation. Jay Guidry pitched at Lander this season and Taylor Ramsey is at Francis Marion.

Great Falls alums Ben Roberts and Justin Temple are back from college. Roberts played for Anderson and will play center field and could become a closer. Temple, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, was on the North Greenville roster this spring.

Drew and Chad Thompson are at USC Lancaster. They will play for coach Mike Prochaska next year in the Lancers' inaugural season.

Drew is a right-handed pitcher/second baseman. Chad is a lefty and plays the outfield.

"They will be good for that program," Jensen said.