Published: May 08, 2008 11:23 am            

Who will be the last team standing?

By Jimbo Collins • Times-Tribune Staff Writer

The 50th District tournament is just around the corner and now that the seeding is set, the only thing for certain is that nothing is for certain.

South Laurel locked up the No. 1 seed with a 4-2 record in district play. The Cardinals will meet Williamsburg in the first round, but the Yellow Jackets are not a typical No. 4 seed.

Don Stricklin’s Yellow Jackets are 1-1 against Wynn Harris’ Cardinals. A total of three runs were the difference in the two games. In a one-game playoff situation and the winner locking up a spot in the region tournament, expect both teams to pitch their ace.

“I think if you played it every week, you would probably have a different winner every week,” Stricklin said of the 50th District Tournament. “It’s that close. It’s just one play a game. During the season that is the way it was —just one play here or there.

“A walk, a bunt or just anything to score a run,” he added. “For us to win, we have got to score every time we get opportunities. I think that is the same for every team.”

Harris acknowledged there isn’t much room for error even with his team being the No. 1 seed.

“By no means is anyone safe in this district,” he said. “All the No. 1 seed does is give us some confidence and it’s a morale boost.”

Corbin and Whitley County finished with identical 3-3 district records. The teams each scored a one-run victory over the other. The Redhounds won a 1-0 decision, and the Colonels scored a 3-2 victory in extra innings.

“I’ll tell you, all the way through, all four teams are fairly even,” Whitley County coach John Smith said. “Pitching, hitting and defense, we’re not showing it right now, but a couple of weeks down the road, maybe we’ll pull it together. This is the toughest district in the 13th (Region), I believe.

“It’s a shame that one of us doesn’t get to go every year,” he added. “Usually three of us are pretty good, but this year, all four of us are playing good. This year two of us aren’t going to get to go. All of the games are going to be good match-ups and no one has the dominate ace that they can just throw out there and walk through the first game, or hold them, hoping to get to the championship game.”

Corbin coach Jeff Garmon echoed Smith’s philosophy about no team having a dominate ace pitcher.

“The thing that I see that is different from the past —when I say the past, I mean since South Laurel has been in the district — there is not a dominating pitcher,” Garmon said. “There is not somebody that is going to go out and you feel like you don’t have a chance to win. South has had that for the last three years with the (Trey) Smith kid. Don’t get me wrong, there is good pitchers out there and it is still tough to score runs, but it’s not just somebody blowing you away.”

Garmon said his team has played better during the first game of the district doubleheaders this season and hopes that the one game playoff benefits his team.

“We’ve been fortunate enough that we have played well in the first games and we haven’t played well in the second games,” Garmon said. “Luckily, this district is just one game at a time. We know what type of battle we are going to be in.

“We know the battle that is ahead of us and we are working our tails off to prepare for it,” he added. “This district is a good, solid district. I feel like all four teams deserve to go to the regional tournament. Not two teams, not one team — four.”

Smith might have summed it up best.

“What’s important is winning that first game in the district tournament,” he said. “That assures you a spot in the region. Coach (Jeff) Garmon, Wynn (Harris) and coach (Don) Strickland and I have talked and we all agree there isn’t a clear-cut favorite in this district. None of the teams have a dominant pitcher, so it’s really wide open.”

        

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