June 04, 2008
GIANTS EXTRA: Wolfe’s season of learning
Little Giant catcher Kendall Wolfe guards home plate with all his heart, usually soiled with dirt and sweat pouring off his face. Through the season he has picked up a few lessons and is learning to control his throws when runners are in motion and threaten to steal. The Little Giants are making their second in as many years to Calfee Park to play in the Group AA Final Four against Powhatan. Last season they were ousted by Hidden Valley.GIANTS EXTRA SACCO: Craig breaks his funk
What were you planning on thinking? Something along the lines of David Blaine, done proving to the world how big of a tool he is by taking six hours to lick himself out of a block of frozen salsa, decided to come to the River City, wave his hands and make Josh Craig’s bat go “poof” and disappear into thin air? What? Did you imagine some mad-as-all-get-up Southern Valley coach, still holding a grudge over the senior’s timely hitting during the regular season and district tournament, overnighted his Little Giants’ first baseman voodoo doll to Region III?GIANTS EXTRA: Up to the challenge
They have the bats that have punched holes in opposing pitchers this season. Eric Hall and Derek Hall made the offensive sledgehammer that kept the Little Giants rolling this season. Many of the Giant players played together as youngsters and by the time they reached their freshmen year in high school, they had an idea about each others personalities and who can do damage on the diamond.June 03, 2008
STATE EXTRA: Critzer gets a bath, some love
With their 6-2 victory over Abingdon on Tuesday night, the Little Giants are one step closer to the state crown.STATE EXTRA: Giants heading back to Pulaski
Even when odds and reality suggested otherwise, Abingdon’s baseball team thought it could rally for a win in Tuesday’s Group AA quarterfinal. After all, the Falcons wiped out a 9-3 deficit with six outs left against Hidden Valley in Friday’s Region IV finals.June 02, 2008
STATE EXTRA: Falcons flying high
Abingdon coach Mark Francisco normally uses this week to prepare for his instructional camp that he gives for area Little Leaguers. “I’ve got to order shirts for it this week,” he said Sunday night. In between gathering registration forms and picking up T-shirts, Francisco still has a baseball team to coach. Not that he minds one iota.STATE EXTRA: Critzer: Teams are equal
Waynesboro coach Jim Critzer said his team is evenly matched in tonight’s Group AA quarterfinals against Abingdon. “I see a lot of similarities, they’re not per se a dominating team,” Critzer said. “They know how to comeback, they showed that against Hidden Valley on Friday night. They have a couple of good pitchers and when one is not pitching, the other one plays short stop. It’s pretty much what we do with [Jeremy] Hahn and Joseph [Lucas].”STATE EXTRA: Three arms know where they want to go
The standard bearer for Waynesboro this season was “never surrender.” Freshman Drew DeMoss discovered that during his short tenure wearing a Little Giants’ jersey. Last Thursday, DeMoss stopped the bleeding in relief and closed the door on Jefferson Forest 10-8 for the Group AA berth. He will join the hurlers Joseph Lucas and Jeremy Hahn. Those three arms are expected to carry the Giants in their bid for a return trip the Final Four. DeMoss is enthralled by the prospect of going all the way in his rookie season.SACCO: Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the Giants’ quiet killer
Don’t blink. You’ll miss Terrell Thompson on the base paths. Try not to close your eyes for a second or you’ll miss Waynesboro’s speedy junior, and hands down the most dangerous player in the Southern Valley District (and Region III, maybe?), score.May 30, 2008
Of bubble gum, brotherhood and baseball
SOMEWHERE IN NELSON COUNTY The conversation on the vomit-inducing bus ride spans the globe. They talk about Little League games, Josh Craig played on the Reds, Jeremy Hahn shows off his Mariners’ love. They talk about winning an AAU championship game by forfeit, after being down 8-0 and how the opposing team’s coach, after hearing he would have to give up his victory, chucked the second-place trophy down the third-base line.Giants fall in Region III championship
AMHERST — The Waynesboro Little Giants couldn’t find enough firepower to overcome the Alleghany juggernaut and fell to the Mountaineers 10-5 in the Region III championship game at Amherst on Friday. Every batter in the Alleghany lineup produced at least one hit, and two of those cleared the fence.May 29, 2008
