Wise out following fastball to face
Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2008
ROGERS - The player Rogers AAA American Legion baseball manager Tony Anderson calls the engine that makes the team go is out indefinitely after taking a fastball to the face.
Shortstop and cleanup hitter Grant Wise was hit Friday, June 13, at the 22 nd annual Twin Lakes Classic in Mountain Home. Rogers was playing West Plains, Mo.
"He's my team leader out there," Anderson said. "He's what makes the engine go. He's not one you want to lose."
It was Wise's first at-bat of the day. Anderson said the pitch that smacked Wise was a fastball that tailed in high and tight.
"He got his head turned and it caught right underneath the earflap of his helmet," Anderson said. "A quarter inch higher and the helmet would have taken the whole blow."
The ball cracked Wise's helmet and hit him in the cheek and his left nasal cavity, Anderson said.
"They won't know until (today ) whether he's going to have to have surgery," Anderson said.
Anderson said West Plains was headed to the semifinals before his team popped them with an 11-0 loss.
Rogers (4-2 ) lost twice and finished 1-2 at the tournament. It lost 6-4 to eventual champion Texarkana in the opening round and then to runner-up Searcy Crain.
Texarkana used a walk-off hit in the seventh inning Sunday to beat Searcy Crain 8-7 in the championship game at Cooper Park.
Kyle Enneking, one of Rogers' top two pitchers, will move to shortstop while Wise is out. Brandon Filler likely will fill in at short when Enneking is on the mound, Anderson said.
Wise is one of the team's three leading hitters along with Trey McKenzie and Enneking, Anderson said.
"I'm hoping Grant's out just 10-14 days, at least that's what I'm hoping for," Anderson said.
Wise was selected Class 7 A All-State for his play as a senior on the Rogers Mounties' team this spring. He led Rogers (15-10 ) at the plate, batting. 430. He had an onbase percentage of. 479, six doubles, two home runs and 18 runs batted in.
Rogers is at Fort Smith tonight, at Tahlequah, Okla., on Thursday and at home Saturday for a 6 p.m. start against Bentonville.
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