Basic Block hoping to break through at Zone 1 Tournament
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Sports/67454/
An infusion of older players has engendered a level of parity unfamiliar to the Zone 1 section of AAA American Legion baseball.
The Lindsey & Associates Dodgers dominated their area of American Legion baseball in 2006 and 2007. They didn’t drop a zone game en route to winning the zone tournament both years. The Dodgers’ supremacy has been challenged this year as a revitalized set of rivals now possesses the talent and experience to unseat them.
The parity that has characterized this season will be evident at the Zone 1 Tournament this week at Fayetteville High’s Bulldog Stadium. Unlike previous years, all six teams are capable of advancing to the state tournament beginning Aug. 6 at North Little Rock’s Burns Park. Two teams will represent Zone 1 at the state tournament.
The teams on the bottom half of the draw are just as likely to advance as the clubs who occupy the top spots, said Ashley Patrick, Lindsey & Associates coach. Patrick said his top-seeded Dodgers, who have a first-round bye, won’t overlook their secondround opponent, either fourthseeded Bentonville or fifth-seeded Fayetteville Basic Block.
The fifth-seeded Basic Block Braves don’t boast a sterling record, however, they’ve shown the ability to compete with and beat the best teams in the league. Their recent win over thirdseeded Rogers is evidence that they’re capable of making a run to the state tournament.
“ Their record doesn’t show how close they’ve played a lot of teams, ” said Patrick, whose Dodgers have beaten the Braves twice this season. “ They beat Rogers last week, and they’ve been staying in games right up until the end. We know that we’ll have to come in focused to beat them or Bentonville. ”
The Braves play Bentonville today at 7: 30 p. m. A win moves them into the winner’s side of the bracket, where they would face Lindsey & Associates Friday at 7: 30 p. m. Losing to Bentonville puts Basic Block in the loser’s half of the bracket, making for a tougher trip to the state tournament. A team needs three-straight wins to advance to state out of the loser’s bracket.
A large number of 18- and 19-year-old players at this year’s American Legion tryouts prompted Basic Block’s move from the AA to AAA. Patrick said there’s a noticeable difference in the level of play when a team makes the jump from AA to AAA. While the AA teams have limitations on the number of older players they can put on their rosters, a AAA team’s roster can consist entirely of 18- and 19-yearolds.
“ It’s a pretty significant jump because you have more 18- and 19-year-olds, ” Patrick said. “ Six or seven of the nine positions are going to be filled by 18- and 19-year-olds. More experience is really the difference. ”
Patrick attributed the parity that has prevailed this season to an increase in older players. All six teams in the league are stocked with 18- and 19-year-olds, many of whom play college baseball or have signed letters to play at the college level.
“ When you look at it, no one has a perfect record, ” Patrick said. “ It’s kind of one of those deals where everyone’s been beating up on everyone lately. I think it comes from everyone having a large amount of older players on their teams. ”