Swinging in summer

Baseball team thrives in summer leagues around U.S.

While most students look forward to summer for a break, the Liberty Flames baseball players all went into the three-month hiatus from school knowing it would be anything but a break.

 Swing— Senior first baseman Alex Close up to bat against High Point University. Photo credit: Courtney Russo

Swing— Senior first baseman Alex Close up to bat against High Point University. Photo credit: Courtney Russo

As the players dispersed to collegiate summer leagues across the country, including the Cape Cod Baseball League, Valley Baseball League and Coastal Plain League, baseball — and the traveling it brought along with it — became all they knew during the summer.

“Summer ball is a different feel,” Liberty senior first baseman Alex Close said. “… It’s bus trips. It’s sleeping until noon because you didn’t get back until 4 (a.m.) and waking up and going to get a quick workout and going to the field. It’s your job.”

In addition to adjusting to the nonstop schedule, players also had to modify their game, as they played with wood rather than metal bats.

“With wood, you have to have a more pure swing and you have to make better contact to hit the ball,” Close said. “… You find out real quick when you go from metal to wood if your swing’s exactly where you want it to be.”

Close and his Liberty teammate Shawn Clowers, a senior left-handed pitcher, embraced the equipment transition during their time with the Peninsula Pilots of the Coastal Plain League.

In his second year with the Pilots, who are based out of Hampton, Virginia, Close was selected to the all-star team and won the home run derby. After the first round, Close had a huge advantage over his opponents, and he eventually won the derby in the final round without recording a single out.

“That was one of the highlights of the summer for sure,” Close said. “It would’ve been fun if I didn’t win it. But luckily, the guy that threw (batting practice) to me was incredible. He just put it in the same spot. He did the hard part. All I had to do was keep the same swing. It wasn’t a big field and the wind was blowing, so all I had to do was hit fly balls, and they were going.”

Close ended the 56-game season with a .299 batting average, 44 hits, 32 RBIs, 28 runs, seven doubles and six home runs. Only five players in the league totaled more home runs.

As a pitcher, Clowers said he enjoyed pitching to wooden bats and was also able to find success during the summer.

“You can control the inside part of the plate,” Clowers said. “If they don’t square up, it’s not gonna go anywhere. It’s a lot less cheap hits. … Pitching to wood bats is a lot more fun.”

During his best performance, Clowers was throwing a no-hitter through six innings when the announcer at an away game began to ask no-hitter trivia during the warm-up period before the seventh.

“I kind of laughed at it at first, because I was kind of surprised that a team would kind of stoop to that level — it’s kind of a respect for the game issue in my eyes and my teammates’ eyes,” Clowers said. “So I was kind of a little upset about it, … and then, lo and behold, first hitter of the inning gets a base hit. I was upset, but I really think my teammates were (too). It wasn’t that big of a deal, just kind of a heat of the moment thing. It was just odd that he just jinxed it like that.”

Close also said he was frustrated by the announcer’s antics.

“He had great stuff all night,” Close said. “They didn’t even come close to touching him, and then that (announcer) said that. I kind of thought in the back of my mind, ‘That’s not gonna bother him. He’s pitching too well.’ Sure enough, he gave up the hit, and my first reaction was, I was obviously very, very, very upset. … I was probably the second-most frustrated after him, because you just can’t do that.”

Sophomore outfielder Will Shepherd also played with his Liberty teammates at Peninsula. He recorded a .282 batting average, 33 hits, 22 runs and five doubles.
The trio helped the Pilots to a league-leading record of 41-15.

“It (was) fun coming to the ballpark every day and expecting to win,” Close said. “… Baseball’s a fun game, but it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning.”

The Flames teammates also contributed to a Peninsula Pilots Coastal Plain League Championship.

“It was just a surreal feeling as everyone ran out there and dog piled and hugged and got the trophy and everything,” Clowers said.

But now that summer break is over, the Flames baseball team is focused on one thing.

“I know that this team is focused on winning a championship, winning conference, making a regional, winning the regional, going to a super regional, winning two games there, going to Omaha,” Clowers said. “That’s the ultimate goal — to go to Omaha.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *