CCHS players hone skills in fall ball

Jason Simcoe / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: August 9, 2007

Brandon Mack laughed as he picked up a baseball and headed for the bullpen mound at the American Legion field Wednesday night. He wiped the sweat from his brow and started working on his pitches. A storm threatened overhead, but Mack didn't care.

There was nowhere else he'd rather be.

"I like to play baseball," he said. "I can't picture myself without playing baseball."

Mack and his Central Virginia Sting teammates were practicing for the upcoming fall season. The team, which formed in 1999, plays games across the eastern United States.

Its purpose goes beyond competition. The fall season is a time for players to hone their skills and improve for the high school spring season.

"Baseball is a game that you can't really put down," Sting general manager Jeff Crane said. "You have to practice at it year round to be good at it. What we try to do in the fall is work on fundamentals."

The top local high school players flock to the Sting. The roster is comprised almost entirely of CCHS players. The team practices twice a week and plays 15-20 games through the course of the fall.

Fall ball keeps players from getting rusty during the offseason. Pitcher Matt Ward said that if he didn't play in the fall, his arm would fail him in the high school season.

"It keeps your arm going so you're not starting fresh in the spring," he said. "You're getting ready in the fall."

The extra practice and playing time also gives players like infielder Brandon Scott the chance to work on things they might not have time to focus on during the more competitive prep season. The naturally right-handed hitter wants to learn to hit from the left side of the plate and said the fall is the perfect time for him to perfect his swing.

"I've been hitting left-handed for awhile now, but I've never tried it in a game," Scott said. "(The fall season) will help in the spring because I'll have all my mechanics down."

The fall also offers other opportunities.

Each year, the team travels to a showcase tournament in Richmond. There they have the opportunity to compete in front of college and pro scouts. For the older players, it is an opportunity to catch someone's eye and secure a scholarship offer. There are limited scholarship opportunities, but the fall season is a busy time for recruiters.

"About 5.6 percent of all high school players go on to play college baseball," Crane said. "There's a lot of competition."

Scouts pay attention when the Sting take the field. 26 players have gone on to play college ball. The Montreal Expos drafted former Sting pitcher Bryan Coffey in 2002.

The guys don't let the pressure get to them. Even with scouts scribbling notes in the stands, the Sting players are more concerned with bonding as a team, having fun and working on their skills.

"You know what they say," catcher Allen Beall said after a bullpen session. "Practice makes perfect."

Jason Simcoe can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or .