EMERSON,
Ga. – One does not have to physically see the Georgia Jackets
National team playing to know that they are actually playing. If you
listen closely, you can probably hear their dugout antics from a mile
away. The Jackets have a secret weapon on their team and it comes in
the form of noise. Very, very loud noise.
These
kids have the art of distraction down to a science, and they
definitely know how to raise the decibels when they need to. The
Jackets incorporate banter such as yelling “NOT … EVEN … CLOSE”
whenever an opposing team tries to pick one of their base runners off
or simply yelling non-sense that would drive any cool-headed pitcher
crazy. The Jackets have started off pool play in the 2015 14u Perfect
Game-East Cobb Invitational with a winning record due to their
energetic and aggressive style of play.
The
Jackets beat their first opponent in this tournament, the CSB Jaxx,
8-0, and took care of Team Georgia Red, 4-2. Their first game
included stellar pitching, which was boosted by their uncanny ability
to put runs on the board. Against the CSB Jaxx, Nathan Camp and Bobby
Spencer joined together to throw a combined no-hitter.
In
the second game, the Georgia Jackets relied on two clutch hits that
gave them the lead early in the game, but it was up to their defense
to quell the bats of the Team Georgia Reds if they were going to pull
out a close win. Fortunately, Ryan Getz, who can do damage at the
plate and on the mound, threw a complete game which included a
whopping 20 first-pitch strikes. Getz’ ability to get ahead in the
count proved to be the difference in the game. Team Georgia’s
hitters simply could not battle back at the plate against Getz’
overpowering fastball, striking out a total of eight times in the
course of the game.
The
Georgia Jackets National have a sense of familiarity on their team;
more than half of them have been playing with each other since they
were only five years old and every single player on the team is from
Georgia, besides one from Tennessee. Six or seven of the players are
going to be attending the same high school as each other, so it is
easy for them to bond as a team.
Specifically
for this tournament, the players feel that team chemistry along with
their pitching is what’s going to carry them to the championship.
“Usually
it’s our bats that get us wins, but our pitching has really stepped
up so far,” said an excited Getz. “Yesterday we had that no
hitter, and I was able to throw a complete game today so if we can
keep up the trend of good pitching, then we should be alright.”
The
aggressive attitude does not only exist in the dugout, but also on
the field. The Georgia Jackets are always looking to take that next
base, and if an opposing team lets their guard down for even a
second, they take advantage of it. The Jackets understand the
importance of a base runner in scoring position, especially since
they are so confident in their ability to hit him in.
Along
with an aggressive mentality on the basepaths, they are also very
free swinging at the plate. When they have to work the counts, they
will, but they prefer to mash the first good pitch they see.
“We
like to play aggressively because it puts pressure on the other
team,” said first baseman and catcher, Grayson Panter. “As a
team, we don’t experience very much pressure. Usually we’re the
ones doing the rattling. If we can keep our energy high, there won’t
be many teams who can hang with us.”
In
the Jackets’ final game of the day against the Cobb Coyotes, they
showed an outburst of offense that was present during their first
game of the tournament, but not in their second. The scoring for the
Jackets was ignited by the bat of Getz, who had a deep shot to
left-center in the first inning to knock in the first run. In the
third inning, Getz victimized the Coyotes pitcher once again with
another long drive to the outfield for another RBI.
In
the early innings, the Coyotes battled back and were able to scratch
away a couple of runs, but as the game entered into the late innings
the Jackets really turned it on. They scored five more runs in the
last few innings to pull away with the win by the score of 7-2.
This
Georgia Jackets National squad has already had great success this
year in PG tournaments, having won the 2015 14u Spring Southeast
Championship earlier this May. Their younger teams have also won in
PG tournaments this year as well, such as the 13u One Day Showdown in
early March.
Obviously
winning is a priority for the Georgia Jackets, but they hold more
importance on the developmental aspect. The main goal for Head Coach
Josh Meade, and other Georgia Jackets coaches in all age groups, is
to take these kids and turn them into respectable young men. This
Jackets National team has their eyes on another PG championship
trophy at this year’s 14u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational.
“Our
program is about getting these guys out here and developing them from
the ground up,” said Coach Meade. “They’re not the same kids
after we get them compared to when they arrive. We are big on energy
and big on aggressiveness. We have guys who just love to play the
game.
“It’d
be great to win this tournament. Our guys expect to be in the
championship in the end, but they know the work that goes into it.
They have already won a PG tourney earlier this year, but every
tournament is different. They just have to stay focused, believe in
themselves and play the kind of baseball they have been playing all
summer.”