Sumter Area brings a lot of talent, enthusiasm to sub-district

Chris Whitaker

AMERICUS — Geoffrey McDonald and Hunter Weldon got a good taste of how competitive Little League can be last summer.

The two played on the first area Little League team and are repeat selections for this year.

“Usually, the team that represents the league is made up of 12-year-olds, and Geoffrey and Hunter were fortunate enough to get two spots last year,” said coach Marty McDonald. “That experience will help especially against teams like Columbus and Moultrie. To see that quality of baseball at that level, it might give them an advantage on how to get ready for teams like that.”

Sumter Area starts its trek Monday night when it hosts the sub-district best-of-3 series with a team out of Albany. Games 1 and 2 are at 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday with the “if necessary” game slated for Wednesday.

Last year’s team reached the District championship in Columbus, and this year’s squad is 15-1 so far this summer, with its only loss coming to Lee County, 3-1, in the Kiwanis Baseball Classic.

“We have really been playing well,” said McDonald. “Pitching has been good, and our hitting is really coming around.”

With 11 players from the six recreation teams, McDonald said there’s a good mixture of talented players.

“Our players all get along really well and seem to have a lot of fun playing together,” he said. “Their attitude has been great all summer. Every player has been working hard trying to get better to help the team. They have all been willing to try new positions and continue to practice hard even during these hot days.

“We had a lot of good players in the league that would have been an asset to the team, and it’s not an easy thing in picking the team.”

Known as the Sumter Stallions, the team has played in three tournaments, and with the exception of three games, none have been decided by less than 10 runs. McDonald said, however, the competition stiffens up compared with the teams it has played so far.

“With the travel ball, the competition picks up, the pitching staffs are deeper, outfield play becomes a lot more important, and the grind of playing lots of games is tough,” he said. “We started off the season playing nine games in seven days — six of those coming in three days. It’s not easy, but it’s a lot of fun.

“Another thing is the time and travel it takes for a team like this. Parents have to get players to the park or take them out of town most every day. It is a big commitment from the whole family.”

Fortunately, McDonald said the kids have a lot of talent and can handle the pressure.

“I think as long as they keep believing in themselves, we can win as many games as they want to,” he said. “Having so many kids can pitch, that can make a big difference in playing a lot of games. They love to play, and they don’t lose their enthusiasm.”

Geoffrey McDonald and Weldon lead the way after helping the Phillies to the 12-and-under championship. McDonald controlled the mound while Weldon single-handedly beat teams with his bat at times.

Weldon had a stretch during the regular season where he had 23-consecutive hits, including six home runs. He also hit two grand slams in one inning.

“We went into this summer knowing we had two pretty good pitchers with Geoffrey and Hunter, and they have done what we expected them to do. They are both big kids that throw pretty hard. Plans now are for Geoffrey to pitch Monday and Hunter on Tuesday. We have a lot of depth at pitching so we might pitch six or seven different guys if we have to.

“And Hunter, he hits the ball as hard as any 12-year-old I remember.”

Geoffrey McDonald said he learned a lot last summer that he has tried to pass along to his teammates.

“You can’t underestimate any of the teams or the kids that are playing, even the small kids or the ones at the bottom of the lineup,” he said. “Everybody has to come ready to play and do their part so the team can win.

“These are better pitchers, faster pitchers, and they have more pitches and are more experienced. We have to work together and not make stupid mistakes and errors.”

Also pitching are Brandon Looney, Mike Russell, Allen Gleeson and Thomas Welch. Looney pitched a complete game four-hitter in the 12-0 win at the GRPA District 3 championship on Wednesday.

“We put him out there in some big situations, and he keeps throwing strikes,” said McDonald. “A big part of Little League baseball is throwing strikes and letting the defense work. If you do that, you can stay in games.”

McDonald added that Gleeson has been important in helping the pitchers at catcher.

“His work behind the plate is one of the main reasons we have gotten to this point,” he said. “Catching is so much more important than people realize. It’s a tough position, but one that you have to be good at to win.”

McDonald said the entire team is starting to hit the ball, unlike earlier in the season when they relied on four or five hitters.

“We have a good mixture of speed and power. We like to be aggressive on the bases and put a lot of pressure on the other team.”

McDonald said the defense has to improve.

“It’s getting better, but it still need a lot of work,” he said. “The tough thing about putting together a team like this from the rec season is that very few of the players have played much outfield. They are working hard at it, and I think we will be OK.”

If Sumter wins the sub-district series, it will move on to the District and play the winner from the Columbus area.

McDonald said there’s a lot of unknowns when you get to this level.

“Don’t really know anything about the Albany team,” he said. “I know we just have to pitch well and keep being aggressive at the plate. If we want to keep playing and advancing, our defense has to get better. We can’t give extra outs and expect to win. Good teams pitch well and play good defense.”

He also hopes his team learns more than just winning.

“My goal for this team is I want them all to learn to be good teammates, learn the importance hard work and learn to love the game of baseball,” he said. “I want them to learn how to compete and have fun doing it.”

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