By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
While his immediate focus is on 2004, Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks baseball coach Jim Morrill has already gotten a head start for 2005 with the signing of eight players.
Morrill has pretty much had a raid at Tate (Fla.) High School, as five of his signings come from there.
Those selections include righthanded pitcher Nick Porter, second baseman Clay Mather, shortstop Brett Bowen, outfielder R.J. Thompson and outfielder/righthanded pitcher Robert Brown.
"I think it's always helpful to be able to sign teammates from the same school plus Tate has one of the better programs in this area," Morrill said. "Porter has a good fastball and curve, while Bowen has good range and a good arm. Mather is a good, solid middle infielder. Thompson is a good outfielder with some nice speed. Brown has good velocity. He can get it up in the 90s."
Morrill has signed another set of teammates from Escambia (Fla.) High School in righthanded pitchers Jimmy Bunch and Carl Gibbs.
"Bunch is one of the better pitchers in the Pensacola region, while Gibbs is a good two-way player," Morrill said.
The final signee is Kyle Reed, a lefthanded pitcher from Woodham (Fla.).
"He is a good solid pitcher plus he is lefthanded," Morrill said.
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The Brewton Babe Ruth Baseball League will hold its registration February 24 and February 26 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the T.R. Miller Field House.
All players must register. Any new player must show a birth certificate at registration.
T.R. Miller High School golfer Tripp Owens posted a first place finish in a two-day tournament at the Magnolia Grove Course in Mobile in late January. That event is part of the Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Tour.
Prior to that finish, Owens took fourth place at the Emerald Bay Classic held in Destin (Fla.). That event is part of the Southeastern Golf Tour.
T.R. Miller High School has landed a boys/girls Class 3A Section 1 track meet for the spring season. That event will take place April 22.
Other teams which are scheduled to compete include W.S. Neal, Alabama Christian, Calhoun, Central-Hayneville, LAMP, Montgomery Academy, Pike County and Sumter County.
Other Class 3A section meets will be held at Leeds, Good Hope and Bradshaw.
Just like boys and girls basketball, both W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller have been assigned to Class 3A Area 1 along with Clarke County for both baseball and softball for the upcoming spring season.
In girls tennis, W.S. Neal and T.R. Miller have been assigned to the Class 1A-3A Section Meet at Wiregrass
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Park in Dothan. That tournament will be April 19.
Other teams in that field include Bayside Academy and Houston Academy.
In boys tennis, T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal were assigned to the Class 1A-3A Section Tournament at Point Clear Tennis Club in Daphne. That tournament is slated for April 22.
Bayside Academy and Houston Academy will also compete.
In boys golf, T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal will go to the Class 3A Section 1 Meet at Lagoon Park in Montgomery on April 29.
Other participating schools include Alabama Christian, Montgomery Catholic, B.B. Comer, Elba, Indian Springs and Montgomery Academy.
The girls golf Section 1 Meet for T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal players will be April 26 at Azalea City Course in Mobile.
That field includes Andalusia, Baldwin County, Bayside Academy, Brewbaker Tech, Charles Henderson, Daphne, Demopolis, Escambia County, Fairhope, Foley, Goshen, Greensboro, Greenville, Gulf Shores, Headland, Holtville, Lee-Montgomery, LeFlore, Mary Montgomery, McGill-Toolen, Montgomery Academy, Murphy, Prattville, Robertsdale, Satsuma, Sidney Lanier, St. James, St. Paul's, Stanhope Elmore, Theodore, Trinity, UMS-Wright and Wetumpka.
The Brewton Area YMCA will hold registration for T-Ball (age four), Coach Pitch Baseball (age five to eight) and girls softball (age nine to 15 until February 29.
Call the Brewton YMCA at 867-9622 or Randy Salter at 363-2053 for details.
Anyone interested in coaching baseball or softball at the YMCA should contact Salter.