Sports

Baseball players named to Coaches Association squads for Troy tourney

By Griffin Pritchard
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While All-State honors and All-Stars have been named, a group of Elmore County baseball players can add one additional tournament to their summer schedule.

Nathan Knight (Wetumpka), Bradley Roney (Wetumpka) and Reggie Golden (Wetumpka) will join fellow Elmore County athletes Adam Davenport (Elmore County), Daniel Arant (Holtville), T.J. Oates (Holtville), Cody Lee (Edgewood), Chris Tice (Edgewood) and Hunter Kilcrease (Edgewood) competing in the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Weekend event. The tournament will be played June 26-29 at Troy University’s Riddle-Pace Field.

While the athletes may be from the same county and schools, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to be on the same team.

Roney will play on the Gold Team and will join with baseball players from Auburn, Brew Tech, Trinity Presbyterian, Faith Academy and the Glenwood School.

Davenport, Tice and Oates will be on the Cardinal Team and will join with student-athletes from Springwood, Lee-Scott Academy, Charles Henderson and Spanish Fort.

Arant and Lee will compete on the Kelly Green squad and will join players from UMS-Wright, Fairhope, Daphne, Chilton County and Pike Liberal Arts.

Golden, Kilcrease and Knight will play on the Columbia Blue squad and will compete with players from Alabama Christian, Brantley, Macon-East Montgomery, Opelika and Leroy.

The top 150 players from across the state were selected and named to the eight teams that will compete in the tournament. The tournament will start June 27 with Team Gold playing Team Orange at 10:15 a.m. That game is followed by the match-up between Team Cardinal and Team Navy Blue at 1 p.m. In the nightcap, Team Kelly Green challenges Team Royal Blue at 6:15 p.m., and the first night ends with Team Columbia Blue facing Team Forest Green.

On Day 2 of the tournament the focus is nothing but competing.

Team Cardinal faces team Royal Blue to start the day at 9:15 a.m.

Team Gold meets Team Forest Green at 12:15 p.m. Team Kelly Green challenges Team Navy Blue at 3:15 p.m. and Team Columbia Blue ends the second day of the tournament against Team Orange at 6:15 p.m.

In the final day of the tournament, Team Kelly Green squares off against Team Forest Green at 8:30 a.m. Team Columbia Blue faces team Royal Blue at 11 a.m. Team Gold matches-up with Team Navy Blue at 2 p.m. and the day ends at 4 p.m., with Team Cardinal playing Team Orange.

While the focus of the weekend is geared toward player improvement with athletes attending tape sessions and strength and conditioning sessions, it’s also geared towards educating both the players and parents.

Following Thursday’s banquet at 6:30 p.m., an academic session is scheduled to start around 8 p.m. Coaches from the junior/community college level, NAIA level, NCAA Division I, II and III levels will be on hand to discuss what the players can expect if they are offered scholarships.

Players are scheduled to report June 26 between 3-5 p.m., to Shackleford Hall on the campus of Troy University.

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