Goodlettsville Dixie Youth Baseball - (Goodlettsville, TN)

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Goodlettsville Baseball is a non-profit organization, run solely by volunteers. For many decades now we have been providing a safe place for our local youth to play baseball, make new friends, develop confidence, and self esteem. We provide a structured environment in which we help instill the importance of good sportsmanship, hard work, and most importantly following rules today so that they can live by the same rules of good conduct tomorrow.
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Are you interested or have thought about coaching 5 through 14 year olds in baseball? Do you have experience, but left the game because your child no longer plays? If you have the time and desire, the league would be interested in talking to you. Please e-mail John Robertson

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GAME 6: TENNESSEE VS. NORTH CAROLINA: THE FINALE

All stories should have a happy ending. This particular story of an 11-12 year-old team from Goodlettsville, TN has one as well. The final score of their last game of the Dixie Youth World Series may not seem that way to some, but to those who were intimately involved with the team; a happy ending is what they received. You see, it’s not about wins or losses, homeruns or strike-outs, great defensive plays or errors; it’s about smiles and tears and worries and fears. The tears after seeing your boy hit that 0-1 breaking ball over the left-center field fence 220 feet away after being given a chance to play on the team, the worries from hoping your son pitches another great game, not knowing if he will be good enough to silence the opposition to keep your teams dreams alive and the elation afterwards, when everything turned out ok. The smiles from watching the joy in the eyes of each and every one of these kids as they played their game, a child’s game, with passion and determination. I also witnessed the fears of not knowing what was ahead. How do I stack up? Am I good enough to be here? Should I be here?  Dave Dravecky, the former San Francisco Giants pitcher, told the kids to dream and dream they did!

For Tennessee and North Carolina, it was a short night of rest and an early game the next morning to determine who would play South Carolina, who previously drew the bye, for the championship. (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee were tied with one loss each.) As was the case the night before, these two teams stalemated each other for four innings, 0-0, before North Carolina finally broke through the ice in the top of the fifth with a three-run homerun to left field by the center fielder Chris Graham. This was all North Carolina needed for the win as #25 Shelton Perkins pitched a near flawless game on the mound by mixing up 70mph fast balls with a wicked curve that stayed around the knees the entire game; the key to keeping a great hitting team at bay. The guys were not down after the loss. They realized that by finishing co-runner-up, they had achieved more than any Goodlettsville team before them aside from the 2004 World Series Championship team. It was a long and grueling week of baseball that left every player and fan exhausted from the tension of playing quality opponent’s night in and night out. The Dixie Youth World Series to me is best described as a season of SURVIVOR. You have to survive each game and hope that you have enough pitching at the end to win it all. North Carolina found this to be true later that evening as the best team remaining in the tournament carried a 9-2 lead into the top of the 6th only to see it disappear into thin air as South Carolina stormed back to score 10-runs to take a 12-9 lead and in due course, win the championship and the Sportsmanship trophy to boot. When you’re out of pitching in the Dixie Youth World Series things can get out of hand rather quickly. With the loss, North Carolina finished as co-runner-up with Tennessee.

TENNESSEE 11-12 ALL-STARS:  You will not find a better group of kids anywhere. They were one unit, one family. Always together, on and off the field and it was an honor to get a chance to see the world through their eyes for the few weeks we had together this summer.

Alex Junior: What a kid. Let’s forget for a moment about the ballplayer and think about this wonderful kid whose passion for the game is surpassed by no one. He has the type of personality that draws others to him; always kind and complimentary of others. You would always notice players from other teams come up to him just to talk or even take a picture with him. The entire North Carolina team posed for pictures after our final contest. His smiling face will be sorely missed next year, but Goodpasture Christian Middle School is salivating, thinking about school ball in the spring 2010, while the High School can’t wait until that freshman year the following year!

Jacob Jarreau: Always the talker. If you ever need a riding partner on a long car trip, this is your guy; Instant conversation! It must come from those wonderful parents who spend their days educating our local youth in our school system. I’m not sure if I have ever seen Jacob without a smile on his face. That smile has a tendency to warm any heart he touches; a solid player in every area of the game. Pope John Paul High School is getting a winner in a few years just like his brother.

Parker Campbell:  Two wonderful years I was fortunate enough to spend with this kid. He went from that one-eyed, head out, shoulder out, pull-hitter as an eleven year old to the Dixie Youth World Series batting champion (.588) the following year with both eyes and front shoulder on the ball. I have proof that no, he did not drive the team to Laurel, MS in Edmond Richardson’s RV as some might have suggested. He’s just twelve people. I’ll tell you that if any mischief ever occurred, you can bet money that Parker was somewhere close by. He and Zander “Crazy Taxi-go-cart driver” Jett seemed to always be in the middle of something. I will truly miss his leadership on my regular season team. We couldn’t have won the championship without you. Thanks!

Austin Franklin: Not the one to boast or brag, Austin just went about his business quietly, but spoke loudly with his arm and bat. He was a player that could always be counted on to have a consistent game night in and night out. He never complained or had excuses when he failed and was an absolute coach’s dream. Character is built from your successes and failures in life. I think Austin is well on his way to being a fine young adult because he handles both with maturity beyond his years.

Braden Sloan: Where do I begin? Here is another player who played for me the last two years. Last year he was probably one of the least experienced players on the team. He had the physical ability, it just hadn’t blossomed yet. The only way to get through to Braden his eleven year-old year was to have consequences to his lack of discipline. Braden was used to doing it “his” way and not the coach’s way and up to this point in his development, there were no consequences to him doing it “his” way. That changed early on during his eleven year-old year when he was told to keep his weight back and head down with both eyes on the ball or the next man would come in and bat. After the second pitch, he did it “his” way and was immediately told “next man.” The look on his face will be stored in my memory forever. The next day, Braden had two eyes on every pitch and from that time forward, the awesome power and hitting talent that was trapped inside started to blossom. No player has improved more than Braden Sloan over the past two years. He went from an after thought in all-star voting for years to the second leading hitter (.500) on the 2009 Dixie Youth World Series runner-up team. What a transformation!

Daniel “The Janitor” Lankster:  Small in stature but large in heart and talent. My son played with Daniel’s older brother when he played at the park a few years back so I have seen this kid play catch since he was three or four years old. At age five, he was the starting third baseman for his 5-6 year old team because he already had a good glove. Most kids are still catching butterflies, not balls at this age. Daniel is another player who “thinks” the game of baseball as well as any his age. Credit goes to his father, one of the finest defensive coaches I have ever had the privilege to coach with when my son played and against when Daniel came through the league. Daniel was as solid a third baseman you could ask for. He always knew the situation and what he needed to do if the ball came his way. He was also just as impressive with the bat. He had the third best batting average in the state tournament (.550) and was the fifth leading hitter on the team in the World Series (.357). His best days are yet to come.

Zander “Crazy Taxi go-cart driver” Jett: Zander Jett.... let me see; Parker Campbell’s partner in crime, the wildest go-cart driver ever, Mr. Hustle at every practice. This kid has more energy than any one person should posses. It’s as if he is continuously plugged in to an energy drink machine. That energy served him well as he played great defense throughout the World Series and came through with clutch hits as well. His father played for my father in 1982 when they won the Dixie Youth World Series over Hattiesburg, MS. I do remember Todd having tremendous speed so I am guessing that most of Zander’s speed and energy came from him. Thankfully he got his baseball skills from his mother!

Drew Hall: If you want a photo of where a player’s head should be during contact with the ball, look at a picture of Drew Hall. It’s one of the reasons he has been one of the best hitters at our park for the last few years. Drew had more pressure on him than the other players because his dad helped my father and I coach the team. It’s always harder when your dad is coaching, for the player and the coach, but I think both handled it well. Drew was responsible for helping us achieve our goal of first or second in the World Series by pitching the first two innings of the first two games. Both times he battled hard and left the mound with the lead. That’s all you can ask of a player. Without those innings to start the tournament Austin and Alex would not have had the innings they had at the end to take us the rest of the way. It takes teamwork to achieve a goal and Drew is the ultimate team player.

Daulton Russell: Daulton never had much to say, He kind of kept to himself around the coaches. Daulton was on the team last year that finished third in Lagrange, GA along with Parker Campbell and Alex Junior. I remember his dad telling me before his 9 year-old year that he was thinking of not playing baseball.  I’m glad he decided to play because he has a tremendous amount of ability that he will continue to showcase. Goodpasture is lucky to have him enrolled at their school. It’s obvious why Goodpasture continues to crank out great teams year in and year out because of exceptional players like Daulton.

Ryan “The Man” Hatten: The only eleven year-old on the team and coincidentally the tallest player also. I think by the time next year rolls around he may be 6’1” or taller. I asked his mother earlier this year during our team trip to see the Atlanta Braves if there was anyone Ryan didn’t get along with. Ryan has more friends than any kid I have ever known; a true team leader that other players look up to. As a ten year-old he led his team to the state finals before being eliminated by the Goodlettsville American League. This year he was content to fit in and learn from the twelve year-old leaders. He batted last in the line-up not because he was a bad hitter, but because he knew that this was the twelve year old kid’s year and he would be expected to lead next year. He never complained of his lack of batting time and played any position asked. He ended the Dixie Youth World Series batting .500 with limited at-bats. That’s not an easy task when you’re not getting as many trips to the plate to stay sharp. I am looking forward to having him again next year. It’s going to be fun.

Blake “Speedy” Richardson: This guy is known around these parts as Speed Racer or Speedy not because of his speed on the base paths, but for his affinity for race cars. Speedy skipped his eleven year-old year to spend the summer with his father racing cars and decided to return to baseball for his twelve year-old year. I was fortunate to have him on my team and I was amazed at how little he lost missing that pivotal year. Speedy was quiet, had no ego to speak of, and really worked hard on anything you tried to teach him. He is also the ladies man. Dads lock the doors while you can. I’m truly going to miss him next year.

Nathaniel Brown: Nathaniel was added to the team after Aaron Pecenka was injured during the State Tournament and was unable to play in the World Series. If the all-star roster had consisted of thirteen players instead of twelve, Nate would have been on the team. Instead he got caught in a numbers game and was left off in favor of Zander Jett. Zander was expected to be the number three pitcher on the team but injured his arm in the regular season and was unable to recover in time to regain his velocity and control. Nathaniel brought another dimension to our team which was more team speed and another glove in the outfield. The highlight of the tournament was seeing Nathaniel hit that homerun and watch his dad Todd’s reaction as the ball left the park. I almost shed a tear or two. It was a priceless moment.

Aaron Pecenka: “AP” was our motivation after the second game of the tournament. When he was not allowed to sit inside the dugout with his teammates it lit a fire in the team that carried us to the final three (teams) and a runner-up finish. There are illogical rules in every sport or organization, but this one took the cake. Not allowing Aaron to sit on the bench with his teammates was the silliest thing next to not allowing the third coach to come out on the field for homerun celebrations. Aaron was a .500 hitter in the State Tournament when he went down with a broken arm. The rest of the team did a fine job picking up the slack but you never really recover from a loss like that. He was truly missed. It had to be hard on AP to watch his teammates play so well during the tournament knowing that he would have competed just as well but he never showed his disappointment and kept a positive attitude through the entire tournament. He is a first rate kid with a bright future ahead of him.

Our journey began with a practice game versus a fine group of kids from Crossville, AL and ended in the Dixie Youth World Series against Leland, NC; a team that was our equal in every aspect of the game. The team matched or almost matched several World Series records along the way. 
They were:

Perfect Game: Alex Junior (tie)
Triples in one game: 1- Alex Junior (tie)
Stolen bases for tournament: 5 - Junior 4
Stolen bases for a game: 3 – Junior 2
Team hits for one game: 22 - Tennessee 18
Homeruns for one game individual: 3 – Sloan 2
Shortest game: 45 minutes – Tennessee 47 minutes
Team batting average for a 6-game series: .368 – Tennessee .340
Also there is no record for consecutive games with a homerun: Parker Campbell - 5

It was a pleasure and an honor to watch these kids carry on the tradition of Goodlettsville baseball and I look forward to the next wave of players waiting in the wings for their chance to add to that tradition. There is no greater pride around these parts than knowing you wore the blue and gold for Goodlettsville during the all-star season and these kids wore it well. Thanks for capping off this decade of excellence with a flourish. State Champs 2001, 2003, World Series Champs 2004, World Series Host 2006, State Champs 2007, 2008 and 2009 World Series Runner-up. For those of you who were not part of the team, but cheered for us from afar, thanks for the support and I hope you enjoyed the game recaps. A special thanks to Phyllis Junior, my personal on site editor, for staying up to 2:00am all those nights helping me shape every article we posted, “Now get out!”  Coach Joey

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GAME 5: TENNESSEE VS. NORTH CAROLINA: CLASH OF THE TITANS!

Today’s game was considered by most in attendance as the game featuring the best two teams in the tournament and the best pitcher also. By the way both teams performed, I would say that assessment was correct and Alex Junior fits the bill as the best pitcher in the Dixie Youth World Series as well. Alex took the mound for the Tennessee All-Stars working on 48 hours rest and looked sharp with the fastball for most of the early innings. He was noticeably fatigued as the game progressed, similar to the state championship vs. Bolivar, but gutted it out and went the distance scattering seven hits and striking out eleven in six innings of work to secure the 5-2 win. The North Carolina coach said, “I knew we would have trouble getting to Junior. I’m glad we don’t have to face him again.” After today’s game, Junior has used his allotment of innings for the tournament.

Tennessee started off the top of the first with a bang, keeping the guns at the O.K. Corral alive and well. Alex Junior led off with a base hit to right field and Parker Campbell did... well, you know the rest. He hit ANOTHER homerun to give the Goodlettsville stars a 2-0 lead. This makes five consecutive games where Parker has hit a homerun. The record for one tournament is 7 by Reggie Woods, another Tennessee star from the 1979 World Series Championship team coached by our very own Jerry Hale. Reggie Woods is considered by most that saw him play to be the best 12 year-old baseball player ever. Pretty nice company to keep I would say.

For three innings, Junior was able to keep the North Carolina bats at bay, but as I stated earlier, fatigue was a factor and in the fourth the Carolina bats tapped Junior for three hits scoring one run in the inning. But as usual, the white and orange nation had his back and fired back a salvo of their own adding two runs to increase their lead to 5-1. This time the big blast came from the bat of Alex Junior himself as he helped his cause by belting a 1-2 breaking ball over the right center field fence for a two-run homerun. The bottom of the fifth went easily for Tennessee as Junior sat the North Carolina bats down in order. So now comes the moment of truth, we are down to the final three outs of the game; the toughest outs in baseball. Fatigue is a major factor at this point and the 3, 4, 5 hitters from North Carolina are due up to bat. Between theses three, there were five hits recorded in the game and believe me when I tell you the Goodlettsville coaches were well aware of the situation. Tension increased immediately on the Tennessee side of the field as the third hitter in the lineup led off the inning with a solo homerun to left center field to close within three runs. Coach Joey quickly called time-out to settle the troops and soon afterward, the game was over as Austin Franklin ended it by throwing out the seventh batter at first base on a too close to call play. The Clash of the TITANS was over.   Tennessee emerged victorious as the last team standing.

At this point in the tournament there are three teams tied with one loss each. South Carolina drew the bye and moved to the final game at 7:00pm. Tennessee and North Carolina will play another match tomorrow morning to determine who will play South Carolina for all the marbles. Dixie Youth rules state that, “If three teams are left in the tournament with one loss each, there will be two runners-up with one champion.” Whatever the outcome, the Goodlettsville All-Stars will finish the 2009 Dixie Youth World Series as champion or runner-up. Not bad for a team that many thought was “the worst team to ever come out of the park.” Only one Goodlettsville All-Star team has finished higher than this one and that was the 2004 World Series Champions. I am sure every parent on this team is overjoyed by the success these guys have had this summer and will never forget the magical journey. What a fantastic voyage it has been!! GOOD LUCK tomorrow and go win it all!!!

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GAME 4: TENNESSEE VS. ALABAMA:  TEAM BATTING PARTY WITH FLIES

Have you ever had an encounter with one of those flies that just won’t leave you alone or maybe one of those little butterflies that follows you everywhere, pestering you to death? We’ve all had it happen. Very annoying wouldn’t you agree? Well, the State Champs from Alabama were very reminiscent of that little butterfly we all know and love. It seemed that every time the Tennessee champs had a comfortable lead, the butterfly (Alabama) would show up again until Tennessee ran it away, only to have it return minutes later. It took every player at the O.K. Corral to finally defeat a very talented and determined Alabama team, 15-9. Fortunately for fans of Goodlettsville baseball, the guns were still blazing, baby!!! The mega gifted Tennessee lads put on a batting exhibition that people around these parts will remember for many years to come. By the way, many people around here think Parker Campbell is driving the team to the park in his car, Alex Junior is an alien or something supernatural, and they are still trying to categorize Braden Sloan.....Big Foot, Shaq in disguise, Edward Cullen from Twilight, you name it. In order for Tennessee to subdue Alabama, a total of 18, that’s right, 18 hits were tallied on the stat sheet from the white and orange nation. Think about that for a second. We are in the Dixie Youth World Series, deep in the tournament, and these boys just smashed 18 hits for the game! Simply I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!!!!!! To Alabama’s credit, they didn’t know what the word quit meant because every time the Tennessee bats started firing, they ducked and dodged Goodlettsville’s bombs and then returned a volley of their own; keeping the pressure on for most of the game until finally running out of steam from trying to match the awesome power of the lads in white and orange. I once read that Goodlettsville is known for its hitters. That statement was on full display tonight.

Austin Franklin took the mound for his first start of the tournament and pitched one gutsy game under constant pressure. The Alabama hitters battled Franklin for 6 innings, but he never wilted and kept firing until the final out. But as I said earlier, the guys had his back tonight. Parker Campbell just continued to do what Parker does best and that’s drive the ball, not the car, out of the park for the fourth consecutive game. Edward Cullin, umm I mean, Braden Sloan absolutely nuked two balls out of the park with the second ball an absolute SCUD missile to left center that left the park in less than one second. Austin Franklin helped his own cause by reaching base four times, going 3-3 with one walk. Alex Junior had a 2-4 night with another stolen base giving him four for the tournament. Jacob Jarreau recovered from his cold sweats a few nights before and went 2-2 with a single and a double. Zander Jett was 1-3, Daulton Russell came out of his mini slump to go 2-3, and Ryan “The Man” Hatten went 1-2.

Next up for Tennessee is a date with North Carolina at 8:00pm. North Carolina is the last undefeated team in the tournament.

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GAME 3: TENNESSEE VS. MISSISSIPPI:   WIN ONE FOR “AP”

There was little the coaches needed to say to the guys tonight to fire them up after what occurred after their loss the night before. Rumor has it that during the Arkansas game, representatives from the Mississippi team informed Dixie Youth officials that Aaron “AP Pecenka was sitting in the dugout. The problem with this is “AP” is not officially on the roster after having been replaced by Nathaniel Brown due to suffering a broken arm in the State Tournament. The team vowed to exact some revenge on the Mississippi boys on the field the next day. Coach Joey was quoted as saying “We are not giving up 25 runs to Mississippi like Louisiana did yesterday, I’ll promise you that.” Well folks, it is safe to say that no, Mississippi didn’t score 25 runs and yes, revenge is exactly what they got. “AP” spent his time watching the game in the bleachers while the White and Orange clad boys from Goodlettsville went to work with guns blazing like the O.K. Corral. Balls were literally flying everywhere from the first pitch of the game and didn’t end until it was mercifully over after the fourth inning 10-0. Alex “In” Junior We Trust took the mound for his first start of the tournament and was completely dominating throughout the game.

I stated in the previous game that lightening never strikes the same place twice, but when it comes to this incredibly talented Tennessee team, it seems to happen often. Tonight, lightening struck for Alex Junior as he accomplished what most pitchers never achieve in their life. Alex followed in Austin Franklin’s footsteps from the State Tournament and overwhelmed the Mississippi hitters throwing a four inning PERFECT GAME no hitter. This one was never, EVER in doubt as the white and orange nation swarmed their opponent from every direction. Mississippi was completely ambushed in this one. The game started at 6:00pm and was promptly over at 6:47pm. That’s 47 minutes ladies and gents! That has to be a record for a Dixie Youth World Series game. Even Serena Williams can’t end a game any faster.

On the offensive side of the ball; oh where oh where do we begin? Let’s start with Alex Junior, who opened the action with a leadoff bunt and advanced to second after a wild throw to first base. Jacob Jarreau moved Junior over to third and Parker Campbell did what Parker Campbell does…he had soup for dinner feasting on a Mississippi fast ball depositing it promptly over the left center field fence for a 2-0 lead. That’s three consecutive games Parker has gone yard. When will these guys learn? Don’t you love it?!! I know you do. But people we are not finished; the carnage was not over. The first inning was just getting started as Braden Sloan crushed a line drive past the short stop for a base hit and “Mr. Dependable” Daniel Lankster, the smallest guy on the team, sent a fast ball of his own over the left field fence for an insurmountable 4-0 lead. After the first inning barrage, there wasn’t much to report during Mississippi’s time at bat as Junior mowed down the huge boys like he was cutting grass.

Meanwhile, back at the O.K. Corral, the guys reloaded their guns and sent Mississippi running for cover as they scored two more runs in the second with the highlight of the inning coming from the newest member of the squad, Nathaniel Brown, who belted a two-run homerun to left field. The 5’10” right handed batter is starting to find his groove in “AP’s” absence after missing the first two tournaments.

The third inning was much the same as Campbell roped a single to left, Franklin was hit by a pitch, and both scored on a line drive single from Daniel Lankster. Alex Junior continued to do his part on the mound, keeping the Mississippi bats at bay with nine “K’s” for the game while Zander Jett promptly put them out of their misery with a leadoff homerun in the bottom of the fourth for the final nail in the coffin. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! REVENGE EXACTED!!!! The new battle cry for this team is “WIN ONE FOR “AP” and by the looks of things, I think they just may do it. All you need is a little motivation and you can move mountains.

Tomorrow’s game will pit Tennessee vs. Alabama for a re-match from the first game of the tournament at 6:00pm. Austin Franklin will be making his debut of the tournament as the starting pitcher. It must be nice to have your top two pitchers available with plenty of innings left for the rest of the tournament like the Tennessee boys do. I’m sooooo jealous!

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GAME 2 OF THE DIXIE YOUTH WORLD SERIES
GOODLETTSVILLE TENNESSEE VS. ARKANSAS

HOGS GIVEN FREE PASS

Momma said there would be days like this. The Blue and Gold nation dropped their first game of the 2009 All-Star season tonight against a well coached and focused Arkansas team 11-9. Tonight the storyline of the game was errors, errors, and more errors, Keystone Cop style. With the game looming in the balance in the third (2-1 Tennessee), the boys in white and orange had some very uncharacteristic defensive lapses allowing four runs without a single ball getting through the infield.

I believe the character of a team is judged by how well you respond to adversity. Do you give up because things aren’t going your way or do you dig deep inside and fight back with everything you have? Tonight we discovered how much heart and determination this team has. Despite an 11-3 deficit entering the bottom of the 5th and the ace of the Arkansas staff walking to the mound with a 70mph fastball in tow, the guys never backed down and blistered their leading hurler for six runs in two innings! It is my personal belief that Arkansas was overjoyed that youth baseball games last only six innings because this one was about to get ugly! But in the end, a loss is a loss and Arkansas will move on in the winner’s bracket while Tennessee enters the loser’s bracket to face a surging Mississippi team tomorrow. Mississippi had a day to remember piling on 24 runs versus Louisiana.

On the offensive side, Parker Campbell continued his strong showing at the World Series by smashing another homerun and adding an RBI single in the 6th. Braden Sloan was just as impressive at the plate by flexing his muscles with two powerful base hits and almost added a third, but encountered some bad luck by ripping the ball directly to the well positioned shortstop. Although it has been said that lightening never strikes the same place twice, this adage fell short for young Jacob Jarreau who hit two carbon copy line drives directly at the left fielder. It was as if the opponent was sitting in a lounge chair on the beach sipping Kool-aid and simply stuck out his glove magnetically for the catches. Where’s the justice!!! Surely, Jarreau will awaken in cold sweats stuck in is own personal groundhog’s day.  But comfort is found in knowing that tomorrow is a new day and the team looks to be ready for it.
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GAME 1 OF THE DIXIE YOUTH WORLD SERIES
GOODLETTSVILLE TENNESSEE VS. ALABAMA 6:00PM

Tennessee has a BASH party!

There has been a BASH brother sighting in Laurel, MS. Parker Campbell and Braden Sloan, the dynamic power hitting duo from Tennessee, were definitely in the house as the Goodlettsville 11-12’s opened the 2009 Dixie Youth World Series in impressive fashion winning 6-3 over a resilient team from Montgomery, Alabama. Parker Campbell, the first half of the dynamic duo, opened the game with a mammoth blast to straight away center field for a quick 2-0 lead. With the lead, Drew Hall took the mound and pitched two steady innings giving up two hits and no runs. Tennessee provided some “TNT Channel 38” drama in the middle innings as Alabama scored three runs in the bottom of the 4th to knot the game at 3-3. The game stayed tied until the second half of the Bash Brother duo came to the plate to lead off the 6th inning. Braden Sloan let it be known that he was not to be overlooked as he launched a 1-1 breaking ball an estimated 260 feet over the left center field fence. With the huge spark, the Tennessee stars plated two more runs as Alex Junior followed with a line drive triple and later scored on a delayed steal to put Tennessee in front 5-3. Jacob Jarreau kept the inning going with a “seeing eye” single over the shortstop’s head and scored the final run of the evening on an Austin Franklin single up the middle. The three runs were more than enough as Alex “In” Junior We Trust took the mound to close out the game.

On the offensive side, the Tennessee stars had eight hits with Alex Junior and Braden Sloan going 2-2. Jacob Jarreau, Austin Franklin and Parker Campbell finished the day 1-3, and Daniel Lankster had a 1-2 evening. Tennessee used four pitchers on the night. Drew Hall and Parker Campbell pitched two innings with Austin Franklin and Alex Junior each pitching one. Tennessee will face the state champs from Arkansas tomorrow night at 8:00pm.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
 
CHAMPIONSHIP DAY:  GOODLETTSVILLE VS. BOLIVAR

Game 1: CAMPBELL…..He’s MORE THAN JUST SOUP!!!

Ain’t that the truth! We all witnessed the power of Mr. Campbell during the season that he drew 26 plus walks in the last two thirds of the season. And on this day, we were reminded why opposing coaches pitched around him— call it “déjà Vu!” Parker made the two championship games his personal playground while the rest of us sat back and enjoyed Campbell’s “Souper” feats. The first game, won by Goodlettsville 15-4, featured only one long blast from Campbell but what a blast it was! In the third, the Goodlettsville bats continued their onslaught by plating 7 runs highlighted by Parkers mammoth 250-foot shot to center field. Austin “Mr. Perfect” Franklin, coming off his once in a lifetime perfect game in his last outing, was as solid as ever scattering three hits over the course of the game giving up four runs.

As stated earlier, The Blue and Gold Nation was rocking and rolling on the offensive side of the ball as has been the case for the entire tournament. Alex Junior was all over the field for a third straight game going 3-3, Jacob Jarreau and Daniel Lankster kept pace going 2-3, Parker Campbell was 2-4 and Drew Hall had another solid game coming in at 2-2. Seven Goodlettsville players had hits in the first game contributing to the 15-4 score.

GAME 2 Campbell, Campbell…..and more Campbell!

Yep!  You guessed it. Parker Campbell’s “souper” feats just kept going and going like that energizer bunny we all love. He was like a gift that just kept giving. Aside from his off the field antics, the kid’s a pretty “fair” ballplayer. Parker followed up the first game with two more blasts to give him three for the day and four for the tournament, finishing off the second set 3-4 and propelling Goodlettsville to an 11-2 victory. Both homeruns drove in two runs with the first just clearing the right centerfield fence and the second still orbiting the city of Kingston. National Director Tony Brown promised to send the ball to Parker once it returned to Earth.

The second game was never really in doubt as Alex “IN” Junior WE TRUST was on the mound for the boys in blue. Fatigue was the only concern for the coaches due to him pitching six innings his previous game and working on 40 hours rest. But as always, Junior sucked it up and pitched five strong innings before tiring and giving way to Jacob Jarreau in the sixth. Jacob finished the sixth in quick fashion sitting down the opposition in order.

The offense was just as potent in this one as the Goodlettsville stars pounded out 16 hits. Alex Junior finished the day 3-3, Jacob Jarreau was 4-4, Parker Campbell went 3-4, and Austin Franklin went 2-4.  Eight of the eleven batters reached base with a hit. For the tournament, the Goodlettsville All Stars outscored its opponents 88-8 and pounded out 84 hits to become the 2009 Champions from the State of Tennessee. Next up is a trip to Laurel, MS for the Dixie Youth World Series and an opening round date with the state champs from Alabama. The tournament is scheduled for August 7-13.

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

RUNS! Goodlettsville RUNS!! (As Forrest would say)

The championship game of the 7-team bracket was all Goodlettsville from the start as Parkwood fell 16-0. The blue and gold nation wasted no time forging ahead to an insurmountable lead in the top of the first by sending 6 batters across the plate. The big blast of the inning came from left- hander Zander Jett, who sent a fastball to the opposite field for a long line drive homerun to left center. The second inning was a carbon copy of the first as Goodlettsville plated six more runs on five hits. With the run support, Drew Hall had a stress free two innings of work as he mastered the Parkwood hitters by striking out 4 and giving up one hit. Jacob Jarreau relieved Drew in the third and quickly picked up where Drew left off by striking out two and getting the last batter to hit into a 5-3 ground out. Jacob finished his two innings of work with a stat sheet totaling 4 strikeouts and zero hits.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Goodlettsville stars kept the pedal to the metal for the 5th straight game. The team pounded out 13-hits in four innings with nine of the eleven players reaching base with a hit. “Hank” Aaron Pecenka broke his arm two games back from a wild pitch dropping the roster to eleven. Alex Junior continued his hot bat for a second game going 2-4. Parker Campbell followed suit finishing the game 2-2 while Daniel Lankster and Zander Jett each went 2-3. The run differential for the tournament now stands at 62-2 in favor of the Goodlettsville All-Stars.

Tomorrow’s game will be versus the All-Stars from Bolivar, TN. The boys from Bolivar have had a great tournament themselves going 5-1. Their only loss coming to Summertown in game two for which they atoned by returning the favor last night 9-7, giving Summertown its first loss. The sun set on Summertown as Bolivar closed the evening with an 8-7 victory to earn the right to face Goodlettsville in the best two out of three championship for the World Series bid. Game one is scheduled for 10:00a.m. with the second game to be played 45 minutes later.

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Monday, July 20, 2009

IN JUNIOR WE TRUST!

For those of you not familiar with Goodlettsville 11-12 baseball that would be the intimidating lefty, Alex Junior. When this gifted athlete is scheduled to work the mound, the Blue and Gold nation feels pretty good about their chances to win the game. Such was the case tonight when Mr. Junior unleashed his golden arm versus the Madison Central Nationals and polished off a six inning jewel 14-2. The first inning began much the same as all the others with a huge blast to right center field from another Goodlettsville star; this one being from the bat of Alex Junior himself leading off the game. For those of you keeping score that runs the number of homeruns hit by different players on the team to nine and believe me the last three are chomping at the bit to get that right pitch to hit.

For six and one third innings, it looked as if Alex would follow in Austin Franklin’s footsteps and complete a no hitter, but the two stud hitters from Madison Central would have nothing of any mention of a “no no” for Mr. Junior when number three hitter Lewis and four hitter Drummond broke it up with a double and single, respectively. But as often is the case, Junior shook off the back to back hits and finished strong with strikeout numbers fourteen and fifteen to end the game.

The offensive stars of the game, other than Alex Junior’s fantastic 3-4 evening, were Daulton Russell who had a solid night going 3-4 and Braden Sloan who added to his homerun total by belting a three run homerun in the 3rd to center field; finishing 2-4 for the game. A total of eight different players reached base with hits. The two runs surrendered were the first of the tournament for Goodlettsville. The run differential now stands at 46-2 through four games.

Tomorrow’s game will be another rematch from earlier in the tournament when Goodlettsville faces Parkwood once again. Parkwood bounced back from the loss to Goodlettsville to defeat Perry County 9-2 to set up the rematch. Game time is set for 5:00p.m. EST.

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July 19, 2009

PRRRRRFECTION!!!!

No the word is not spelled incorrectly because if you saw what I just saw you would agree that Austin Franklin was purring like a fine tuned Bentley on a Sunday afternoon. Austin accomplished what most players will never accomplish in their lifetime; A four inning 10-0 perfect game vs. a strong Parkwood team out for revenge. Not only was he perfect but he struck out every batter he faced. Twelve batters came to the plate and twelve batters returned the way they came like an assembly line.  It was reminiscent of the old Bugs Bunny baseball cartoon, “Strike one, Strike two, Strike three…YOU’RE OUT!!! The defense was better off watching the grass grow in this one. The only guy, other than Franklin, getting any defensive work on the day was the catcher Parker Campbell, who by the way took all the credit for Franklin’s success on the mound.

On the offensive side of the ball, it was business as usual for the lads in Blue and Gold. Jacob Jarreau continued his solid play at the plate with a solo shot to right center field in the first for a 1-0 lead. He finished 1-1 for the day. Austin Franklin was just as impressive at the plate driving in two runs in the second with a hard line drive to right center field. The big shot of the day came from Braden “Hollywood” Sloan who unleashed an impressive 250-foot shot to right center field for a grand slam in the nine run 2nd inning. Drew Hall, vowing not to be left out of the party, added to the hit parade in the second with a laser beam ground rule double and added a hard liner past third in the third to go
2-2 for the day.  And let’s not forget “Mr. Dependable”, Daniel Lankster, who just keeps fattening his stat sheet by going 2-2 in the game.

Tomorrow’s contest will be a rematch of the first game of the State Tournament with Goodlettsville facing the Madison Central Nationals. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:00p.m. EST.
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July 18, 2009

The Goodlettsville 11-12 All-Stars played their second game of the state tournament today versus the host team from Kingston winning 10-0 in four innings. Parker Campbell pitched three strong innings giving up only one hit, striking out 5, and walking one. Campbell also helped his cause in the first with a line drive bullet over the center field fence for a quick 2-0 lead. Two more homeruns were hit by the lads in blue and gold with one each coming from Zander Jett and Aaron Pecenka. That brings the homerun total to 6 spread among six different players. The hit barrage wasn’t as plentiful as the previous game, but a total of nine hits were produced from nine different players. Ryan Hatten closed the game for Campbell in the fourth and earned the save with a three up three down 3 K performance.

Tomorrow’s game is against a strong and athletic Parkwood team which is a rematch of the District 4 championship games won by Goodlettsville 14-1 and 7-2. Parkwood has enjoyed a nice ride in the tournament also winning 3-2 over Red Bank and 3-0 over Perry County. Game time is Sunday at 5:00pm EST
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July 17, 2009

Goodlettsville 11-12 year-old All Stars opened State Tournament play with an impressive 12-0 victory over the Madison Central Nationals.  Alex Junior, Drew Hall, and Austin Franklin joined forces for a combined two hitter with an overwhelming 15 strike outs, clocking Alex Junior at 78 mph. Austin Franklin initiated the run barrage with a two run HR in the first. Daulton Russell and Daniel Lankster led a 13-hit assault going 3-3 and 2-3 respectively, hitting mammoth homeruns of their own, with Jacob Jarreau contributing two hits to the attack.  The next game is scheduled for Saturday at 4:00pm EST against the host team from Kingston.

AAA All-Star Dispatches

August 11, 2009 Our valiant 9-10 year olds in blue put forth a great effort against a strong team from Alabama. It was a defensive battle from start to finish with our boys coming up a little short. The final score was 4-1. Our AAA state champs should be very proud of what they have accomplished and their great season!____________________________________________ August 10, 2009 The Goodlettsville 9 and 10 year olds got their mojo back tonight. They were swinging their bats like they were back at Moss-Wright and were not to be denied after the unexpected loss to Alabama. The boys put 14 on the board while holding North Carolina to 4 runs. We are proud of the job both of our teams are doing in Mississippi! August 9, 2009 The Goodlettsville AAA All-Stars dropped a game to Alabama. The final score was 9-5 with Tennessee having problems making contact with the ball. They will face North Carolina tonight in this double elimination tournament. August 8, 2009 The Goodlettsville AAA All-Stars pounded the ball at the bottom of the first. They were able to put up 7 runs and then hold on the rest of the way for a 8 to 5 victory. _ July 23, 2009 Exciting news from Bolivar, Tennessee - the ALA's took the best of 3 series from Savannah, winning game 1 by a score of 6-1 and then following that victory up with another win today, by a score of 13-3. Congratulations to the Goodlettsville AAA (9-10) American League All-Stars for winning the State Championship and qualifying to play in the Dixie Youth World Series in Laurel, MS (beginning Aug 6th). Goodlettsville baseball for the second straight year in a row has produced State Champions in every age group of Dixie Youth Baseball. ____ July 22, 2009 The ALA's were just too much for Madison South for their 2nd match-up and went on to beat Madison South by a score of 9 - 0. This should set the championship series up to start a best 2 of 3 series on Thursday (as far as I know). The championship will be - Savannah vs Goodlettsville American. _ July 20, 2009 The American League All-Stars eliminated the National League All-Stars 9-5. Hopefully, this will not be the end of Tony's dispatches! _ July 19, 2009 The ALA's played another dominant game as they beat Madison South an by a score of 5-1. This set's up a rematch for tomorrow between the NLA's and the ALA's. These two teams have now played each other in District and State Tournament play, each side winning two and losing 2. The ALA's have outscored the NLA's - 18-10. July 19, 2009 From Bolivar Lions Field in Bolivar, Tennessee, the NLA's won today against Dickson County by a score of 12-2. This sets up the NLA's for a game tomorrow @7pm against either Madison South or the Goodlettsville ALA's. Saturday, July 18, 2009 ALA's Have Strong Showing - Defeat NLA's 8-0 Terron Smith put the the ALA's in front in the top of the 3rd with a 3 run homerun. The ALA's never looked back as the NLA's struggled to put together a string of hits. Congratulations ALA's, we hope to meet up again soon. Tommorow the NLA's will play Dickson County at 2pm and the ALA's will play Madison South at 6pm @ Bolivar Lions Field. July 17, 2009 ALA's Win Tournament Game #1, Set To Play NLA's on Saturday at 8pm The Goodlettsville ALA's defeated Chester County on Friday night in the Dixie Youth Tennessee State Baseball Tournament by a score of 11-1. Unfortunately, this win pairs both Goodlettsville All-Star teams against each other for tournament game #2. ____________________________________________ July 17, 2009 NLA's Win First Game In State Tournament The NLA's played Rockwood this evening and got things rolling to set the tone for the state tournament. NLA's win 17-0. The NLA's will play the winner of the Goodlettsville ALA's vs Chester County All-Stars (game in progress, top of 1, 0-0) tomorrow evening at 8pm in Bolivar, TN @ Bolivar Lions Field.

Congratulations to the 7-8 year old Goodlettsville Nationals for winning the regional’s at Moss-Wright. They won against teams from VA, SC, NC and Tennessee.

Also congratulations to the 7-8 year old Goodlettsville Americans who finished as the runner-up in a great championship game. The final score was 9 to 8

Also we would like to send out an ata boy to the three Goodlettsville American 8 year olds who hit one over the fence during the Regionals!

Elijah Brooks, Christian Dixon and Andrew Waters

Goodlettsville Baseball News and Items of Interest

* Check out "Around the Quad" on our menu. This is a new area which will be use to publish any stories about Goodlettsville baseball. Share you adventures and memories from Moss-Wright and Peay Park. If you would like to submit something, well just click here.

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