Published: August 05, 2008 10:55 am      

Sizzlin' summer for locals

MVP Randy McCurry helps lead Oklahoma Travelers to national title

Stillwater — Tupelo All-Stater Randy McCurry was named tournament MVP, and four other area players were major contributors as the Elk City-based Oklahoma Travelers wrapped up one of the most successful summers in their long history with eight victories in 56 hours to claim the Elite Baseball USA National Championship last week at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Their eight wins gave the Travelers 66 in 73 games this season and their second national title, while their .904 winning percentage was the best in the team's 45-year history.

McCurry, who followed his big week in Stillwater by earning the victory for the Small East at Monday's All-State Game at the Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, earned the save in the Travelers' 11-9 victory over the Midwest Wolverines in Sunday's championship game, working the final inning and striking out the side while making his third appearance on the mound in as many days. He was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs and finished the tournament with 11 hits in 20 at-bats, 11 runs scored and 17 RBIs.

In addition to his save Sunday, McCurry tossed a complete game in the Travelers' 8-2 victory over Topeka Saturday and earned another save by getting the final out in a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Pirates Friday. It marked the fifth time this summer McCurry had been named an MVP at a tournament, and he was also named the Travelers' Most Valueable Player for 2008 after hitting 22 home runs (fifth on the all-time Traveler list) and 51 doubles (fourth best all-time), driving in 110 runs (also fifth best), scoring 87 runs and hitting .479.

Cameron Mann, McCurry's teammate at Tupelo for the past four years, had three hits in the championship game, as did Roff junior-to-be Dayne Parker. Mann, who drove in the winning run Monday at the All-State game with a fourth-inning single, had a double and two RBIs Sunday to finish the week 10-for-18 with two doubles, two homers, six runs scored and nine RBIs.

Parker, meanwhile, drove in three runs and scored three times in the championship game and was 10-for-14 in the tournament with four doubles, a home runs, 12 runs scored and five RBIs. For the season, Parker posted the third highest batting average in team history (.515).

Another Roff junior-to-be, Blake Logan, wrapped up his first summer with the travelers by tossing his sixth complete game of the season (despite a heat index of 110) in a 7-1 semifinal victory over the Arlington Rangers. His six complete games were the most by a Traveler pitcher since Jordy Mercer threw seven in 2005.

Brendan McCurry, who played at Tupelo as a freshman and sophomore but will join Parker and Logan at Roff this fall, also capped a huge first season with the Travelers with another solid tournament effort last weekend. He was 7-for-24 for the week with two home runs and 10 RBIs, and his 17 home runs this summer were the most ever by a 16-year-old in Travelers history.