Published: August 05, 2008 11:16 am         

Back to state for Ada trio

Ada — Last summer, Ada High seniors-to-be Riley Keith, Brett Walls and Spencer Penrod went to the American Legion AAA state baseball tournament as part of a Seminole squad coached by current Ada Legion head man Travis Graham. But Graham and his group of former Cougars all said there won’t be much of a “been there, done that” feel when they return to the state tournament next week in Enid — this time as part of the Post 72 Majors squad.

Despite carrying a roster of just nine players into the postseason, the 2007 Seminole team finished third at the AAA state tournament. Graham said the 33-10 Braves team he will take to Enid has more of everything — depth, pitching, defense and, perhaps most important, confidence — than last year’s young group of overachievers.

“Last season we weren’t very good at the beginning of the year and the kids had to BELIEVE they were good,” said Graham, whose Ada club wrapped up a state tournament berth with a pair of victories Thursday at the zone tournament in Edmond and played for the zone championship Saturday evening. “They did a lot of little things right.

“This team has the ability to win — We’ve shown that when we show up and play we can beat anybody,” he added. “You have to play at a different level when you’re in the Majors. There are a lot of college players at this level.”

Keith, a two-year starter behind the plate at Ada High and one of the Braves’ undisputed leaders this summer, said there is no comparison in the talent level between his summer teams in 2007 and 2008.

“This year is different because last year we had to scrap,” Keith recalled. “We had 10 players most of the season, then for the playoffs we had nine. We had the best nine players (at the state tournament) last year, but it was 100 degrees and we just ran out of gas.

“Sometimes you don’t get as much playing time as you want on a team like this, but nobody gets worn out,” he added. “We have a lot better quality team this year. It’s just two totally different teams.”

The one carryover between Graham’s 2007 Seminole squad and his first Braves team is a solid core of AHS players. The young coach had five ex-Cougars on last year’s team and, despite putting out an open call for talent back in May, Graham said he expected Keith, Penrod, Walls and former Cougar ace hurler Dillon Phillips (who hasn’t played this summer because of an injury) to help form the nucleus of the Post 72 squad.

“They have been a great foundation for us...they’re three great guys to build a team around,” Graham said of his ex-Cougars. “They’re all competitors. I saw that when I had them last summer. They will be great additions to any college team they play for.”

While Keith has shared catching duties with Holdenville’s Tanner Robinson for the Braves this summer, Walls and Penrod have been two key members of an outfield rotation that also includes speedsters Jeremy Stein from Tupelo, Robert Thomas from Sulphur and Kyle Martzall from Chandler. Graham has mixed and matched that quintet into an outfield he called “the best in the state” last week.

After hitting in the cleanup spot for AHS this spring, Walls has been batting near the bottom of the order most of the summer. Penrod, meanwhile, has been on a late-season tear both offensively and defensively after being slowed by groin and ankle injuries in June.

“Spencer is kind of a soft-spoken leader...he leads more by action than by words,” Graham said of Penrod, who made a key defensive play in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Edmond Stars. “He’s not going to rah-rah or cheerlead, but he’s real focused and real competitive. He understands the game and plays at an even keel. As the season has gone along, he’s gotten better and better.

“Brett is just a real good teammate — everybody gets along with him real well,” Graham said of Walls, who had two hits in Thursday’s 14-5 victory over the Putnam City Ruffnecks to open zone play. “He’s come along and hit the ball real well lately, and he’s come through in some big situations. He’s a real competitor. He plays with a lot of intensity.”

Walls and Penrod both said sharing time in the outfield has been a little bit of an adjustment, but they added that winning — not playing time — has been the priority of almost everybody associated with the Braves this summer.

“It’s more relaxed for me this year than it was last summer,” Walls said. “We have plenty of outfielders, and I feel comfortable that whoever Travis puts in there is going to do a good job. I think it makes you compete harder. Last year when we had practice, we didn’t have to earn a spot. This year you have to go out there and make plays, even in practice. It’s difficult sometimes because we were all starters in high school and it’s tough to sit out, but as the season progressed, it wasn’t that big a deal anymore. We all get a break and we need one every now and then.”

“I would love to come out and play every day, but at the same time I want to win the baseball game,” Penrod said. “If I don’t get to play, fine; if I get to play, that’s okay, too. I just want to do whatever it takes to win. I love these guys. They’re fun and exciting to be around. I think that’s why we’ve had so much success this year. I think it makes me play better with guys around me like that.”

While Walls and Penrod have been two of the Braves’ quiet leaders, Keith is a vocal presence behind the plate and has joined Robinson to handle a pitching staff that has been another of the team’s real strengths this summer. One of the state’s best defensive catchers, Keith also hits in the middle of a strong Ada lineup.

“He does a great job out there controlling the game,” Graham said of Keith. “He knows what needs to be done. He’s an intense guy who’s always into the game, and he wants to win. He kind of makes the other guys better also.”

Keith has been the regular catcher for the Braves’ two staff aces, Chandler’s Jonathan Gray and Tupelo’s Chad Woods, for most of the summer, and he said the length of the team’s stay in Enid next week will probably hinge on the performance of the Ada pitching staff.

“We’re going to rise and fall on our pitching,” Keith predicted. “Obviously, we’re best when Chad or Jon or up there, but (Jon) Owens has a great curve ball, and whenever we need a game closed, Kyle Martzall comes in there and blows it past people.

“Jon Ervin and Garan Qualls can throw strikes, and (lefty) Tyler Carter (a junior-to-be at Ada High) is a lot better than he was this spring,” he added. “Travis being a pitcher has helped our pitchers a lot, and everybody plays better when you’re around better players.”

All three of the former Ada standouts said playing for Graham has added to the pleasure of what has been a surprisingly successful summer for one of the state’s newest Legion franchises.

“I like playing for Travis — it’s nothing too hardcore,” Walls said. “He doesn’t put pressure on you. He’s just a real relaxed coach, and I guess that’s because he’s closer to our age and we can talk to him more than we could to older coaches.”

“Travis hasn’t changed at all since last summer,” Penrod said. “He’s made our team more relaxed. He’s a relaxed coach, but at the same time he’s really firm on what needs to be done.”

And, after posting 33 wins in 43 games heading into Saturday’s zone championship, the Braves figure to be among the most confident of the eight teams in Enid next week.

“I’m pretty confident we can get it done,” Walls said. “Our bats are really coming around, too. In the middle of the season we had some trouble with our hitting, but it seems like everybody is getting warmed up going into the state tournament.”

“All of us know that we’re one of the best if not the best team in the state,” Penrod agreed. “With Woods or Gray on the mound, we can beat anybody, and every other pitcher on our team can pitch. It will probably all come down to defense.”

“If we play good and our pitcher is on, we’re going to win the ballgame,” Keith said. “Errors and walking guys is what kills us. When we’re making plays and our pitchers are throwing strikes, there’s not a team in Oklahoma that can beat us.”

     

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