Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 26, 1994 TAG: 9408260060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When Jack Krause proudly suited up in the colors of Phoebus Post 48 at the American Legion World Series a while back, he probably didn't consider how long it would take him to get back.
Even if he had, he wouldn't have thought it would be 35 years.
After going to the series as a player in 1959, Krause returns tonight as the coach of Bedford Post 54, the first team ever to represent the Piedmont District at the national tournament.
"It's been a long hiatus," Krause said.
Bedford plays Salem, Ore., 8 p.m. tonight atAllentown, Pa. Should Bedford win, it plays the loser of the Miami, Fla. vs. Brooklawn, N.J. game 8 p.m. Saturday. Should it lose the opener, it will play the Miami-Brooklawn winner 1 p.m. Saturday.
Bedford (34-2) knows whatit is to come through the losers' bracket. That's what it did at the state tournament, when it lost to Chesapeake and came back and beat the same team in the final, and in the Mid-Atlantic Region, where it lost to Petersburg, W.Va., before rebounding to beat Williamsport, Pa., for the championship and the berth in Allentown.
Bedford beat teams from Oklahoma and Rockland Co., N.Y., in the region. Rockland County is a five-time New York state champion.
"We've found a way to play up to the level of the other team," said Krause, whose club won 24 straight before suffering its first loss.
The strength of the team has been its versatility and soundness in the fundamentals. Two big games, for example, the state championship and the regional championship, were won because of well-executed bunts.
Bedford draws its players from high schools in Bedford and Campbell County, including Liberty, Jefferson Forest, Brookville, Rustburg, and William Campbell.
The best all-around player has been former Timesland player of the year Ryan Gilleland out of Jefferson Forest. Next year, he'll play for the University of Virginia; right now, he's playing center field after doing stints at shortstop, third base, and second base. He's also a relief pitcher with five saves and a 1.98 earned run average.
Gilleland hit .467 with three home runs and 33 RBI this summer.
Other key players include Jerry Padgett of Liberty, a third baseman hitting .425 with five homers and 40 RBI; and Brandon Inge of Brookville, a right-hander with a 9-1 record and 2.10 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 110 innings. Inge plays shortstop, too, and is hitting .390 with 27 RBI. Inge was the winning pitcher in the state and regional title games.
Patrick Muncher of Brookville, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, has also done a lot of pitching and has a 9-0 record and 2.40 ERA. As an outfielder, he's batting .410 with four homers and 32 RBI.
"We've played some good teams and won some close games to get here," Krause said. "Taking an all-around approach to the game and not being one-dimensional has helped us."
by CNB