THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040728
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Almost like it was yesterday, Chris Libbey remembers missing a trip to last year's Palomino World Series by one run.
But for the sake of his Little Creek American team that opens play in the zone portion of the national playoffs tonight in Butler, Pa., he's keeping his mouth shut.
Maybe because this team has a completely different look from the one that dropped a 2-1 decision in last year's zone championship.
``We had a bunch of `name' players last year,'' said Libbey, a rising senior at Maury High who plays shortstop for Little Creek. ``We're more of a blue-collar team this year.
``Last year, we always knew that someone was going to come up big. This year, we're not waiting. We've had to work for everything we've gotten, and it's paid off.''
Should Little Creek advance to Sunday's zone championship and win, it would become the sixth area Pony/Colt Baseball League team to advance to World Series play.
Lynnhaven Palomino won the series in 1984, and four other Lynnhaven teams at various levels have advanced to the World Series.
Deep Creek hosted a Mustang World Series several years ago and got to play in the host team berth.
Libbey, one of only two returning Little Creek starters from last year's team - former Bayside outfielder Jim Shannon, now at Stetson University, is the other - would like to see his team bring back the area's second World Series trophy.
``We started off kind of slow this season,'' said Libbey, a two-time All-Tidewater pick who has signed with Virginia Commonwealth University. ``But once the tournament started, we all came together for one cause - to win this thing.''
Little Creek is 7-1 in postseason play, its only loss coming to Great Neck in the first round of the playoffs. Little Creek bounced back from that 14-4 loss to edge Great Neck, 2-1, and advance to last week's South Region tournament in Greensboro.
Little Creek breezed through that affair with blowout margins in every game.
``We really started hitting the ball well last weekend,'' said Shannon, who hit a grand slam in the tournament. ``I really think this team can go all the way. We're young, but we play well under pressure. We make a few mistakes, but we always come up with big plays - double plays and things like that.''
While this year's team might have a different look, it is not without its own stars.
Libbey is hitting .525 with eight walks and five RBIs, while Shannon is hitting .575 with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Granby pitcher Frank Thompson is hitting .500 while giving up just three earned runs in 22 innings. P.J. Stanley, a Bayside graduate who will attend Christopher Newport, is hitting .380 and pitched a one-hit shutout last weekend.
Designated hitter Kelly Hanchy of Granby is hitting .425. Ray Lafave of First Colonial was picked up for the tournament and has responded with a .520 average and 10 stolen bases. Also picked up were Cox pitcher John Sellers and Green Run catcher Mike Olmstead.
David and Matt Clarke of Bayside are both hitting above .350. Dave Lambert of Lake Taylor has been a defensive standout at second and is hitting .325.
``We've got a lot more depth this year,'' manager Steve Siderias said. ``We have a great attitude, and nobody wants to quit at this point. They want to go to the next level.''
This weekend, they find out if they will. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Maury's Chris Libbey is one of two returning starters from last
year's zone runner-up team.
by CNB