Future FHS, FMS talent shine at Invitational
A handful of future Farragut High School, Farragut Middle School and Hardin Valley Aca-demy baseball talent was on display at John Heatherly Field Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26.
Keito Muto, an FHS rising freshman and leadoff hit-ter/right fielder for U-14 Knoxville Stealth, scored both of his team’s runs and helped Stealth win the Inaugural Tennessee Nationals U-14/U-13 Wooden Bat Invitational.
“Keito has been a great leadoff hitter for us,” Stealth head coach Brian Bevins said after beating Tennessee Nationals 2-0 Sunday afternoon in the championship game to cap a 4-0 tourney record.
Left fielder Alex Dunlap, a rising freshman at HVA, “Had a good tournament. … He was the winning pitcher against the Nationals Saturday [a 5-4 Stealth win],” Bevins said.
Nic Bevins, also an HVA rising freshman and Stealth designated hitter, was just coming off “seven-and-a-half weeks on injured reserve” according to coach Bevins.
Despite any rust, Nic Bevins connected for three hits and three RBI during the tourney. “He did well,” the coach said.
This was Stealth’s second wooden bat tourney title this season, also capturing first-place at a tournament in Dalton, Ga., in April.
The Nationals (U-13) finished tourney play last weekend at 2-2, with three rising eighth-graders at FMS helping the effort.
Hunter Merrick, a pitcher/outfielder, “pitched his first-ever complete game shutout,” Nationals head coach Chris Goodrich said about Merrick’s seven-inning performance versus Athens Tribe Saturday (2-0).
Jackson Musrock, Nationals shortstop, “Played fantastic sho-rtstop in the championship game,” Goodrich, to become FHS Junior Varsity coach next season, said.
Hudson Seigler, Nationals catcher, “Hit the ball extremely well over the weekend,” Goodrich said. “He probably had four or five hits over those four games.”
The Nationals’ other wooden bat tourney resulted in a first-place finish in Atlanta (6-0) Memorial Day weekend.
A handful of FHS rising
freshman played well over
the weekend for Diamond
Orange Baseball, a U-14 team, according to head coach Ellison Fitchpatrick.
That’s despite Diamond’s 0-3 record.
Shortstop Ryan Hagenow “had the most hits for us,” Fitchpatrick said.
Drew Patterson, lefty starting pitcher who was forced out of Saturday’s game after being struck on the leg with a line drive, was able to bounce back and pitch Sunday.
“He played well and pitched well,” Fitchpatrick said.
Adam Birkholz, Diamond first baseman and pitcher, “came in Saturday and pitched pretty well,” Fitchpatrick said.
Landon Smiddy, FHS rising sophomore who is Diamond’s clean-up hitter and second baseman, “Hit the ball really well this weekend,” Fitchpatrick said. “He’s as solid in the infield defensively as anyone.”
Another valuable Diamond player is FHS rising freshman Evan McFferan, leadoff hitter and outfielder.
