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Page 14 · column 5 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
By JON KLAVERKAMP
Rappahannock News Staff
Silence please. Coach Dawson is about to name the top four baseball teams in the league.
Drum roll. Suspense. Okay, here goes: “Page County, George Mason, Manassas Park,” and, and....yes, and, you guessed it, “Rappahannock County.” Oh, and not in that order.
The Coach obviously is confident about his team’s ability to compete against all others. “This year we have a good chance to make the regionals, but we’ll have to play extremely well.”
Dawson said the team to beat will be Manassas Park. “They’ve got two or three professional prospects.”
But he’s not counting his own team out. Just ask him what he thinks of his hitters
"I wouldn’t trade my top five batters for any in the district. They’re pretty clutch hitters.”
Now ask the Coach about his pitching.
“They should be the strongest pitching corps ever (at Rappahannock). We have one of the best pitchers (Jeff Porter) in the State.” As a pitcher he was 2nd team all-district each of the last two years.
What about fielding?
“The whole infield is back from last year.” They have experience and they’re looking good, the Coach said. “Our fielding will be pretty strong.” One reason is Chucky Jenkins who returns as catcher and has started in that position since his freshman year.
Last year the Panthers had a record of 5 - 7 in the district (tying for third) and 8-9 overall. This year Dawson said his team will need at least a 9 -
3 or 10 - 4 season to make the playoffs. That’s because “the other teams are so good.” He predicted that “the winner of the district won’t have more than two losses.”
More than anything else, Dawson is counting on the experience of his starters to win ball games. Seven starters are back who have started for the past two years, and only two are seniors. So the team is in the unique position of being experienced as well as young.
Dawson said the team’s greatest strength will be hitting. “We hit well last year and we keep improving.” The first five batters haven’t changed: Leading off is H.B. Wood (second base), then Mike Atkins (shortstop), Rob Brown (center/left field), Jeff Porter (pitcher/center field/infield), and
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