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Wooden Bat League competition
comes to Lincoln
[SEPT.
9, 2000] Prior
to this September, Lincoln baseball fans could satisfy their
yearning for the American pastime by focusing exclusively on
professional baseball. Local summer leagues and the Little League
World Series are history. This fall, however, something new has come
to Lincoln: a wooden bat league. A team primarily of Lincoln High
School baseball players has joined the "Second Season"
Wooden Bat League.
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As
is clear from the league title, these young players must now
discover what it's like to swing a wooden bat—something many have
never done before. Their lightweight, expensive
cryogenically-enhanced thin-walled metal bats must give way to
heavier wood bats that can shatter with one swing.
The
Wooden Bat League consists of 13 teams from a wide geographical area
in central Illinois—including teams from Bloomington, Springfield,
Dwight, Mattoon, East Peoria and Quincy. In its second year of
operation, the league opened this season last Saturday with an
exposure and evaluation day in East Peoria. Professional scouts and
college coaches observed and evaluated young talent wanting baseball
life after high school. Support from area colleges is evident, since
most league games will be played on college diamonds as
doubleheaders on Sundays.
On
Sunday the two-month fall competition began. Lincoln opened its
season at Millikin University with two decisive wins over a
Bloomington team. Lincoln led 7-0 going into the sixth inning of the
first game and came away with a 7-3 victory. Lincoln had hits from
eight different players, with two RBIs each from Derek Schrader and
Andrew Bartman. Starting pitcher Chris Phillips pitched three
innings, striking out eight, while giving up no runs, no hits and no
walks. Matt Boyer and Jamison Sheley went the remaining four
innings, allowing just three hits.
(To
top of second column)
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The
second game was an 18-4 Lincoln blowout. Lincoln had 14 hits, with
10 different players having at least one RBI and scoring at least
one run. Derek Schrader, Andy Knopp, and Jamison Sheley led the
attack with three hits apiece. Justin Dedman threw the first three
innings, holding Bloomington to one hit, no runs, and giving up
three walks. Ryan Williams and Blake Schoonover each threw two
innings, also giving up only one hit apiece.
The
next game for Lincoln will be played at Lincoln Christian College at
noon on Sunday, Sept. 17.
For
box scores and more complete stats, see the following links:
9-3-00a.htm
9-3-00b.htm.
[Rich
Knopp]
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