Wins were few and far between for the Virginia Peninsula Community College baseball team this season. That doesn’t mean there weren’t successes.
First, coach Shane Harrison was proud of his players’ efforts.
“In a nutshell, I would describe the season as a gritty bunch of guys,” he said, noting his players battled numerous injuries and illnesses. “They bought in and stayed gritty the whole year.”
In those times when the scoreboard wasn’t in their favor, Harrison preached taking “the scoreboard out of the equation and just play for pride,” which they did.
Another highlight was their success on the basepaths.
“One of our goals we set was to steal bags, and we did that,” he said. “We worked really hard all year on our leads and our timing to get the stolen bag.”
The results proved that. The Gators led Region 10 with 124 stolen bases. They were caught just 20 times, an 86% success rate. Leading the way was Ryan Bevins, whose 25 stolen bases were tops in the country in NJCAA Division III. He was caught just four times, an 86% rate also.
“We didn’t hit all of our goals, but that was one goal that we set that we definitely achieved,” Harrison said.
Their final record was 9-37 overall and 1-22 in Region 10, and they lost in first round of Region 10 postseason tournament. They lost four games by two runs, and another in extra innings.
Despite their record, the Gators had multiple players win awards:
- Region 10 first team: Garrett Hudson (INF) and Andy LeMaster (OF);
- Region 10 second team: Conner Lamb (SS) and Joshua Flicek (3B);
- Region 10 all-defensive team: Lamb, Flicek and Sean Burns Jr. (OF);
- Pitcher Jacob Wells was fifth in the nation with 58 strikeouts.
Another highlight was Alumni, Friends and Family Day at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton on March 29, with the program celebrating its 10-year anniversary of joining the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Gators posted an 8-0 victory over Bryant & Stratton, with the game shown on a local independent television station, SKY4, on a tape-delayed basis.
“It’s huge (having an alumni, friends and family day). It’s what we’ve been trying to build here at VPCC, not just a team but a program,” Harrison said. “Having the guys here from the teams before us, having friends and family here, it’s a big day for the guys.”
He’s proud of what VPCC has accomplished in those 10 years, the past three with him as the head coach.
“Guys want to come here,” he said.
He already has signed more than 30 recruits for next season, and they are coming from Minnesota, Florida, New York, North Carolina and throughout Virginia.
“I want this program to continue to grow and work,” he said.
For more information on VPCC athletics, go to www.vpccgators.com.
