Dave Rogers
NEDERLAND — Branden Powell will be snapping off those lefty curveballs for Panola County College soon, while right-hander Matison Smith will be busy pitching in Jim Gilligan’s fall baseball program at Lamar University.
But for the next week, the two high school rivals will be swinging the sticks one last time for the Mid-County Senior Babe Ruth League All-Stars.
They are part of a 16-player Mid-County team that opens play Friday in the Babe Ruth League 16-18 World Series at Newark, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.
For sure, Smith, a graduate of Nederland High School, and Port Neches-Groves’ Powell will be counted on for their arms. They lead a deep and talented pitching staff.
But their bats have earned equal billing as the All-Stars have put together a 10-1 tournament record this summer.
“This is pretty much the last time I’ll get to bat, so I’ll take advantage,” says Smith, who starts at third base when not pitching, and bats cleanup for the All-Stars.
“When you get up to college level and you’re a good pitcher, you can get into trouble even for picking up a bat,” says Powell, the All-Stars’ leadoff hitter and starting outfielder when not pitching.
“So this is our last hurrah as batters.”
Smith doubled home the winning run in Mid-County’s World Series-clinching championship win over Wharton at the Southwest Regionals. It was his second game-winning double in four days and he was named MVP of that tournament, as he had been at the state tournament.
But Powell had pitched a 12-strikeout complete game early in the tourney and he had his share of big hits. He knocked in one run and got on base for the winning run to score in one game, had three hits in another game, and had a key sacrifice bunt in the championship game.
“I just go up there and whatever the situation calls for, I do,” Powell explained. “If nobody is on, I hit a little basehit and try to start something. If somebody’s on, I try to hit the gaps and drive people in.”
Both Powell and Smith won one game each in both the East Texas State tournament and the regional tourney.
“The biggest thing with both of them is the way they compete,” All-Star manager Jimmy Collins said earlier this week. “They both want the ball in any situation. I can ask either of them to pitch at any time and they’ll take the ball.”
Powell and Smith were both District 20-4A first-team all-district pitchers as seniors, leading their respective teams to the playoffs.
You’d think after so many years of playing baseball practically year-round they might want to take a break before heading off to college.
But then they’d miss out on the camaraderie that Babe Ruth baseball provides.
“This will be the last time I get to play with my friends before I move on to college,” Smith says.
“This is a very big deal,” Powell says, “because I’ve got a bunch of close friends here. Everybody’s getting ready to leave and go off to college. The next time I’ll see them will be Christmas break.
“This way, I’ve got a lot of time to be with them before we leave.”
The trip to a Babe Ruth World Series will be the second for many members of this year’s team, including Smith and Powell.
Two years ago, the pitcher-sluggers were joined by current teammates Joey Johnson, Jake Speed, Aaron Dalton, Tony Borel and Eric Sparks at the 16-year-old World Series in Purcellville, Va.
Mid-County’s 16-year-old All-Stars reached the quarterfinals in that tourney.
This year’s team also includes Beau Helmke, Charlie Cousins, Alex Moshier, Jordan Stanley, Matt Morgan, Shawn Flores, Taylor McInnis, Eric Neal and Wes Underwood.
District 20-4A co-MVP Chris Laird of Nederland and Nick Ayers, a first-team All-District 24-3A pick from West Orange-Stark, have left the team since regionals to take care of some last-minute college arrangements.
“It always hurts when you lose somebody of Chris’ caliber,” Collins says. “But we’ve got some guys who’ll step up and play well for us.”
Johnson, the team’s center fielder, was defensive player of the year in 24-3A. Helmke was a first-team pitcher for Nederland in 20-4A and PN-G products Flores and McInnis were second-team all-league.
Moshier had been starting at shortstop with Laird at second base. Collins said Helmke, Moshier and Underwood would share the middle infield responsibilities.
Pitching and defense, everyone agrees, are what it takes to win a Babe Ruth World Series.
Besides Smith and Powell, Mid-County has proven pitchers in Sparks, Flores, Stanley, Neal, McInnis, Dalton and Helmke.
Sparks pitched a complete game in the 2-1 win over Wharton that clinched the World Series berth. Flores also had a start and win in the tourney.
The All-Stars are one of 12 teams in the tournament, which will be conducted as a double-elimination format.
Mid-County was one of four teams drawing a first-round bye, opening play Friday at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s game between Harrison, N.Y., and Fairfield, Ohio.
A win Friday would earn Mid-County a day off until Sunday.
“I think we’re ready,” Collins said.
Smith and Powell know what to expect from their experience.
“We have great pitching and that’s always going to keep us in ballgames,” Powell says. “We’ve got to come up with key hits. That’s the big difference between this team and the one we had a couple years ago. We swing the stick.”
“If we play like we can,” Smith says, “it shouldn’t be the hardest tournament in the world.”
