The 11U Demopolis All Star Baseball team will be playing their state tournament in Childersburg July 10, and is spending the coming week preparing for their moment in the spotlight.

Head Coach Derek Morrison feels that this is “a very good group” that is “hungry for some action, ready to play.”

Morrison states that he and his assistant coaches Scott Parten, who handles the basic outfield duties, and Rick Collyer, who works specifically with the pitching staff, have been attempting to improve the team’s pitching abilities, their weakest link.

“We just tell them to throw around the plate, do their best to help the base runners they’ve got out there get back to home,” says Morrison. He feels that thanks to his coaches, who were “both experienced, had been coaching this level for a few years, and had the time and commitment to get the job done,” will be key in getting this team ready for their tournament.

Without a district tournament to prepare the 11U All Stars for state, Morrison says that they’ve had “scrimmages with the 12 year olds, and have scheduled a practice game with Linden,” to better adjust to tournament style game playing. He states that “the kids are getting tired of just practicing, but know that this is what we need to do to get ready, and to win.”

Morrison feels the best thing this team has going for it is it’s defense.

“When you usually have to take infield players and convert them to outfield, it can be a hassle, but we had the opposite in this group. They know what they’re doing.”

Morrison states that this team’s “hitting is much better than it has been with teams in the past”, and intends to make it the cornerstone of their strategy on the 10th.

“We tell our players, it doesn’t matter who’s pitching, because we focus on our hitting, getting our base runners out there and putting pressure on their defense to make plays, make things less comfortable.”

The 11U All Star Team will continue its strict practice regimen for the coming days, and this, coupled with the team’s obvious skill, and the faith of three top notch coaches behind them, could mean victory in Childersburg this Saturday.