Local teams may not have made it out of the regional tournament this spring, but it seems that when Howard County pools its baseball talents, it makes a pretty formidable nine.
The Howard County senior all-stars won the annual Battle of the Counties Saturday, June 4, at Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover.
The team — coached by Glenelg's Dave Boteler, Mt. Hebron's Brian Culley and Reservoir's Adam Leader — lost to Baltimore County, 9-8, in eight innings in the first game, but then defeated Anne Arundel, 19-4, in the second round of games.
Leader said that he saved two aces — Reservoir's T.J. Pipik and Atholton's Paul Beers — in his sleeve to pitch in the second game, and the gambit paid off. Pipik is this years Howard County Player of the Year, and Beers is the Howard County Pitcher of the Year, as selected by county coaches.
Pipik was 4-for-4 with a triple, and Jake True (Glenelg), Ryan Toland (Howard) and Kevin Alexander (Reservoir) also led the offensive attack, but Leader said that everyone on the team hit the ball well.
"We just destroyed the ball, it was awesome," Leader said.
Montgomery County was originally slated to participate in the event, which began in 2005, but had to drop out at the last minute due to lack of players. Anne Arundel County (15 runs scored, 26 runs allowed), Baltimore County (16-19) and Howard County (27-13) each won a game and lost a game, and Howard County won the trophy by virtue of run differential.
Howard County participated for the first time last year, and Anne Arundel County had won the event every year until now.
Leader said that he was impressed by the willingness of the Howard County seniors to represent their county in the event.
"A lot of them gave up their Saturday to play, and then went to senior week right after the game," Leader said. "This was their last high school hurrah, the last time they got to play in their school uniform."
Leader also said that the coaching staff formed a cohesive unit.
"It was a great time, we all get along during the season," he said. "It was cool to have them on your side for once."
There is now a three-foot tall trophy in the Reservoir trophy case, but Leader says that it belongs to all of Howard County.
"Whoever wants it can have it," he said.
The following players represented Howard County in the event:
- Kevin Alexander, Reservoir, catcher
- Kyle Alexander, Reservoir, pitcher
- Paul Beers, Atholton, pitcher/catcher
- Tim Benjamin, Glenelg, catcher
- Danny Caddigan, River Hill, third base
- Richard Hall, Glenelg, first base
- Dave Kendrick, Centennial, pitcher
- Brett Kohler, Marriotts Ridge, pitcher
- Chris Mierzwa, Reservoir, middle infield
- T.J. Pipik, Reservoir, pitcher/middle infield
- Nick Russo, Glenelg, third base
- Geoff Stone, Reservoir, first base
- Ryan Toland, Howard, middle infield/outfield
- Jake True, Glenelg, outfield
- Patrick Watson, Marriotts Ridge, outfield
- Saxon Whitt, Glenelg, pitcher/outfield
- Joey Yarn, Oakland Mills, third base
Britton and Pipik selected to play in Brooks Robinson All-Star game
The All-Star events didn't end with last week's Battle of the Counties. On Sunday, June 12, after the Baltimore Orioles afternoon game with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, Pipik and Atholton shortstop/pitcher Kory Britton will represent Howard County in the prestigious Brooks Robinson All-Star game at Camden Yards.
Britton, the 2010 Howard County Player of the Year and a University of Maryland recruit, is penciled in to start at shortstop while Pipik, the 2011 Howard County Player of the Year and a CCBC-Catonsville recruit, is scheduled to pitch two innings.