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| Dothan prepares for JUCO state tournament | 2007-05-07 |
| For the past several weeks, there was no doubt the Wallace College Governors were going to make the ACCC State Tournament. The only question was, where would they finish. After the weekend showdown with Alabama Southern, that question has been answered. | |
| For the past several weeks, there was no doubt the Wallace College Governors were going to make the ACCC State Tournament. The only question was, where would they finish. After the weekend showdown with Alabama Southern, that question has been answered. After taking two-of-three games from the number six ranked Eagles, Wallace finished in second place in the Southern Division. But it was obvious to everyone who attended, Wallace coach Mackey Sasser didn’t put a whole lot of effort into winning one of those games. What many didn’t know is Sasser has seen the bracket, and in his mind, it was actually better to finish second instead of first. Why? That’s because the winner of the bracket the Govs are in will get a bye on Day three and not have to play. “I don’t know if that will be us, but I believe the winner of the tournament will come out of that bracket,� Sasser said. “Everyone else might have to play six consecutive days to win the title. It’s a huge advantage to get a day off.� This is the largest tournament field ever. It is so large that on the first two days the tournament will be played on two fields—Northcutt at Westgate Park, and Pitman Field at Rip Hewes Stadium. This year’s tournament will have 12 teams—seven from the Southern Division and five from the North. “That many teams is good for the city of Dothan,� Sasser said. “Local merchants will certainly notice the increased traffic will all the players and fans in town. But the number of teams really makes it tough on everybody. I normally say it’s who gets hot at the right time, but in this case, it may also be a war of attrition.� All 12 teams will be in action Saturday. Three games will be played at Northcutt and three at Pitman. The Govs will play their opening game at 7 p.m. against Jeff State on Northcutt Field. Jeff State is the fifth place team from the Northern Division. The tournament will get underway at noon on both fields. At Northcutt, top seeded Alabama Southern will take on LBW of Andalusia, the lowest seed in the tournament. At the same time, Chattahoochee Valley will take on Wallace-Hanceville on Pitman Field. At 3:30, Central Alabama will take on Northwest Shoals at Northcutt, while Southern Union will take on Calhoun at Pitman. In addition to the Wallace game at 7 p.m., Faulkner State will take on Shelton at Pitman Field. Three games will also be played on each field on Sunday. Then on Monday and the rest of the week, all games will be played at Northcutt. Monday’s schedule calls for four games to be played, with the first game getting underway a 9 a.m. “There was really not any other way to play this tournament than on two fields,� Sasser said. “Otherwise, we would have had to play additional days, and that wouldn’t have been fair to half the bracket.� Sasser said some of the best baseball talent in the state will be on display during the tournament. “A lot of people think that the talent level is not as good as maybe an SEC school. But that’s not always the case. Many of the players in this tournament will be playing for four year schools next year. Some may not have had the grades coming out of high school. Others may have chosen to come to a junior college so they can be drafted every year instead of having to wait until their junior year had they signed with a four year school. We’ve already got several players on our team who have signed with four years schools, including one who will be playing Division I ball. I know that’s the case with a lot of others.� Sasser said if there is any doubt about the talent on display during next week, he offers this advice. “Just take a look at the number of scouts who will be at the game,� he said. “There will be scouts from several college teams, as well as pro teams. If there weren’t a lot of talented players in this tournament, all of these scouts wouldn’t be here.� | |
| © Wallace Community College |
