Scarborough Field of Dreams
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on October 24, 2011 2:00 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- For the third consecutive year the players on the Mount Olive College baseball squad met on the field to give back to the community.
Unfortunately for the team, almost no one noticed.
The Trojans took to the diamond for the annual United Wayne Scarborough Field of Dreams clinic on Saturday afternoon. Approximately 30 players and coaches worked on the basics of baseball with just eight campers.
"I have to be honest, I am a little disappointed with the turnout," Mount Olive head coach Carl Lancaster said. "Two years ago we had a big group, last year it was a little less and this year it is just a handful of kids."
Despite the lack of youth players, the Trojans made the most of the afternoon by working the attendees through a series of drills. The upside of having so few campers was that each youngster got plenty of individual attention.
For Josh Frederick, an Eastern Wayne High School graduate and current Trojan relief pitcher, the chance to parlay some of his baseball knowledge made working at the clinic worth it.
"I went to a lot of camps as a kid and now I have a chance to be on the other side of the lessons," Frederick said. "It's a really nice day outside and it gives us all a chance to get back on the field after a long offseason of workouts."
The clinic was just a part of a huge alumni weekend planned each year by Lancaster and his staff. The baseball team held a benefit golf tournament on Friday at Southern Wayne Country Club and an alumni baseball game that included a home run derby followed the clinic on Saturday night.
"We don't have a football team here at Mount Olive so we don't really have that traditional homecoming weekend," Lancaster said. "We try to bring the baseball players that have helped build this program back for a few days each fall and each year it has seemed to grow."
Former Trojans greats like Tom Layne, Casey Hodges, David Cooper and 2011 third round Major League Baseball draft selection Carter Capps each attended the alumni game and the home run derby.
The alumni team upended the current MOC baseball squad 6-5 when Cooper scored on an overthrow in the ninth inning. Current Trojan assistant coach and former catcher Jason Sherrer claimed the home run derby for the second consecutive year.