Deacon Jones Invitational: Title up for grabs

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on April 3, 2013 1:47 PM

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PRINCETON -- Anybody can win.

That's the general consensus coaches offered when asked which team is considered the favorite to claim the 13th annual Deacon Jones Invitational championship.

The four participating teams -- Princeton, Rosewood, Spring Creek and North Johnston -- have combined to win 10 titles in the tournament's 12-year history. Spring Creek is the reigning champion.

"I feel like every team is pretty even and I think anyone of us can win it," Gators' head coach Heath Whitfield said.

Spring Creek opens Invitational play against North Johnston on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is 4 p.m. on the Fred Bartholomew Jr. Athletic Complex diamond. It's the first meeting between the two teams since the Panthers defeated the Gators 6-3 in the 2009 championship game.

Archrivals Rosewood and Princeton meet in the nightcap at 7 o'clock.

Weather permitting, the third-place and championship contests are Friday at 4 and 7 p.m., respectively. Forecasts are calling for an 80-percent chance of rain.

"The field drains well, but I think they're talking about a lot of rain on Friday," Princeton head coach Bruce Proctor said. "We could wind up playing Thursday and Saturday."

The Gators (5-5 overall) have won two of their last three games, but will play without Matt Rogers. The junior catcher took a foul ball off his helmet in the Carolina 1-A opener against Princeton and is out indefinitely with a concussion.

Whitfield said Allen Coor will replace Rogers behind the plate.

"That's OK, we'll live with it," Whitfield said. "I think our key (to repeating) is pitching and defense, making plays and throwing strikes. Of course, we have to put the ball in play and put pressure on the other team.

"The boys have surprised me a little bit because we lost a lot from last year's team. They're a scrappy bunch."

Rosewood (2-8) started the season 0-7, but entered spring break with a spotless 2-0 worksheet in Carolina 1-A Conference play.

Head coach Jason King and his staff have emphasized showing improvement in practice each day, and have seen the players apply what they've learned in games.

The Eagles are 1-2 in one-run games this season.

"I really think that the last week or so we've been playing better ball," King said. "We tell them if they bring (a good) attitude and (a good) effort to the field everyday, then good things will happen for us. We really are looking for improvement every game.

"I think each team in the tournament will have been on top of its game to win it at the end. It's going to be a dogfight each game."

The Eagles have won four Invitational titles.

Princeton (2-8) has two Invitational championships, the most recent in 2010. A third crown isn't out of the realm of possibility for Proctor's bunch and he, like the rest of the coaches, agrees that making the routine plays will more than likely factor into the overall outcome of each game.

"I think my guys are fixing to turn the corner," Proctor said. "We got off to a slow start and I don't want to make excuses, but I do think we're getting better every day. Some of the things we're working on, the kids are applying during the game -- the execution of our offense more than anything else.

"We're getting better on defense, too."